Assistant Professor - Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Position Function :

The North Mississippi Research and Extension Center (NMREC) and the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering (ABE) at Mississippi State University (MSU) invite applications for a tenure-track, 12-month, assistant professor faculty position in the area of agricultural / biosystems engineering and technology.

This position is a joint appointment with principal affiliation at NMREC and academic affiliation in ABE. Candidates with strengths in sensing, analytics, and / or robotics, particularly with a view to autonomous systems for precision agriculture and / or post-harvest processing, are preferred.

Applicants should be able to articulate a prospective research program that has promise for sustainable external funding and national recognition.

Opportunities exist for teaching by distance education or on the MSU campus in the ABE department and would be highly supported and encouraged, with research release time to do so available as part of the appointment as desired and approved by the home and academic Department Heads and Dean.

Salary Grade : UC

Please see or for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile :

NMREC is located at Verona, MS, just outside the city of Tupelo, roughly 1 hour by car from MSU’s main campus in Starkville where ABE is located.

NMREC is administered by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), and ABE is co-administered by MAFES and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

MSU is a Carnegie Foundation R1-Very High Research Activity Doctoral University and home to the nation’s only Agricultural Autonomy Institute.

MSU is a comprehensive public institution with over 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students and nearly 1,500 fulltime faculty members.

A member of the Southeastern Conference, MSU is a major athletic competitor on the national stage, having won the NCAA baseball national championship in 2021.

Our beautiful main campus is located in Starkville, a historic city of about 25,000 people, roughly 2 hours from Memphis, Birmingham, and Jackson and roughly 4 hours from New Orleans, Atlanta, and Nashville.

Starkville is a vibrant college town with several signature weekend events highlighting arts, culture, and sports. The Tupelo and Starkville area opens doors to outdoor adventure and recreation.

Like the state of Mississippi, these cities are known for their southern hospitality, welcome all people, and embrace diversity.

They boast a low cost of living, vibrant business communities, attractive and safe neighborhoods, good public and private schools, and concerts and plays.

Chamber of Commerce websites (Tupelo-; Starkville- are good sources of additional information. Representative of the American land-grant tradition yet distinctive in its own spirit, MSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctoral degrees.

A body of energetic researchers, both faculty and other, are assisted by an effective research administration to place MSU at number 11 in agriculture and in the top 100 universities in research and development in science and engineering.

Area of Specialization :

Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Anticipated Appointment Date :

July 1, 2024.

Tenure Track Status :

Yes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

The incumbent will be expected to build a strong research program. The incumbent will be expected to collaborate with faculty members at NMREC and in ABE and with researchers from other locations, as appropriate, to develop an effective, nationally recognized research program.

Additional NMREC facilities provide opportunities to expand research efforts beyond the Verona site, and numerous collaborative opportunities exist with scientists at other MAFES research locations throughout the state.

Faculty expertise and active research within NMREC include research in agronomic row crops (corn, cotton, soybeans, peanuts), sweetpotato, vegetable crops, specialty crops, and beef cattle.

There are opportunities to engage in agricultural / biosystems engineering and technology research that involves production, harvest, and post-harvest processes for a wide range of economically important agricultural commodities.

Substantial field, greenhouse, laboratory, shop, and information technology facilities / equipment / capabilities are established to support research efforts.

Specifically, the successful candidate will :

1. Provide leadership in agricultural / biosystems engineering and technology research.

• Develop a robust research program based on needs and funding opportunities.
• Effectively manage agricultural / biosystems engineering and technology resources at the Northeast Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Verona, MS.
• Work cooperatively and collaboratively with other faculty members in implementing agricultural / biosystems engineering and technology research and teaching programs.

2. Serve as a productive NMREC and ABE faculty member.

• Develop a nationally-recognized research program.
• Secure extramural funding to support research in agricultural / biosystems engineering and technology.
• Demonstrate scholarly activity via publication in appropriate academic journals.
• Demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching through collaboration and engagement with ABE including involvement in graduate education.
• Demonstrate a commitment to service through activities such as participation on department, college, and university committees and via service to appropriate professional associations.
• Contribute to a collegial work environment and foster productive working relationships with scientists, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications :

A in Agricultural or Biosystems Engineering, Agricultural Engineering Technology, or equivalent in a closely related discipline, as well as excellent interpersonal skills and verbal and written communication are required.

Applicants must have a strong commitment to scholarly production and grantsmanship as well as teaching and service excellence and should have the ability to conduct multi-disciplinary collaborative research.

ABDs or degree pending considered (all but DISS) :

Yes.

Preferred Qualifications :

Candidates with strengths in mechatronics, robotics, sensing, and / or analytics, particularly with a view to autonomous systems for precision agriculture, are preferred.

Candidates with professional experience effectively collaborating with and managing research teams are preferred. A basic working knowledge of agricultural production in agronomy, horticulture, or livestock is desirable.

Candidates with an entrepreneurial mindset and enthusiasm for developing translational research into marketable intellectual property are desired.