Faculty Positions

Position Title / Rank: Assistant Professor, Grain Farmers of Ontario Professorship in Field Crop Pathology

Department: Plant Agriculture

Date Posted: June 1, 2023
Deadline: August 1, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found
Please reference AD #23-31

Position Description:

The Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level for the Grain Farmers of Ontario Professorship in Field Crop Pathology. This position is located at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, located in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, 200 km southwest of the University’s main campus in Guelph.

Position Requirements

  • A PhD in Plant Pathology or a closely related field
  • Strong research background in plant pathology
  • Effective communication skills, including the ability to develop presentations for diverse audiences (e.g., diploma students, graduate students, industry stakeholders, producers)
  • Ability to collaborate and engage with industry and growers to develop practical solutions
  • Potential to excel at teaching at the diploma level in field crop pathology as well as in other related disciplines at the diploma, undergraduate, or graduate levels
  • Ability to incorporate relevant, practical on-farm experience into teaching methods

The holder of the Grain Farmers of Ontario Professorship in Field Crop Pathology will develop a cutting-edge research program with a focus on addressing commercially-relevant problems in field crops in Ontario, including corn, soybean, wheat, and other small grains. They will join a world-class team of faculty members in the Department of Plant Agriculture conducting research in sustainable cropping practices. The current faculty includes three other plant pathologists, as well as others working in the areas of plant breeding and genetics, weed science, crop physiology, post-harvest physiology, agronomy, and plant-based bioproducts.

Salary is negotiable and commensurate with qualifications. The Department will provide competitive research start-up funds.

The University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus has been a leader in applied agricultural research for 100 years. The campus is located in the municipality of Chatham-Kent which leads the world in the production of over 70 different types of crops. Campus faculty are globally recognized as leaders in their fields, partnering closely with producers to solve real-world problems. They share their expertise with students inside the classroom and on our 180-hectare campus and research plots which offer exceptional hands-on learning opportunities.

The Department of Plant Agriculture is Canada’s largest and most diverse applied plant biology department and has recognized strengths in a broad cross-section of plant sciences including agronomy, horticulture, breeding, molecular genetics, genomics, controlled environment systems, plant physiology, post-harvest physiology, plant pathology, and plant-based bioproducts. The Department currently has 30 faculty members and employs 100 staff and more than 100 graduate students. Faculty within the Department have access to modern laboratory, growth room and greenhouse facilities, as well as fourteen well-equipped research stations across the province. As part of the Ontario Agricultural College, Plant Agriculture has a long history of achievement in serving the agriculture and agri-food industries within Ontario and beyond.

The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process

Assessment of applications will begin on August 1, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should submit the following materials (preferably in a single PDF file):

  1. Letter of interest
  2. Teaching Philosophy statement (1 page)
  3. Research interests statement: short- and long-term (1 Page)
  4. Industry, Extension and Outreach Philosophy Statement (1 Page)
  5. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement: Describe the strategies you will use to foster inclusion and support a diverse community in your research program and classrooms (300 word maximum)
  6. Curriculum vitae
  7. References: Contact information for three (3) individuals

Applications should be sent to the attention of:

Dr. Hugh Earl, Chair
Department of Plant Agriculture
c/o Jen Mullen, HR Generalist, Ridgetown Campus/br> University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Email: rcrecruitment@uoguelph.ca

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.