The Ohio State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education and Director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). The University seeks a transformative leader with a demonstrated commitment to advancing cross-functional integration across the teaching, research, and extension missions of the CFAES in a way that furthers its position as one of the premier colleges of its kind in the nation. Research and graduate education in CFAES plays a central role in the broad and dynamic multidisciplinary collaborations that are a hallmark of Ohio State. The Associate Dean and Director will guide the College’s participation in university-level investments in food production and security, health and wellness, and energy and the environment. As a newly created position, the Associate Dean and Director has an opportunity to play a defining role in shaping the future of research and graduate education within the College.
Responsibilities
The Associate Dean and Director is a member of the administrative team that is collectively responsible for the establishment of programmatic priorities which enable CFAES at The Ohio State University to fulfill its mission around research, instruction, and Extension.
The Associate Dean and Director is the principal administrative officer of the CFAES research enterprise and will drive the future strategy for enhancing and expanding research and graduate education within the College. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean, the Associate Dean and Director works collaboratively with the other members of the leadership team of the College, including department chairs and unit leaders, to develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated research vision and strategy for CFAES.
The Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education also serves as the Director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, also known as the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). Although in existence since 1882, the experiment station has been known as OARDC for more than 50 years to better reflect the station’s mission and programs. With presences across the state of Ohio, including Columbus, Wooster, and nine research stations, OARDC is the comprehensive research enterprise for CFAES at The Ohio State University.
The Associate Dean and Director will work collaboratively with members of the College leadership team and others to achieve collective goals. Some of the responsibilities and goals of the Associate Dean and Director include, but are not limited to:
- provide programmatic leadership for the College’s research enterprise and graduate education, including:
- advance relationships with the Offices of Research, Sponsored Programs, and Technology Commercialization to leverage College resources and opportunities to expand the College’s research portfolio and enhance its distinction;
- as the Director of OARDC, manage federal capacity funds (Hatch, McIntire-Stennis, Animal Health, and Multistate projects). Represent CFAES and The Ohio State University in the regional and national network of Experiment Station Directors. Oversee vehicles for accountability for capacity funding, including the Annual Plan of Work and Report of Accomplishments in collaboration with Extension;
- engage with the Discovery Themes teams and other University efforts relevant to CFAES to embrace and support new faculty and their research portfolios, as well as collaborate with College leadership to develop proposals and to support enhanced engagement.
- Provide strategic leadership to grow and enhance the College’s research efforts and impacts, including:
- develop and implement comprehensive strategies to identify funding opportunities and secure funding for research and graduate education, to evaluate and engage philanthropic, foundation, and grant proposal opportunities;
- develop strategies for the promotion and success of multidisciplinary research efforts across the College and University and among multiple institutions, government agencies, and NGOs;
- identify and support the ongoing comprehensive and coordinated investment in facilities and infrastructure to advance research, teaching, and outreach efforts and contribute to meeting the University’s sustainability goals.
- strengthen and/or establish relationships with current and potential state, federal, and international funding partners in order to grow the overall research enterprise;
- develop and implement comprehensive strategies to enhance business and industry relationships to support sponsored research, coordinate resources and capacity in the College to engage internally and externally, and support and enable the creation of start-up businesses based on IP generated from the research enterprise;
- encourage a culture of diversity and inclusion that:
- promotes collegiality and collaboration among colleagues and enables the faculty to fully utilize their research potential and focus on contributing to solving pertinent societal issues;
- work collaboratively with the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs and CFAES academic units to expand outreach to underrepresented groups and promote a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful environment within the College that fosters growth in research partners and graduate education programs;
- Provide strategic leadership for growing and enhancing the College’s Graduate Education efforts:
- provide leadership for faculty fellows tasked with focused efforts around graduate education, support for post-doctoral researchers and research scientists, and the broader research enterprise of the College;
- enhance working relationships with the Graduate School and advocate for graduate education in the food, agricultural, and environmental sciences;
- identify and implement best practices for graduate education that address recruitment, retention, funding, professional development, and career preparation;
- develop strategies for graduate student funding to promote diversity in graduate student recruitment, encourage and promote graduate student teaching opportunities on the Wooster and Columbus campuses, and integrate graduate education across the teaching, research and extension missions of CFAES;
- Support Undergraduate Research
- bolster and expand opportunities for undergraduate research and foster engagement of students at all levels in the research enterprise.
