Assistant Professor in Silviculture - University of Maine

The School of Forest Resources (SFR) at the University of Maine seeks a collaborative colleague to join our faculty as an Assistant Professor in Silviculture. Forests dominate 90% of Maine’s landscape and play a critical role in its economy, through forest products, nature-based tourism, and ecosystem services. Maine’s forest products economy is in transition, with changes in land ownership and markets and the emergence of new forest products; forest structures and disturbance regimes are also evolving in response to introduced and recurring pests and a novel climate. Creative silvicultural systems, focusing on private lands of diverse, mixed-species forests managed largely with natural regeneration, are essential to sustaining forest productivity for all stakeholders.


The University of Maine is a Land Grant and Sea Grant university. SFR awards Bachelor of Science degrees in Forestry; Sustainable Materials and Technology; and Parks, Recreation & Tourism; as well as Master of Science, Master of Forestry, and Doctoral degrees in Forest Resources. We are a vibrant School that has experienced a doubling in undergraduate forestry major enrollments and added seven new energetic faculty in the last five years. Our graduate programs are among the top programs in the nation offering five specialized concentrations including one in Forest Ecosystem Science. Detailed information about the programs and faculty is available at www.forest.umaine.edu. The School also manages 13,000 acres of forestland, including the 4,000-acre Penobscot Experimental Forest jointly managed with the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station (https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/ef/locations/me/penobscot/). In addition, the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (http://www.umaine.edu/cfru/), a forest industry-university cooperative, has a range of long-term silvicultural research sites throughout the state and competitively awards annual funding for research projects.

The University of Maine is located in Orono, a small college town bounded by the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers. The campus is just eight miles north of Bangor, one of the largest cities in Maine, and serves as the commercial and medical hub for northern, central and eastern Maine. The Bangor Region is centrally located in the state, providing nearby access to mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Orono is a 4-hour drive from Boston, 5 hours from Quebec City, 90 minutes from Baxter State Park and the Appalachian Trail, and 90 minutes from Bar Harbor, the home of Acadia National Park.

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

  1. Research interests centered on silviculture and applications of silviculture to address the ecological challenges facing Maine’s forests such as timber production, rehabilitation, natural regeneration, forest health, changing climates, and changing forest product markets is desirable.
  2. A Ph.D. in silviculture or closely related field at the time of appointment is required.
  3. A background in silviculture is required.
  4. A record or ability to publish silviculture research in peer reviewed journals is required.
  5. A record or ability to secure funding for silviculture research is required.
  6. An interest and ability to effectively teach silviculture and other core courses in the forestry curriculum such as senior capstone and summer field camp is required.
  7. The ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders ranging from large commercial forest managers to consulting foresters working with small woodland owners is required.
  8. A background in quantitative and integrative approaches to silviculture is desirable.
  9. Experience in silvicultural applications to mixed-species, multi-aged forests is desirable.

Responsibilities:

  1. 50% Research / 50% Teaching
  2. Teaching expectations at the 50% level involve teaching 9 credits per year, which may include:
    a. teaching an upper-level course in silviculture, with lecture and field laboratory, for SAF accredited undergraduate and graduate programs,
    b. other core courses in the forestry program, and/or
    c. senior level/graduate courses in silviculture or related topics.
  3. Advising undergraduate and graduate students is expected.
  4. Research expectations include developing an extramurally funded, internationally recognized, silvicultural research program and collaborating with scientists and educators in forest resources and related disciplines.
  5. Service and leadership opportunities exist with landowners, foresters, Society of American Foresters, USDA Forest Service, state agencies, and NGOs.

Salary and Benefits: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Information about the University of Maine’s benefits package can be found at: http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/system-office/human-resources/


Application: Must include a cover letter, CV, teaching statement, research statement, diversity statement, unofficial transcripts, and a list of up to five references. Please use the Hire Touch system to upload application materials: umaine.hiretouch.com

Deadline: Review of applications to begin March 31st, 2021.

Direct questions to:
Dr. Shawn Fraver, Silviculture Search Committee Chair
207-581-2842 or shawn.fraver@maine.edu

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