Extension Assistant Professor - Biodiversity Conservation

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450 acres in Western Massachusetts and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors.

We strive for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives.

The Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time Extension faculty position at the rank of Extension Assistant Professor. We seek a candidate who will develop an integrated research and extension program in Biodiversity Conservation that combines academic research with educational programs, resources, tools and technologies to meet the needs of stakeholders such as landowners, municipal officials, community leaders, conservation organizations, government agencies, natural resource professionals, and policy-makers.

The successful candidate will be a full member of the University of Massachusetts faculty with a 12-month, non-tenure track appointment. A typical Extension faculty appointment is 30% teaching, 20% research, and 50% extension and service.

Extension is a targeted form of public education, university outreach, and community engagement with sustained efforts to produce tangible outcomes that address critical issues in the region. Extension activities are based on pressing environmental challenges, stakeholder needs, and the academic strengths of departments and other units of UMass Amherst. Extension faculty play a catalytic and integrative role within departments including: identifying critical issues in the Commonwealth and the Northeastern U.S.;

convening dynamic teams of researchers and collaborators to engage in research that addresses critical issues; securing grants to fund research and extension activities; and working with stakeholders and extension staff to deliver research-based information to inform decisions that address critical issues. The role of Extension faculty is to extend the work of the land grant university into the field of practitioners, through both individual research and outreach efforts and by coordinating with other faculty and staff at UMass.

Massachusetts includes a variety of ecosystems, including forests, rivers and lakes, wetlands and marshes, and coastal environments interspersed with urban and suburban landscapes. Potential programming opportunities for an extension faculty member in biodiversity conservation may include work in ecosystems related to ecological restoration, landscape-scale connectivity, prioritization of conservation activities, wetland assessment, biodiversity monitoring, endangered species conservation, and reducing impacts of development on ecosystems and biodiversity.

Collaboration with the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NECASC) is possible, located se biodiversity conservation programming areas are core to the department's mission and to the university’s goals for a sustainable and just future for all.

In addition to developing and implementing an integrated extension and research program, the successful candidate will be expected to teach one course per semester in wetlands and/or wildlife ecology and conservation (as guided by departmental needs and candidate expertise), mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and contribute to the department, college, university and profession through service. We are committed to teaching and serving a diverse student body, professional practitioners, and the broader public.

• Develop an integrated research and extension program in Biodiversity Conservation. Perform academic research that is integrated with educational programs, resources, tools and/or technologies that meet the needs of key stakeholders such as…