Assistant Professor - Forestry

Job Title

Assistant Professor - Forestry

Texas A&M Agri Life Research

Temple

Commensurate

Temple, Texas

Faculty

Texas A&M Agri Life is comprised of Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M Agri Life Extension Service
• Texas A&M Agri Life Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M Agri Life brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M Agri Life is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

to learn more about how you can be a part of Agri Life and make a difference in the world!

Texas A&M Agri Life Research is seeking an outstanding, innovative, and dynamic individual to fill a 12-month, non-tenure track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Forest Ecology and Modeling Research. This 100% research appointment will be administratively based at the Blackland Research and Extension Center in Temple, Texas, with academic affiliation in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, and collaborative ties to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop a nationally recognized, externally funded research program that is collaborative, interdisciplinary, and self-sustaining. The program should address critical challenges related to the sustainability, health, productivity, and marketability of forested landscapes in Texas and beyond. The position will offer opportunities to work closely with faculty and researchers across the Texas A&M University System, including Agri Life Research, Agri Life Extension, and the Texas A&M Forest Service.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to applied forest science in a region facing significant ecological and economic shifts, and to support the development of resilient forest landscapes through cutting‑edge research in forest ecology and modeling.

Forests in Texas are abundant, diverse, and ecologically significant, covering approximately 35% of the state’s land area. According to the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, Texas contains an estimated 60 million acres of forestland, with nearly 48 million acres of non‑commercial forests located in central and west Texas. Most of these forest lands, approximately 93%, are privately owned, with the remainder managed by state agencies, national forests, and other public entities.

Texas forests play a critical role in supporting the environmental, economic, and social well‑being of communities across the state, while also contributing to broader national and global ecological functions. However, forests in central and west Texas face a unique set of management challenges, including climate variability, parcelization, invasive species, and limited commercial markets. Given their importance and vulnerability, it is essential to advance our scientific understanding of these forest systems to guide sound management decisions that enhance forest health, promote sustainable stewardship, and conserve vital soil, water, and wildlife resources across the state.

The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, implementing, and conducting fundamental and applied research focused on the impacts of forest land use, management practices, and climate change on forest ecosystem health and sustainability. This research will also explore how these factors influence soil, water, and other natural resources. Responsibilities include the collection, analysis, and organization of data, as well as the development and application of algorithms and models to realistically simulate forest ecosystem dynamics under varying conditions of land use change, forest and land management,…