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The Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Postharvest Horticulture. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure-track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members who hold an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment have a responsibility to conduct research and outreach relevant to the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. Participation in outreach programs and performance of university service are also expected.

The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program in postharvest horticulture, with a focus on the biological processes underlying quality and postharvest performance of horticultural crops. Potential research directions include, but are not limited to, the physiology of maturation, senescence, and postharvest stress responses; biochemical pathways and genetic or genomic determinants of quality traits; sensory and nutritional attributes; interactions between harvested crops and microorganisms; preharvest influences on postharvest performance; and development of innovative approaches to assess, predict, or maintain quality. The program should connect fundamental discoveries with practical applications through approaches suited to the appointee’s expertise and promote interdisciplinary research collaborations to address critical or emerging issues in reducing food loss and waste, improving crop quality and nutritional value, and advancing new frontiers in postharvest science and technology, with relevance to California’s diverse horticultural crops and to national and international supply chains. The appointee will be responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in postharvest science, plant physiology, and crop quality that support Plant Sciences and related programs. Typical teaching expectations include serving as instructor of record for 2.5 courses per year on average, with specific course assignments determined in consultation with the Department Chair and Vice Chair for Instruction and Curriculum. Potential courses include Biology and Quality of Harvested Crops (PLS 172), Microbiology & Safety of Fresh Fruits & Vegetables (PLS 174), and graduate courses such as Postharvest Biology & Biotechnology of Fruits & Nuts (PLS 212) and Postharvest Physiology of Vegetables (PLS 213). Additional opportunities include teaching or co-teaching plant physiology and laboratory courses, such as Physiology of Environmental Stresses in Plants (PLS 157) and Metabolic Processes of Cultivated Plants Laboratory (PLS 100AL). The appointee will contribute to curricular development, including opportunities to develop courses in molecular and cellular aspects of postharvest biology, food loss and waste, or biotechnology of crop quality. The appointee is expected to be active in graduate student advising through the Horticulture and Agronomy Graduate Group and other relevant graduate programs, and in undergraduate student mentoring, including research experiences and internships. Participation in and development of public outreach and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is expected. This position is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, partners in allied industries or other appropriate public stakeholders.

This recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications.

Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review.

UC Davis supports Family-friendly recruitments. UC Davis covers travel expenses for a second person to accompany an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother (or single parent of either gender) of a breast or bottle-feeding child less than two years of age.
https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/work-life

UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty with efforts to integrate work, family and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus sponsors a Work LifeProgram that provides programs and services that support faculty as they strive to honor their commitments to work, home and community. https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/work-life

The UC Davis Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN) are services designed to support departments and Deans’ offices in the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty. For information about POP, please visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/partner-opportunities-program-pop. For information about the CRN, please visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/capital-resource-network. Please note eligibility for these programs may be based on policy and funding availability.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check.

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400.

UC Davis is also a national leader in inclusive practice. There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

The University of California and UC Davis are committed to offering a wide variety of benefits for employees. The University of California Employee benefits and UC Davis New Employee benefits webpages have additional information.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.