W.A. Franke Endowed Faculty Chair in Forest Conservation

The University of Montana seeks applicants for the W.A. Franke Endowed Faculty Chair in Forest Conservation, an open-rank, tenurable position in Missoula, MT. Candidates should have expertise in forest conservation finance, economics, and climate. Responsibilities include maintaining a research program, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, and contributing to departmental service. The role emphasizes innovation, leadership, and a commitment to equity and inclusion in forestry education and research.
The Department of Forest Management at the University of Montana invites applications and nominations for the open-rank, tenurable position of W.A. Franke Endowed Faculty Chair in Forest Conservation. The position is available August 2022. Candidates should be experienced or rising scholars who conduct research at the nexus of forest conservation finance and economics, climate, and carbon. The successful candidate will advance the Department’s goal to provide innovation and leadership in forest-based natural climate solutions. We seek candidates who embody our institutional values (collegiality, community, diversity, excellence, honesty, integrity, passion) and who will advance our commitment to equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from candidates with core disciplinary training in the biophysical or social sciences who possess expertise and a record of scholarship focused on economic aspects of forest-based natural climate solutions. Reflecting the Department of Forest Management’s commitments to research excellence and applied land management, we seek candidates who excel at translating their scholarship into market or policy-based solutions implementable at large scales. As a scholar of the highest tier, the incumbent will demonstrate their passion for and excellence in teaching and student mentoring through instruction in the professional undergraduate and graduate forestry degrees.We welcome applications from individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, including international scholars. We encourage applications from, and nominations of, women, persons of color, indigenous peoples, veterans, persons with disabilities and other individuals who can contribute to intellectual diversity and cultural richness.Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe successful candidate will maintain an internationally recognized, extramurally funded research program focused on forest management at the nexus of conservation finance and economics, climate, and carbon, and will focus a portion of their program on western US forests. Teaching responsibilities include instruction in the professional B.S. Forestry degree and graduate student instruction and mentoring. Service and outreach include service to the department, college, and university, to academic peers, and to professional land managers and policy-makers nationally and/or internationally.Candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to scholarship, student achievement, and effective interpersonal and collaborative skills, and possess the drive to advance the Department of Forest Management, elevate its forestry degree programs, and enhance forestry as a discipline.QualificationsThe successful candidate mustpossess:An earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree.A record of impactful and distinguished research and scholarship relative to career stage; OR: record of scholarship and professional leadership in forest management or conservation in the private, public, or non-governmental sectors meriting a faculty appointment in the Department of Forest Management.Evidence of established or growing professional distinction and national recognition, including scholarly publications in peer-reviewed outlets.Demonstrated expertise and evidence of the ability to maintain an exemplary research program in the area of forest-based natural climate solutions at the intersection of conservation finance and economics, climate, and carbon.Demonstrated evidence of excellence in teaching and mentoring, or potential for excellence, at the undergraduate and graduate level.Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.Preferencewill be given to applicants who possess:A record of translating their scholarship into market or policy-based solutions implementable at large scales.Demonstrated experience building a high-performing research team, with evidence of a commitment to ethics, openness, and diversity.Demonstrated experience developing research and outreach related to carbon offsets.About the CollegeThe W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation was founded in 1913 as the School of Forestry, one of the first forestry programs accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Today, the College includes programs in ecological, social and natural resource sciences, policy and management. College faculty are among the most productive researchers in the nation, nationally and internationally recognized for their research excellence. The College is also known for the quality of its graduates, and has produced many of the nation's finest natural resource managers and scientists.The College serves approximately 780 undergraduate students (65% nonresident) through five undergraduate degree programs and six minors that address diverse facets of today’s natural resource challenges: Forestry; Environmental Science and Sustainability; Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management; Geography; and Wildlife Biology. The College also offers five masters programs, three Ph.D. programs, and three certificate programs. Research and outreach activities are administered through the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, a state-wide agency of the Montana University System; it includes 14 programs, centers, and institutes. Within this structure are numerous cutting-edge initiatives in both research and teaching that promote integrative approaches to conservation.The College faculty take pride in the attention devoted to teaching, research, and the application of science to complex problems. Considerable emphasis is placed on hands-on experience to supplement students' academic work, through the use of well-equipped laboratories, extensive computer technology, international exchanges, field courses, and access to outstanding field research stations and nearby landscapes: the 28,000-acre Lubrecht Experimental Forest, the Flathead Lake Biological Station on the shores of Flathead Lake, the 3700-acre Bandy Experimental Ranch, and the Boone and Crockett Club's Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch along the east face of the Rockies.To learn more about the University of Montana, Missoula, and the State of Montana, please visit the links below.University of MontanaW.A. Franke College of Forestry & ConservationVideo: Mission First, People AlwaysUM on YouTubeCity of MissoulaVideo: There's This PlaceDestination MissoulaMissoula Area Chamber of CommerceThe State of MontanaVisit Montana