Assistant Professor of Forest Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Application instructions are located at the bottom of the page.  Please apply directly through the University of Montana’s career portal UM Jobs at https://umjobs.silkroad.com/ for positions at the University of Montana – Missoula, University of Montana Western (Dillon), and Helena College.  Do not apply through Indeed.com or use easy apply through Indeed.com*.

Assistant Professor of Forest Sciences

Department of Forest Management

W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

University of Montana

The W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana invites applications for a new faculty position in Forest Sciences. This academic year tenure-track opening is available at the rank ofAssistant Professor within our Department of Forest Management(DFM) and the growing Forestry degree program. Applicants should have expertise in a discipline relevant to forest conservation, such as: silviculture, applied forest ecology, tree physiology, reforestation, forest health, forest management and planning, carbon analytics, or forest-based climate solutions.

The candidate will advance the DFM’s mission to provide innovation and leadership in the use of active forest management to achieve conservation outcomes. We seek an individual who embodies our institutional values, balanced across the realms of research, teaching and service. These values include educating a dynamic and rapidly growing cohort of future forestry professionals, engaging in cutting-edge research to solve real-world socio-environmental problems and outwardly facing service to the discipline of forestry. The DFM welcomes applications from individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, including international scholars. We encourage applications from women, persons of color, indigenous peoples, veterans, persons with disabilities and other individuals who can contribute to our intellectual diversity and cultural richness.

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will develop an extramurally funded research program and must demonstrate a commitment to translating their research into applications relevant to contemporary forest land management. Teaching responsibilities include contributions to the Society of American Foresters accredited professional B.S. Forestry curriculum, graduate courses, and graduate student mentoring (up to 3 courses per year). Specific teaching assignments will be based on the successful candidate’s expertise and in consultation with the DFM Chair. The candidate is expected to engage in relevant service within the forestry discipline. Increasing service to the department, college, or university is anticipated once the successful candidate establishes productive research and teaching programs.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action : Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always”; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

Position Details

Tenure Track Faculty:  Department of Forest Management

Title: Assistant Professor
Schedule: Full time academic year position beginning fall semester 2024
Benefits: Medical Insurance/Mandatory Retirement Contribution/Professional Development/Partial Tuition Waiver/Wellness 

Qualifications

• Doctorate in a relevant field by the date of hire with preference towards at least one undergraduate or graduate degree related to forestry, natural resource management, or forest science.
• Scholarly publications in peer-reviewed outlets that highlight the potential to achieve national distinction in the candidate’s field.
• Potential to develop a nationally recognized and extramurally funded research program that will inform forest conservation outcomes in the western U.S. and more broadly.
• The desire and ability to teach and a commitment to excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate forestry education.
• A record of effective collaboration, with a commitment to ethics, openness, collegiality, and diversity.

About the College and Department of Forest Management

The University of Montana is a Tier 1 research institution. At UM, the mission of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation is to advance scholarship and education that fosters sustainability and empowers a holistic understanding of social-ecological systems. The College was founded in 1913 as the School of Forestry, and continues to support one of the first Forestry programs accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Today, the College includes programs in ecological, social and natural resource sciences, policy and management. College faculty are among the most productive researchers and are nationally and internationally recognized for their research excellence. The College serves approximately 840 undergraduate students (65% nonresident) through four undergraduate degree programs and six minors that address diverse facets of today’s natural resource challenges: Forestry; Environmental Science and Sustainability; Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management; and Wildlife Biology. There is also an active and growing program in Native American Natural Resources. The College offers five masters programs, three Ph.D. programs, and three certificate programs. Research and outreach activities are administered through the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, a state-wide agency of the Montana University System; it includes 14 programs, centers, and institutes. Within this structure are numerous cutting-edge initiatives in both research and teaching that promote integrative approaches to conservation.

The DFM is one of three departments within the WA Franke College of Forestry and Conservation.  Our Forestry degree is a professional program of study accredited by the Society of American Foresters.  Accreditation assures students and employers that graduates with a BS in Forestry from UM have the education and technical training necessary to qualify as a professional forester. We practice and teach conservation forestry, which is the active management of forested land for a wide range of social and ecological goals. Research specialties and realms of collaborative opportunities within the DFM exist at the intersections of fire ecology, wildfire and prescribed fire, landscape ecology, forest operations, forest biometrics, silviculture, climatology and watershed hydrology, forest ecology, and remote sensing. Additionally, the DFM houses some of the college’s major research and extension centers – the Fire Center, the Inland Northwest Growth & Yield Cooperative, the Montana Climate Office and the Wilderness Institute.

Faculty in the DFM and college take pride in the attention devoted to teaching, research, and the application of science to complex problems. Considerable emphasis is placed on hands-on experience to supplement students’ academic work, through the use of well-equipped laboratories, extensive computer technology, international exchanges, field courses, and access to outstanding field research stations and nearby landscapes: the 28,000-acre Lubrecht Experimental Forest, the Flathead Lake Biological Station on the shores of Flathead Lake, the 3700-acre Bandy Experimental Ranch, and the Boone and Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch along the front range of the Northern Rockies.

UM is located in the city of Missoula, Montana’s second largest city with a population of 80,000 residents. Missoula is surrounded by seven wilderness areas and is near the confluence of three rivers that offer limitless outdoor activities. One of these, the Clark Fork, allows for floating, tubing and fishing through town. Missoula is also known for a high quality of life and eclectic culture, where residents have opportunities to engage with arts and a seemingly endless array of nationally acclaimed entertainment events. Missoula and the surrounding area host an impactful land management and conservation community including major federal research labs, land management agencies, and significant conservation and environmental NGOs.  

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to Offer of Employment. In accordance with University policy, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran’s Preference. Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law.  References *References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant.  Testing Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility.  All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

Must be eligible to work in the United State upon hire.

How to Apply

Priority Application Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)

Complete applications received by this date will be guaranteed consideration.

To receive full consideration, candidates are required to submit all of the following materials** via the UM Jobs portal  and by clicking “New Resume/CV” button.  Please do not apply through Indeed.com*.

• Detailed resume listing education and describing work experience
• Three (3) professional references– Names and contact information
• Letter of Interest –  (no more than 2 pages) addressing, with examples, the above-referenced responsibilities and requirements; a forward-looking statement of research and scholarship (2-page max); a teaching statement that addresses potential contributions to our BS Forestry degree and graduate and undergraduate pedagogy (2-page max); a diversity statement highlighting contributions and approach to diversity, equity and inclusion goals (1-page max) – collated into a single pdf document.

IMPORTANT: Applications sent directly to the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation or the Search Committee Chair will not be considered or forwarded to Human Resource Services. Only applications submitted through the UM online applicant system will be considered.

*Applying through Indeed.com or easy apply through Indeed.com may result in submission of an incomplete application.  Applications may be removed from full consideration if they are not complete with materials listed above under the “How to Apply” section.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure complete application materials are submitted and received by the date listed above. 

**Please note: only five (5) attachments are allowed per application. Please combine documents accordingly.

Missoula, Montana, United States