Extension Specialist- Animal Sciences
Position Description: The Department of Animal Sciences and Rutgers Cooperative Extension in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, invite candidates to apply for a 12-month tenure-track faculty position as an Assistant Extension Specialist (equivalent to Assistant Professor), with an emphasis on small to midsize livestock farming.
The Department of Animal Sciences, with strong roots in the land-grant tradition, has as its mission to improve the health and well-being of animals, including humans, through integration of teaching, research, and outreach. Our department aspires to be a global leader in training the next generation of scholars in the areas of comparative endocrinology and integrative physiology, equine science, the sustainability of animal production systems, and companion and laboratory animal science.
The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) is located on the Rutgers University George H. Cook campus in New Brunswick, NJ. New Brunswick is a city with theaters, museums, restaurants, nightlife, and culture and direct train and bus lines to Manhattan. In addition, our students have at their disposal animal, produce, and turfgrass farms; woods and trails; display and community gardens; and even a bamboo forest. SEBS is committed to the study of how human and environmental health can intersect to support a healthy and sustainable future.
Established in 1766, Rutgers University (then known as Queen’s College) is the eighth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and one of only nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The basis for what is today the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences was formed in 1864 from an effort led by Professor George H. Cook to designate Rutgers as New Jersey’s land-grant college, two years after Congress passed the 1862 Morrill Act creating public, land-grant institutions across the nation. Throughout its long history, the school has been home to many firsts and historical innovations, with worldwide impacts. Today SEBS supports vibrant academic departments, research and outreach centers, and institutes addressing the scientific foundation of the pressing needs of the 21st century in the environment, climate, marine and coastal sciences, agriculture, nutrition, plant biology, landscape design, food systems, and more. For more information regarding SEBS, please visit the website at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences – Rutgers SEBS.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Assistant Extension Specialist will lead outreach efforts to small and midsize farms and businesses in the state. The USDA defines small farms as those with annual gross cash farm income, a measure of the farm’s revenue (before deducting expenses), as less than $350,000. This growing segment of small animal farms in New Jersey is the primary outreach focus for this position. Successful farm management involves optimizing animal growth, production, and economics, while minimizing environmental impact. A foundation for long-term livestock farm sustainability is dependent on balancing the behavioral and physiological well-being of agricultural animals with farm economics. The Assistant Extension Specialist hired in this area will amplify our efforts in outreach, research, and teaching to small livestock farms and businesses. Their outreach program may include support for one or more of the following: animal production, economics, forage management, and environmental management, including a focus on climate resiliency. Outreach to underserved and urban farmers may also be a component of these programs. The successful candidate is expected to develop and maintain an externally funded research program that focuses on a core discipline of animal science (nutrition, reproduction, forage management, animal well-being, etc.). There is also an expectation to contribute to the Department of Animal Sciences’ teaching programs, which will include an emphasis on existing and new Animal Sciences graduate and undergraduate course offerings in sustainable animal agriculture.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Candidates must have a PhD in an appropriate Animal Science or Agricultural Science discipline.
• Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, nutrition, reproduction, forage management, animal production, and animal well-being.
APPOINTMENT TERM
This is a 12-month tenure-track faculty position. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2023. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with education and experience.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT
All offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment background screenings. Rutgers University requires all prospective employees to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated and have received a booster (where eligible) against COVID-19 prior to commencement of employment unless the university has granted the individual a medical or religious exemption.
Questions can be directed to Dr. Mike Westendorf, Search Committee Chair, aniscisearch@sebs.rutgers.edu.
All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at Ethics – Code of Conduct | University Ethics and Compliance | Rutgers University.
The goal of the Department of Animal Sciences and Rutgers University is that our faculty composition reflects the diversity of the people in New Jersey. We especially encourage applications from backgrounds underrepresented in the animal sciences including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ applicants.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, military service or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment.