The New Mexico Highlands University Forestry Program invites applicants to fill multiple nine-month, tenure-track faculty positions beginning in August, 2020. Of the multiple positions, at least one position is intended to focus on forest health and general forestry subjects, while another is intended to focus on wildlife management and ecology, with other areas of interest to include forest ecology, mensuration, biometrics, and forest soils.
The successful candidates will be responsible for teaching a range of natural resources management courses per academic year; conducting research and scholarship that engage both undergraduate and graduate students; serving the University, professional organizations, and the broader community of natural resources stakeholders; advising Forestry and Conservation Management students; contributing to the modernization and improvement of the Forestry curricula; participating in Forestry Program outcomes assessment; aiding in the maintenance of Society of American Foresters (SAF) accreditation; and establishing and maintaining relationships with industry, tribal, governmental, and non-governmental partners. The preferred areas of specialization to be covered by these positions include forest health, forest entomology, wildlife management, quantitative ecology, but potential areas of specialization for these positions could also include applied forest ecology, forest soils, social sciences, silviculture, and ecosystem services. The positions are not intended be duplicative and diversity in expertise is encouraged. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to participate and receive funding as a researcher embedded within a multi-million dollar National Science Foundation Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology housed at NMHU which focuses on involving undergraduate and graduate students in forest restoration research across spatial scales in collaboration with our partners.
These positions are part of the NMHU College of Arts and Sciences’ initiative to strengthen its Forestry teaching and research capabilities. The College of Arts and Sciences, housed within a Hispanic Serving Institution, is dedicated to creating a climate of engagement, diversity and inclusion, and providing pathways for students from under-represented groups to pursue STEM careers. All applicants should have a demonstrated willingness to work collaboratively with faculty from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds and to advise and teach an undergraduate and graduate student body that is diverse with respect to socio-economic status, culture, and career path.
The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, which is housed on NMHU’s main campus, utilizes NMHU faculty members and students in projects throughout the state. NMHU Forestry faculty also regularly collaborate with the faculty and staff of New Mexico State University’s John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center located in Mora, NM. Building upon our current strengths, the incumbent will be expected to contribute to the development of a nationally recognized education, research, and outreach program focused on forest or wildland fire management and/or forest or wildland ecosystem health. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated ability or willingness to concentrate on these themes in relation to the Southern Rocky Mountains and Southwestern ecosystems. NMHU has strong ties with the USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, NM EMNRD Forestry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other private and non-governmental organizations and is growing its international footprint.