Assistant Professor in Sustainable Agricultural Systems Department of Environmental Science

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, POLICY, AND MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

The Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management (ESPM) at the University of California at Berkeley is recruiting for a tenure-track (academic-year) assistant professor in the field of sustainable agricultural systems, with an expected start date of July 1, 2014. The position includes a joint appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station. We are looking for a biophysically-oriented scientist who takes a systems and/or resilience perspective to sustainable agricultural production, particularly if emphasizing the science and management of soil-based processes (water, nutrients, carbon, etc.). ESPM is a large, diverse department with strong natural and social science contingents that directs itself towards multi-disciplinary approaches to environmental problem-solving. The successful candidate will fit with ESPM’s mission and will contribute to programs of the new Berkeley Food Institute (http://www.berkeleyfoodinstitute.org), by conducting research and teaching that is sensitive to rapidly changing social, political, and environmental contexts and oriented toward finding solutions to environmental problems.

Rationale: Agricultural systems are rapidly exceeding the Earth’s capacity to supply critical agricultural resources such as water, energy, nutrients, soils, pest regulation and pollination services. Agricultural systems have also caused environmental impacts that include marine dead zones, soil erosion, nutrient losses, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and pesticide exposure and accumulation. Food production must double or more by 2050 to meet global food demand, yet the ability to achieve this is uncertain since agriculture already utilizes a large portion of available fresh water, depends heavily on fossil fuels and agri-chemical inputs, and have limited new lands to utilize for farming.

A rapid transformation of agricultural systems is urgently needed. The farming of the future must rely on a systems-based approach to devise resilient agricultural practices in the face of climate change and major changes in critical resource availability and political systems. Innovative practices will rely on several fundamental, intersecting principles: (1) appropriate selection of crop germplasm and in situ maintenance of crop and crop-wild relative diversity; (2) diversification across levels of biodiversity (genetic to ecosystem) and space (plot to landscape); (3) devising ways to mimic natural systems to maximize both productivity and resilience; (4) incorporation of local and traditional knowledge to help define appropriate farming practices and conserve and promote crop diversity; (5) developing new ways reuse and recycle nutrients in order to reduce resources needed, and (6) the development of energy efficient or C sequestering agricultural practices that help to mitigate climate change and reduce fossil fuel use. For such research to be transformative, a whole systems perspective is needed: the ability to think and research creatively and collaboratively across multiple areas and disciplines.

Justification: There is a clear need for CNR and ESPM to further contribute to the national expertise and leadership that confronts the critical challenge of achieving sustainable agriculture. Agriculture is one of the central issues that will shape the fate of humanity in the coming decades. Attesting to the growing interest in sustainable food production on campus, the new Berkeley Food Institute has attracted donor support and will link the Diversified Farming Group in CNR with the School of Journalism, the Goldman School of Public Policy, the Boalt School of Law and the School of Public Health. To support the new Institute, there is a clear need to strengthen this area by building on our existing expertise in sustainable agricultural sciences. Within ESPM, our current expertise lies chiefly in: (1) Agroecology, such as pest and disease control and pollination services, (2) Environmental Impacts of Agriculture, such as the effects on biodiversity, carbon- sequestration and atmospheric quality; and (3) Management Systems, such as rangelands, forests, and both traditional and indigenous agroecosystems. To add to the core group working in the science of sustainable agriculture, CNR and ESPM needs a biophysically-oriented agricultural scientist who takes a systems and/or resilience perspective. Specifically, a new position focusing on science and management of soil based processes (water, nutrients, carbon, etc.) in sustainable agricultural production would fill a current gap in our program and would complement the existing disciplinary strengths in Soil Science and Agricultural Sustainability in the Department. This hire would complement other new ESPM positions (current search for a Cooperative Extension faculty in Metropolitan Agriculture) or recently hired (faculty position in Food Security, Agriculture and Society).

The candidate will also interact with faculty at UC Berkeley that have programs focusing on agricultural policy and economics, agro-food studies, green governance, nutrition, population and environment, public health, and global poverty. Outside of ESPM, these interests are also located in the Departments of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, Plant and Microbial Biology, Geography, Civil & Environmental Engineering, City & Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Anthropology, the Goldman School of Public Policy, the Law School, the School of Public Health, School of Journalism, Global Poverty Studies, the Energy Resources Group, the Energy Biosciences Institute, the Master’s in Development Program, the Center of Weight and Health, and the international Bearhs Environmental Leadership Program. The new Berkeley Food Institute is a natural place to unite these interests and the successful candidate would be expected to participate extensively in building the new Institute. The candidate will work with Cooperative Extension specialists in ESPM to extend findings to growers and the general public. Qualifications: The minimum requirement to be considered as an applicant for this position is the completion of all degree requirements except the dissertation. The doctoral degree or equivalent in a relevant field such as (but not limited to) agroecology, agronomy, biogeochemistry, biological sciences, crop sciences, environmental sciences, soil sciences, sustainability sciences, environmental engineering, sustainable agriculture, or systems ecology is required by the date of hire. Additional qualifications include an excellent publication record, strong analytical skills, the ability to conduct innovative, basic and/or applied field-based studies on agricultural systems, and the ability to communicate work effectively to a broader public. Interest in urban and peri-urban agricultural systems is also welcome. We are interested in candidates who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research, and service. Women and minority candidates are especially encouraged to apply. Research Duties: The successful applicant will be expected to develop a nationally recognized research program within the arena of agriculture systems resilience/sustainability. Potential research topics might include: comparative analysis of ecologically-based management systems impacts on water use and chemistry, soil and nutrients, and energy use efficiency and yield; performance of crop varieties developed with novel nutrient and pest management; comparative studies of agroecological and conventional farming systems and their resistance and resilience to environmental shocks; analysis of techniques to improve hydrological and nutrient efficiency. Teaching Duties: The candidate will teach an undergraduate course in some aspect of Sustainable Agriculture, Agricultural Biogeochemistry, or other topics, and will contribute to the Department’s overall teaching needs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Space and Support Needs: Resources needed by the candidate include an office and wet /dry laboratory space, and access to shared CNR facilities (e.g. Oxford Tract greenhouses, GIF, Environmental Genetics Laboratory, Oxford or Gill tract fields, other UC field station facilities, or other facilities as appropriate) as well as start-up funds. Application: Interested individuals should submit the following application materials at http://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF00267: 1) a cover letter, 2) a curriculum vitae, 3) a statement of research interests, teaching experience, service and contributions to enhancing academic diversity, 4) pdf copies of up to three recent publications, and 5) three letters of recommendation (requested directly through our online application system). Applications will be accepted through December 9, 2013. Letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality: http://apo.chance.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html. Applicants may direct questions regarding this recruitment to [email protected]. Additional Information: For additional information on the Department and the campus visit http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu, and http://berkeley.edu. For the Berkeley Food Institute , see berkeleyfoodinstitute.org. The University of California is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.