Extension Associate - Integrated Pest Management Tick and School IPM Coordinator

Extension Associate - Integrated Pest Management Tick and School IPM Coordinator

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose‑driven science and Cornell University’s second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world‑renowned research, education, and outreach. Our focus is on achieving next‑generation scientific breakthroughs, ensuring access to nutritious food and a healthy environment, and supporting local people and communities worldwide.

The Tick and School IPM Coordinator will provide statewide leadership in advancing sustainable, science‑based pest management practices in schools and community environments, with a specific focus on tick awareness and pests affecting school grounds and athletic fields. The coordinator will develop and deliver unbiased, research‑informed education, demonstrations, and outreach, collaborate across disciplines and with a wide range of stakeholders, and promote practical and effective IPM strategies that protect human health and the environment.

The successful candidate will be an innovative and engaging educator passionate about extension, outreach, and applied research, building trusted relationships with diverse socio‑economic groups to identify needs and deliver impactful solutions.

This position is a non‑tenure track Research, Teaching, and Extension (RTE) faculty role with an appointment split of 80% Extension and 20% Applied Research.

The position reports directly to the Cornell IPM Associate Director for Community IPM and receives input from the Program’s Director, Cornell faculty, Extension colleagues, practitioners, and stakeholder organizations across New York State.

This is a full‑time (40 hours/week) position housed at the office of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County, located in Voorheesville, NY. Flexible working arrangements are permitted. The appointment is three (3) years in length with reappointment contingent upon available resources and successful performance.

• Develop innovative outreach tools and materials to promote IPM adoption, including physical demonstration and digital resources.
• Organize workshops and training sessions for municipal and school grounds managers, outdoor workers, green industry workers, farm workers, and the interested public.
• Lead demonstration projects to validate and promote IPM strategies.
• Participate in meetings, trade shows, and other professional and public gatherings to promote community IPM.
• Communicate IPM messages effectively to multiple audiences through written and verbal formats.
• Evaluate outreach activities to measure outcomes and impacts, such as adoption of IPM policies, reduction of pesticide use, stakeholder satisfaction, and reduced tick exposure or vector‑borne disease occurrence.
• Provide statewide leadership for educational programs emphasizing minimized pesticide use while safeguarding health and environmental quality.
• Deliver research‑based knowledge through educational activities for Extension teams, green industry workers, school and state agency officials, and others, using group experiences (meetings, workshops, etc.) and mass media (webinars, podcasts, print, etc.).
• Ensure a strong program emphasis on demonstration and adoption of IPM principles and practices, continuously improving based on evaluation findings.

• Conduct applied, integrated research to address IPM knowledge gaps, aligning with program priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Lead and collaborate on grant and funding proposals with agencies, organizations, faculty, and extension personnel.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data and present results in extension and peer‑reviewed publications.
• Prepare reports for granting agencies, NYSIPM publications, social media, and other extension outlets.

• Evaluate the impact of major program efforts, ensuring alignment with the strategic plan and program goals.
• Document and report impacts, including surveys of behavior change and improvements in turf or building quality.
• Write and prepare…