Assistant Professor, Ontario Bean Growers Professorship in Weed Science

The Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level for the Ontario Bean Growers Professorship in Weed Science. This position is located at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, located in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, 200 km southwest of the University’s main campus in Guelph.

The holder of the Ontario Bean Growers Professorship in Weed Science will develop a cutting-edge research program with a focus on addressing commercially relevant weed management problems in field crops in Ontario, including soybean, corn, edible beans, wheat, and other small grains. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching existing and/or new diploma courses and will be actively involved in the supervision of graduate students, both MSc and PhD. They will join a world-class team of faculty members in the Department of Plant Agriculture conducting research in sustainable cropping practices. The current faculty includes other weed scientists and others working in the areas of plant breeding and genetics, entomology, pathology, crop physiology, post-harvest physiology, agronomy, and plant-based bioproducts.

Position Requirements:

• A PhD with a specialization in Weed Science or a closely related field
• Strong research background in the area of weed science, preferably related to field crops
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to develop presentations for diverse audiences (e.g., diploma students, graduate students, industry stakeholders, producers)
• Ability to collaborate and engage with industry and growers to develop practical solutions
• Potential to excel at teaching at the diploma level in weed science as well as in other related disciplines at the diploma, undergraduate, or graduate levels
• Ability to incorporate relevant, practical on-farm experience into teaching method

Salary is negotiable and commensurate with qualifications. Competitive research start-up funds will be provided.

About Ridgetown Campus, the Department and the University
The University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus (https://www.ridgetownc.com/) has been a leader in applied agricultural research for 100 years. The campus is located in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, one of Canada’s most important agricultural regions, producing over 70 different types of crops. Campus faculty are globally recognized as leaders in their fields, partnering closely with producers to solve real-world problems. They share their expertise with students inside the classroom and on our 180-hectare campus and research plots which offer exceptional hands-on learning opportunities.

The Department of Plant Agriculture (https://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/) is Canada’s largest and most diverse applied plant biology department and has recognized strengths in a broad cross-section of plant sciences including agronomy, horticulture, breeding, molecular genetics, genomics, controlled environment systems, plant physiology, post-harvest physiology, plant pathology, and plant-based bioproducts. The Department currently has 30 faculty members and employs 100 staff and more than 100 graduate students. Faculty in the Department have access to modern laboratory, growth room and greenhouse facilities, as well as fourteen well-equipped research stations across the province. As part of the Ontario Agricultural College (https://www.uoguelph.ca/oac/), Plant Agriculture has a long history of achievement in serving the agriculture and agri-food industries within Ontario and beyond.

The University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process
Assessment of applications will begin on September 1, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should submit the following materials (preferably as a single PDF file):

1) Letter of interest
2) Teaching philosophy statement (1 page)
3) Research interests statement: short and long-term (1 page)
4) Industry, Extension and Outreach Philosophy Statement (1 page)
5) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement: Describe the strategies you will use to foster inclusion and support a diverse community in your research program and classrooms (300 word maximum)
6) Curriculum vitae
7) References: Contact information for 3 individuals

Applications should be sent to the attention of:
Dr. Hugh Earl
Chair, Department of Plant Agriculture
c/o Jennifer Mullen, Human Resources, Ridgetown Campus
University of Guelph

Apply Online – Assistant Professor, Ontario Bean Growers Professorship in Weed Science (https://careers.uoguelph.ca/job/Ridgetown-Assistant-Professor%2C-Ontario-Bean-Growers-Professorship-in-Weed-Science-QC-N0P-2C0/728961947/)

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

The Ridgetown campus is located within the McKee Purchase (Treaty 2); the treaty lands of Odawa, Potawatami and Ojibwe (Anishinaabe peoples). It is recognized that the Anishinnabe, Hodinöhsö:ni’ and Lūnaapéewak peoples have unique, long-standing and on-going relationships with the land in this region.
At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

If you require accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.

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