NOTICE OF VACANCY

The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences (CAHNRS), and WSU Extension at Washington State University (WSU) seek an internationally recognized leader to serve as Director of its Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources with a faculty rank of Associate Professor or Professor.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources (CSANR) was established by the Washington Legislature in 1991 in response to citizen concerns about the environmental impacts of farming and the loss of farmers and farmland. CSANR was tasked with building partnerships across diverse interest groups to develop and promote new approaches to agriculture and natural resource stewardship that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsive. CSANR engages WSU faculty and collaborators in research and educational activities that build sustainable agriculture knowledge and practices in areas such as organic and biologically intensive farming, climate change and energy, and healthy regional food systems.

Today CSANR is widely recognized as one of the leading “land grant sustainable agriculture centers” in the US. It has garnered over $10 million in extramural funding from foundations, competitive grants, and private donors and has leveraged additional state funding for sustainable agriculture research and education at WSU and partner organizations. Key collaborators include producers and producer associations, community non-profits, government agencies, environmental groups, and industry representatives. Key program areas include Climate Friendly Farming, Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture (BIOAg), Small Farms, and Value-Added Food Systems.

Program development at CSANR is guided by an interdisciplinary, statewide leadership team. This team is comprised of research, extension, and teaching faculty from across the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and WSU Extension. The Center Director works actively to engage the leadership team, other faculty and staff from throughout the university, and an advisory committee of external stakeholders in furthering the Center’s mission.

Information about WSU’s College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences can be found at http://cahnrs.wsu.edu. Information on WSU Extension can be found at http://ext.wsu.edu, and information on the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is at http://csanr.wsu.edu.

LINE OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Director of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources reports directly to the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) and to the Associate Vice President and Dean of WSU Extension.

Location: The Director of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources will be located at either the WSU Pullman campus (http://www.wsu.edu), the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center (http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu), or the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee (http://www.tfrec.wsu.edu).

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. in any discipline related to sustainable agriculture; including agricultural, social, food, natural resource, or environmental sciences.
•  Qualified for appointment as an associate professor or professor in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.

Desired Qualifications

• Outstanding record of integrated research and educational activities related to sustainable agriculture, food and natural resource systems.
• Broad understanding of the practices, issues and opportunities related to sustainable food and agricultural systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in developing and implementing research programs related to sustainable agriculture and food systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in developing and implementing educational programs related to sustainable agriculture and food systems for farmers, students, agricultural professionals, and the general public.
• Demonstrated administrative experience and evidence of effective leadership and communication skills with university administration, faculty colleagues, academic professionals and support staff.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with external constituencies, such as producer associations with missions that embrace sustainable resource practices, state and/or federal legislators, and other public organizations and agencies associated with agricultural and natural resource use.
• Demonstrated evidence of garnering financial and in-kind resources to support programs, build capacity, and establish new institutional partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience working with culturally and economically diverse farmers, farm workers and communities.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in managing group dynamics of shared program leadership models. 

 RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide dynamic and visionary leadership to the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources , including strategic planning, prioritization, allocation of financial and human resources, and long-range facility planning and development.
• Serve as a visible spokesperson for WSU sustainable agriculture, food and natural resource programs and advance the visibility of the Center and the institution regionally, nationally and globally.
• Play a central role in expanding the resource base for the Center through gifts, grants, development and stewardship.
• Provide effective administration and management of personnel, facilities and budgets that promotes efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.
• Work cooperatively with other university administrators, including the deans and associate deans of CAHNRS and WSU Extension, chairs of academic departments, and research and extension center directors.
• Work cooperatively with other centers and programs devoted to sustainable agriculture and natural resource issues.
• Help facilitate and coordinate the CSANR Leadership Team and the CSANR Advisory Committee.
• Interface with faculty offering undergraduate and graduate curricula related to agricultural and natural resource sustainability. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Screening of application materials will begin on October 3, 2008. Send a detailed letter of application addressing the required and desired qualifications, a statement of vision for the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, a resume/vita, and three letters of reference that address how the applicant meets the required and desired qualifications to: 
 
Dr. Raymond A. Jussaume Jr.
Chair, CSANR Director Search Committee
Wilson-Short Hall, Room 17
PO Box 644006
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164-4006
(509) 335-7626
Fax: (509) 335-2125
rajussaume@wsu.edu