BC Regional Innovation Chair in Sustainable Horticulture

at  Kwantlen Polytechnic University

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INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINBLE HORTICULTURE OVERVIEW

The Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH) was created in 2004 to be a partnership between academia, B.C.’s horticultural industries and the community to improve ecosystem resilience by providing tools and strategies for agriculture and landscapes through applied research, innovation, knowledge sharing, and collaborations. The vision of ISH is a future in which the agriculture and landscape sectors provide exemplary leadership in building and sustaining healthy ecosystems.
A core research program at the Institute is the development of microbial biological pest and disease management products as well as other bio-products that improve the resilience and sustainability of horticulture. Other research themes include soil microbial health, new plant production systems, clean energy for greenhouse operations, and agri-tech innovations related to sustainability of the agriculture and landscape sectors.
Infrastructure at ISH includes a 600M2 laboratory with fungal mass production rooms, insect rearing rooms, a small molecular lab, laboratory work space, growth chambers, -80 freezer, and related equipment. The research greenhouse has four 128M2 individual growing compartments, is partially geothermal and solar heated, and generates some solar electric energy. Staff at ISH includes a Director, a Laboratory Research Coordinator, a Research Greenhouse Coordinator, two PhD researchers, several technicians, students and a Post Doctoral Fellow. The team is cohesive and supportive of each other and is looking forward to welcoming the new BC Regional Innovation Chair.
For more information about the Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, visit https://www.kpu.ca/ish

POSITION OVERVIEW

We are seeking candidates for the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Sustainable Horticulture in the Faculty of Science at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. As required by Innovate BC, the successful candidate will have expertise in one or more areas of sustainable horticulture (e.g., microbial biocontrol product development, bioproducts in agriculture, soil microbial health, agri-tech related to crop production, and/or high-tech greenhouse crop production) who:

• are outstanding and innovative world-class researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their field;
• are recognized internationally as leader in their field;
• have a superior record of attracting and supervising, undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows;
• are expected to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers;
• are proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.

The successful applicant will teach and supervise courses, including capstone, research or thesis projects for undergraduate or graduate students.
The protected time for research (75%) is subject to maintaining or growing the endowment that covers the costs of their release from instructional duties in addition to securing external research grants to support their research program.
The applicant’s hire is contingent on being accepted by Innovate BC for this Chair. The Chairholder will receive a 75% time release from teaching, dedicated to applied research associated with this Chair and ISH. The successful applicant for this position will be required to sign a release to have their application submitted for review by Innovate BC for assessment purposes.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An earned doctorate in sustainable horticulture or closely related areas (such as, but not limited to, microbial biocontrol product development, bioproducts in agriculture, soil microbial health, agri-tech, high-tech greenhouse crop production).
• Post-secondary teaching and mentoring experience at the undergraduate or graduate level
• Evidence of being recognized as an international leader in their field
• Research experience in an applied setting
• Demonstrated ability to write applied research proposals and secure extramural funding
• Demonstrated ability to work with industry, especially the agricultural sector, and to participate in knowledge transfer events.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative work environment

DUTIES

The successful candidate will:

• Integrate with the teaching, scholarship, and service activities in the Faculty of Science at KPU;
• Teach assigned courses in their area of expertise or other areas, for example: upper-level Integrated Pest Management, Soil Health, Plant Health & Nutrition, Innovative Production Systems, or other relevant courses related to candidate’s expertise;
• Attract and develop applied research and innovation partnerships and funding to KPU;
• Provide sound scientific and technical oversight of research and innovation projects;
• Contribute to the collaborative an inclusive research environment at ISH;
• Engage with various boards and committee(s), internal and external to KPU;
• Prepare and present timely periodic reports to funders, donors, and other stakeholders; and
• Meet current and future requirements to maintain status as a BC Regional Innovation Chair.

More information concerning the working conditions for a faculty member are outlined in Article 12 of the Kwantlen Faculty Association (KFA) Collective Agreement

DOES THIS ROLE SOUND LIKE IT WAS MADE FOR YOU, YET YOU DON’T CHECK EVERY BOX?

We at KPU understand that experiences and qualifications may look differently for everyone and, if this job description is of interest to you, we encourage you to apply.