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Position Description
The Department of Land, Air and Water Resources (LAWR) in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Soil-Plant-Water Interactions with a preferred emphasis in quantifying and modeling water movement through the soil-root-plant-atmosphere continuum in agricultural and managed ecosystems. 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 and public service are also expected.

The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program focused on soil–plant–water interactions. The program should advance fundamental understanding of interactions and addresses critical and emerging challenges in sustaining agricultural productivity and ecosystem functioning under a changing climate and increasingly variable and limited water supplies. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: root-zone processes, root water uptake, and soil–root–plant hydraulics; interactions among soil properties, root systems, and plant water status; plant responses and adaptation to environmental stresses, including drought, heat, salinity, and irrigation with marginal-quality water; crop consumptive water use, water productivity, water footprints, and resilience; effects of soil and crop management practices on soil water dynamics, root-zone conditions, plant-available water, and the regulation of plant water use; and the development and integration of in situ, proximal, and remote sensing technologies, data-driven approaches, and process-based models to understand and predict soil–plant–water processes across spatial scales, from the rhizosphere and root zone to fields, farms, and watersheds. Applications are particularly encouraged from individuals researching topics that link these processes to California priorities such as sustainable groundwater management, CV-SALTS, Agricultural Order, and climate extremes. The department's current teaching load is approximately 2.5 undergraduate or graduate courses per academic year, and the applicant will be expected to teach courses in the area of soil-plant-water interactions. Example courses include HYD 124 (Plant-Water-Soil Relationships), SSC 107 (Soil Physics), and a new upper-level hydrology course in topics such as Root-Zone Science: Soil–Water–Plant Dynamics from Roots to Landscapes, and a graduate course on the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum or root-zone processes and modeling. The appointee will be expected to advise and mentor undergraduate students, and mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students through graduate groups such as Hydrologic Sciences, Soils and Biogeochemistry, and Horticulture and Agronomy, and contribute to curricular development in the department. Participation in and development of public outreach and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental, university, and public service is expected. This position is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension Specialists and Advisors, partners in allied industries, or other appropriate public stakeholders.

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.

Full-time Equivalent (FTE)
This position will be recruited at the Assistant Professor rank. This is a tenure-track academic year (9-month) position.

Availability of Space and Resources
Office and laboratory space will be provided by the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources in the Plant and Environmental Sciences Building on the UC Davis central campus. The appointee will also have access to campus field research facilities, greenhouses and controlled-environment facilities, UC Davis Core facilities, and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources network of Research and Extension Centers (e.g., Kearney and West Side, Hopland, Intermountain, South Coast, Research and Extension Centers).

Start-up funding will be provided based on the programmatic needs of the successful candidate.

Family-Friendly Recruitment

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 a single parent of either gender) of a breast- or bottle-feeding child under the age of two.

For more information, please visit the UC Davis WorkLife Program.

WorkLife Program

UC Davis recognizes the importance of supporting faculty as they balance work, family, and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain outstanding faculty, the campus sponsors a WorkLife Program that provides programs and services to support faculty as they fulfill their commitments to work, home, and community.

For more information, please visit the UC Davis WorkLife Program.

Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN)

The UC Davis Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN) are services designed to support departments and Deans' offices in recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty.

For more information, please visit:

• Partner Opportunities Program (POP)
• Capital Resource Network (CRN)

Please note that eligibility for these programs may depend on applicable policies 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.