South Dakota State University’s (SDSU) College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) is offering an exciting career opportunity as an Assistant Professor in bison research and teaching. This is a 9-month, tenure-track position with a 60% research and 40% teaching appointment. The home department within the College will be dependent upon the successful candidate’s area of expertise and could include: Animal Science, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, or Natural Resource Management. SDSU is home to the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies (“Bison COE”), which was founded in 2020 in partnership with the National Bison Association and the National Buffalo Foundation. The mission of the Bison COE is to facilitate the health, production and sustainability of bison herds and the grasslands they inhabit. Researchers contributing to the Bison COE enjoy partnerships with several bison producers to conduct research across the region. Furthermore, this position is supported in part by the Turner Institute of Eco-agriculture (“Turner Institute”). SDSU and the Turner Institute have an established collaborative research partnership. As part of this appointment, the successful candidate will work within this collaboration to develop and implement research and education programs that support the collective missions of the Turner Institute and the SDSU Bison COE. South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant mission of access.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate will be expected to develop an independent, nationally recognized bison research program that contributes to the collective goals of the Bison COE and the Turner Institute. Areas of research may include, but are not limited to: bison health, disease, nutrition, ecology, or production management. Successful grantsmanship and participation in multidisciplinary and multi-state activities will be expected. This position will develop and deliver bison coursework consistent with his/her area of expertise and contribute to departmental teaching needs. The successful candidate is expected to develop an undergraduate introductory bison course in addition to an upper level undergraduate or dual undergraduate/graduate bison course in an area of expertise. Courses will be taught in-person with online opportunities also available. This position will be located on the SDSU campus in Brookings, SD.  Distance technologies connect campus faculty with remote SDSU sites, including the Bison COE, which is located in Rapid City.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in Animal Science, Veterinary Science, Natural Resources Management or closely related field with an emphasis or interest in bison and/or large ruminant livestock completed by date of appointment;
• Relevant research potential;

• Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;

• Organizational and time management skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work as a contributing team member;
• Valid driver’s license, or ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire, and willingness to travel.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Expertise in bison research
• Expertise in animal biology, ecology, health, nutrition, management, and/or conservation with a keen interest in focusing on bison
• Hands-on experience working with bison and knowledge of the bison industry
• Relevant postdoctoral work (research and/or teaching)
• Teaching experience
• Ability to collaborate in developing funding proposals to support new and/or enhanced programming
• Record of peer-reviewed publication