CONTEXT OF JOB: The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences (PLSC) in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at the University of Delaware (UD) seeks a tenure-track faculty member in the field of Environmental Soil Chemistry. Applications will be considered at all ranks, but candidates earlier in their careers and individuals in underrepresented groups in environmental soil chemistry are particularly encouraged to apply.     

The successful candidate will develop an internationally recognized environmental soil chemistry research program to address critical needs globally, regionally, and within the state of Delaware. Topics of research may include but are not limited to, cycling of organic compounds and contaminants in soils; kinetics of chemical reactions and transformations in soils; carbon-mineral complexation; impact of environmental change on soil chemical and mineralogical properties and processes; biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and metal(loid)s in soils; coupled chemical-physical-biological processes in soils; and biogeochemistry of the rhizosphere. Applicants who utilize advanced analytical techniques and/or modeling approaches and couple laboratory and field studies are highly encouraged to apply. 

The workload is split between research (~65%), teaching (~30%), and service (~5%). The incumbent will teach PLSC/CHEM 608 Environmental Soil Chemistry (3 cr) and a new 400/600 level course (3 cr) on a contemporary soil science topic of interest to the candidate that coincides with student needs.

GENERAL INFORMATION: The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences (PLSC) (https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/departments/plant-and-soil-sciences/) is a thriving academic unit of over 30 faculty, over 100 undergraduate students and over 40 graduate students. The Department includes undergraduate programs in Plant Sciences, Sustainable Food Systems, and Landscape Architecture. Graduate programs include Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Soil Science and Plant Science. In addition, several interdisciplinary graduate programs housed in the Graduate College include Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Microbiology and Water Science and Policy. PLSC is known for active and impactful research at the national and international levels.   

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) is a dynamic, innovative academic unit with more than 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students and ~90 faculty, who are nationally and internationally recognized leaders across multiple disciplines. As the Land Grant arm of the university, CANR combines research, teaching, extension, and community engagement to better serve the state, region, and the world. The College is housed mainly in the University’s south campus, but PLSC faculty members are located in multiple buildings on the south campus, the University’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, and the modern Harker Integrated Science and Education Laboratory (ISE Lab) building on the central campus. The ISE Lab also houses the Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory (AMCL), a state-of-the-art core facility equipped with key analytical instrumentation relevant to this position, including XAS, XRD, FTIR, ICP-MS, CHNS analyzers, and more https://amcl.udel.edu/. Other available core facilities include the bioinformatics and sequencing center on the STAR campus and the Soil Testing Laboratory on the South Campus. In addition to Plant and Soil Sciences, the College also includes the departments of Animal and Food Sciences, Applied Economics and Statistics, and Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. With approximately $25 million in annual research expenditures, the college currently houses several large, interdisciplinary grants with significant funding from the USDA and NSF. The college boasts strong research teams in the areas of soil and environmental biogeochemistry, plant molecular biology, food microbiology and safety, agroecosystem and environmental management, applied statistics and data analytics, animal nutrition, physiology and health, and climate change and adaptation.    

With roots tracing back to 1743, the University of Delaware combines tradition and innovation, offering students a rich heritage and the latest instructional and research technology. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with diversity as one of its core values and, in that spirit, seeks a broad spectrum of candidates, including women, minorities, and people with disabilities.  The University of Delaware is the recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Grant, focused on enhancing the university's climate for women and underrepresented minority faculty.  Located in scenic Newark, Delaware, within 2 hours of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., the University is a Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant, and Carnegie Research University (with very high research activity, a designation accorded to fewer than 3% of degree-granting institutions in the U.S.), and with external funding exceeding $200 million. The University is a state-assisted, privately governed institution that enrolls approximately 18,000 undergraduates and 4,500 graduate students.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:  Compensation packages are competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. The University of Delaware benefits package is one of the best in the nation. Start-up funds and relocation expenses are available and negotiable.  

TO APPLY: Review of applications will begin on January 2, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. Nominations and expressions of interest will be held confidently, and references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission. Applicants should upload a letter of application describing their research, teaching, service, approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references. The letter of application and CV will be shared with the search committee. Contact Dr. Angelia Seyfferth, Search Committee Chair, at angelias@udel.edu for more information.

The University of Delaware is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and Title IX institution. For the University’s complete non-discrimination statement, please visit www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html.

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment, including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Applications close: Open until filled