Location: Georgetown, SC
The College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences at Clemson University invites applications for the position of Director of the Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science.
Come lead a group of dedicated and innovative faculty, research scientists, graduate students, and staff committed to professional excellence and promoting diversity and inclusivity at a Top-30 public university. This role will provide an opportunity to foster continued growth at the Baruch Institute, which consists of highly active research and Extension faculty at one of the most impressive coastal forest and wetlands ecosystem research stations in the world. It also provides an opportunity to collaborate closely with nearly 60 faculty in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation and the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Clemson University that work actively in areas of water resources, wetland and forest ecology, wildlife conservation, carbon and nutrient cycling, and climate change.
Clemson University is a land-grant university designated as an R1 research institution with strong community engagement. The College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences is deeply rooted in Clemson University's heritage as a land-grant institution, advancing founder Thomas Green Clemson's vision of higher education that benefits South Carolina's people, land, wildlife, natural resources and economy. World-class education, research and Extension combine for scientific discoveries of global significance, while partnerships with industry and state and federal agencies foster innovation and provide unique opportunities for faculty and students.
Clemson University's Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science is located in Georgetown, South Carolina approximately 35 miles south of Myrtle Beach and 60 miles north of Charleston. The Institute is located approximately 4.5 hours from the Clemson University main campus in Clemson, SC.
The Institute was established in 1968 on the 16,000-acre Hobcaw Barony at the southern end of the Waccamaw Neck, through an agreement with the Belle W. Baruch Foundation. Hobcaw Barony, bordered by Winyah Bay and North Inlet Estuary, encompasses a rich diversity of the ecosystems found on the South Carolina coast making this an unparalleled site for research in the environmental sciences. The Institute is housed in a recently constructed 12,000 sq. ft. LEED-certified office building with an adjoining 7,000 sq. ft. laboratory and support facility, and lodging facilities for visiting students and scientists. The facilities at Baruch provide unique research opportunities in a coastal environment with high salinity and brackish estuary marshes, freshwater swamps, and long-leaf pine forests. Scientists at the Institute study coastal forest and wetland ecosystems, including waterfowl and other wildlife, fisheries, forestry, biogeochemistry, hydrology, microbiology, sediment transport, ecosystem services, and economic value of these natural systems.
The Baruch Institute also is home of the endowed James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center and its Director. Additional opportunities for on-site collaboration include scientists at the University of South Carolina Baruch Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences and Francis Marion University's Baruch Institute for South Carolina Studies.
General Duties and Responsibilities
The Director of the Baruch Institute will hold faculty rank and provide leadership to maintain and advance teaching, research, and Extension programs; provide a vision for innovative educational and accessibility initiatives; foster a collegial working environment at the Baruch Institute and collaborative relationships with faculty on the Clemson University main campus; and strengthen working relationships with local communities, environmental conservation agencies, external funding agencies, research collaborators at partner institutions and other key constituency groups. The Director serves as the principal internal and external spokesperson for the Institute and its mission, which is to conduct foundational and applied research on coastal ecosystems and inform public policy to protect these resources for future generations. The Director also serves as liaison to the Baruch Foundation Board of Trustees and Executive Director of the Wallace F. Pate Foundation for Environmental Research and Education, a subsidiary of the Clemson University Foundation. The Pate Foundation is responsible for oversight of a 700-acre forested property within the DeBordieu residential development adjoining Hobcaw Barony.
Additional Responsibilities
• Managing the Institute's daily operation, budget and resources
• Providing direct supervision of support staff
• Providing leadership and oversight of Extension and Experiment Station activities at the Institute
• Mentoring researchers and providing vision for research initiatives
• Hiring technical and administrative support personnel and periodically reviewing their performance
• Establishing a foundation for active and sustainable fundraising
• Fostering diversity and inclusion among students, faculty and staff
• Engaging in grantsmanship for teaching, research, and Extension initiatives
QUALIFICATIONS
Clemson University seeks a highly accomplished and visionary scientist to lead the Baruch Institute. The successful candidate will have earned a Ph.D. and achieved a record of scholarly activity appropriate for a tenured appointment in the College of Agricultural, Forestry and Life Sciences at the rank of full professor.
Additional Desired Qualifications Include:
• Innovative and influential leadership skills including supervisory and budgetary experience to ensure Baruch Institute will become pre-eminent in education, research and Extension;
• Ability to build support and marshal resources for research and educational initiatives and to achieve goals through appropriate engagement with internal and external stakeholders;
• Strong administrative, interpersonal, communication, personnel management and consensus building skills and capacity to work collegially and inspire faculty, students, staff and other administrators;
• Commitment to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace and a commitment to expanding access to natural resources sciences to historically under-represented groups;
• Commitment to the land-grant mission and demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders;
• Understanding of the fundamental and applied research opportunities across the range of disciplines represented within Baruch Institute;
• Demonstrated commitment to research and Extension as illustrated by distinguished achievements in grants, scholarship and academic reputation in the field;
• Demonstrated ability to lead interdisciplinary, grant funded projects that involve collaborations from multiple institutions;
• Mentoring skills that encourage faculty to achieve their highest potential while also supporting a healthy life-work balance;
• Ability to maintain existing external support for the Institute and seek ways to create additional opportunities;
• Ability to create and maintain appropriate alliances with the external stakeholders for research, teaching and outreach opportunities.
• Ability to administer and perform transparently, impartially, objectively, and inclusively.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
For full consideration, please apply by May 21, 2021. The Search Committee will begin reviewing candidates immediately. The position will remain posted until it is filled.
Applications should include 1) a detailed curriculum vitae and 2) a letter of interest that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described above, as well as the applicant's motivation to apply.
Inquiries and nominations can be submitted confidentially to Todd Petty (jtpetty@clemson.edu) or Kathy Coleman (kclmn@clemson.edu).
To be considered, applications must be submitted electronically via http://apply.interfolio.com/86205.
Clemson University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate against any person or group on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, pregnancy, national origin, race, religion,
sexual orientation, veteran status or genetic information. Clemson University is building a culturally diverse faculty and staff committed to working in a multicultural environment and encourages applications from minorities and women. Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/Qlg6L1f1EOM4UxyOu8jrz PI133648411