Qualifications
The College is seeking a dynamic leader who exhibits passion for the convergent disciplines that fuel the success of the College, an understanding of sustainable practices, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Candidates should have a PhD degree in a discipline related to CFAES academic disciplines, with a distinguished record of research and administration, and be eligible to qualify for an appointment as full professor with tenure in an appropriate academic department. Candidates should have significant experience and demonstrable skills in leading and managing progressive change in complex environments such as exists within a modern land-grant university. Candidates should have budget and personnel management experience, and preference will be given to those candidates with experience as department chair, research center director, or related roles. Preference will also be given to those individuals with experience training and mentoring graduate students, along with experience unifying multi-location research initiatives.
The University
The Ohio State University is a world-class public research, land-grant university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. Ohio State is the only university in the country with colleges of agriculture, business, engineering, medicine, and veterinary medicine all on one campus. The University enrolls approximately 56,000 students in Columbus, and an additional 6,660 students at four regional campuses, making it the second largest university in the country. Ohio State has 15 colleges, 175 undergraduate majors, and 240 masters, doctoral, and professional degree programs providing exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity in the sciences, liberal arts, and professional schools. Ohio State is currently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 60 universities in the United States, among the nation’s top 20 public universities, and as the best public university in Ohio. Annual research expenditures are close to $1 billion. The Ohio State University is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by Ohio’s governor.
The University’s 3,500 faculty include members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Sloan, Guggenheim, and Fulbright scholars; and distinguished fellows from numerous learned societies. Ohio State is a member of the Association of American Universities, and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as an institution in the “highest research activity” and “community engagement” categories.
The College
The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University offers a collaborative environment; consistent support from industry and government; and nationally and internationally respected colleagues. CFAES provides essential research, education and public outreach in support of our mission – we sustain life. CFAES does this with the support of its 421 faculty, 1,462 staff, and 3,756 undergraduate and graduate students.
These students take courses and/or conduct research in one or more of the ten academic units in the College:
- Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership
- Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics
- Animal Sciences
- Entomology
- Food Science and Technology
- Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
- Horticulture and Crop Science
- Plant Pathology
- School of Environment and Natural Resources
- The OSU Agricultural Technical Institute
The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster is the largest agricultural experiment station of its kind in the US. OARDC scientists in several of the academic units listed above, along with the Food Animal Health Research Program, have been leaders in agricultural research for over a century. It provides more than 4,000 acres for field research in addition to other facilities such as the Secrest Arboretum, the Biomass and Bioproducts Research Center, the Compost Research Center, a rubber processing pilot plant, weather stations, greenhouses, and one of only two University BSL-3 level research facilities in the US. The OARDC facilities in Wooster are powered by an Anaerobic Digestor that renewably provides more than 30% of its electrical energy demand.
Ohio State University Extension extends the knowledge resources of CFAES and the broader University to the people of Ohio through an educational process focused on local issues and needs. Supported by an annual budget of approximately $70 million, Ohio State University Extension helps communicate relevant research in a way that improves quality of life for Ohioans. Extension employees are located in all of Ohio’s 88 counties and on The Ohio State University in Columbus.
The Ohio State Agricultural Institute (ATI), located in Wooster, is an associate degree-granting program within the College where students participate in a curriculum that includes general and basic studies, hands-on experience, and a paid industry internship. ATI is the largest institution of its kind in the country, offering 32 programs of study.
With a robust research enterprise, the College’s research expenditures for FY 2016 were over $41 million. The success of the College is driven by its strategic plan, with a focus on three signature areas: food security, production, and human health; environmental quality and sustainability; and advanced bioenergy and biobased products. The College has collaborative partnerships with many academic units across campus leveraging the expertise of the faculty at the University. Additional information about the College and strategic plan can be found here:
http://cfaes.osu.edu/about-cfaes/college-strategic-plan
Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but to ensure optimal consideration, please submit application materials including: 1) cover letter addressing how the candidate’s experience and skills match the position requirements; 2) a one-page statement of philosophy and perspective on inclusion and diversity, and how this can help us achieve our goals related to diversity and the mentoring of underrepresented groups; and 3) a curriculum vitae or résumé by November 27, 2017 to the University’s executive recruitment consultants:
Martin M. Baker, Managing Partner
Chelsie Whitelock, Senior Associate
Buffkin/Baker
10 Cadillac Drive, Suite 190
Brentwood, TN 37027
The Ohio State University is committed to establishing a culturally and intellectually diverse environment, encouraging all members of our learning community to reach their full potential. We are responsive to dual-career families and strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. We are an NSF Advance Institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium. The Ohio State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.