Grape IPM Specialist-Senior Extension Associate

Grape IPM Specialist-Senior Extension Associate NYS Integrated Pest Management Grape IPM Specialist Senior Extension Associate Who Are We? The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University's second-largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: natural and human systems; food, energy and environmental resources; and social, physical, and economic well-being. The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM) at Cornell AgriTech is part of CALS at Cornell University, the Land Grant University of New York State. We advance the lives and livelihoods of NYS residents through teaching, research, and public service. The NYSIPM is comprised of 32 faculty and staff, physically located at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, in Ithaca, and elsewhere in the state. Our current expertise spans fruit, vegetable, ornamental, field crop and livestock; turfgrass and school IPM; and rodent, tick, and invasive species, as well as pesticide safety. Presently, two staff members have communication and/or marketing responsibilities. Several NYSIPM faculty and staff utilize basic online analytic methods to measure program impact and implementation. CALS embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We invite individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized communities (individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), Latin American and other marginalized identities) to apply. Our ongoing commitment is focused on creating practices that advance racial and social equity, invest in community impact programs for the benefit of underrepresented communities, and expand upon project work related to racial equity and social justice. What You Will Do: As an innovative and experienced educator, you will expand knowledge and access to sustainable pest management practices in grape agroecosystems. You will work collaboratively, across disciplines, and with a variety of stakeholders, to lead, develop, demonstrate, and guide IPM implementation efforts in grapes across NYS. You will champion diversity, equity and inclusion by providing unbiased access to world-class research, industry expertise and pest management strategies to all New York farmers and growers and serve as a trusted resource, enabling stakeholders to build knowledge and develop skills to successfully implement IPM approaches to crop protection. At Cornell AgriTech, we grow things, and we invite you to grow with us. What We Need We are looking for a talented, dynamic and engaging leader, who is passionate about extension, outreach and research, to join our award-winning team of IPM professionals and is able to inspire and work with diverse audiences, building relationships with multiple stakeholder communities to identify and address the key issues impacting grape production systems in the state. Direct supervision is received from the NYSIPM Associate Director in Agricultural IPM. Additional input will be given by the NYSIPM Director, faculty and Extension staff with grape responsibilities. Furthermore, input will come from IPM practitioners, professionals, and organizations as well as citizens of New York State affected by grape IPM practices. Anticipated Division of Time Program Development: 20% Identify Grape IPM program needs and opportunities in NY in ways to best reduce environmental, health and economic risks with IPM. Consult with NYS IPM Program educators, off-campus extension staff, Cornell faculty, program advisory committees, growers, private consultants, and ag business personnel. Provide leadership for the development of regional and statewide plans for IPM educational outreach programs in grapes. With recommendations and advice from the Cornell NYS IPM Program, extension staff, grape faculty, and program advisory committees, identify program needs and opportunities, and conduct educational outreach programs. Provide direct linkage with the NYS IPM Program, the Fruit IPM Working Group, appropriate CCE Program Work Teams and appropriate Cornell faculty and staff. Ensure that program direction and related activities are coordinated within the overall plans of area extension programs and extension associations. Develop and enhance relationships with appropriate agencies, organizations, and community leaders as a pest management resource through newsletters and other social media; applied research and demonstration projects; innovative teaching and learning opportunities; and one-to-one communications as needed for trouble shooting and problem solving. Program Implementation: 30% Provide statewide leadership for efforts that develop, demonstrate, and evaluate educational programs with emphasis on IPM. The program will emphasize using methods and materials that result in a minimized use of pesticides while still maintaining crop quality and farm profitability. Provide regional support to the Lake Erie region including efforts that develop, demonstrate, and evaluate educational programs with emphasis on IPM. The program will emphasize using methods and materials that result in a minimized use of pesticides while still maintaining crop quality and farm profitability. Provide leadership in the development of IPM training manuals, fact sheets, scouting forms, charts, audio-visual aids, etc. Provide leadership in the development and maintenance of IPM content on the regional team and NYS IPM web site, and other internet resources, as appropriate. Provide statewide and regional updates to the NY and PA Pest Management Guidelines for Grapes, and the NY Integrated Hops Production Guideline. Work with Regional Grape Program Teams to provide educational outreach and implementation, including providing support to those joint effort programs by the wine and juice grape industry, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Market's Soil and Water Conservation Committee to define and promote the use of sustainable growing practices on the of vineyards in New York. The program's major goals are to promote and document grape and hop production practices that: Protect the environment (specifically water quality and soil health). Protect the health of workers, neighbors, and consumers. Increase or maintain the profitability of grape production. Implement a grower self-assessment to document sustainable practices already in use and promote further adoption of new practices. Work with the grape industry, using VineBalance as an educational tool, a method for determining baseline practices, fostering adoption of advanced IPM practices, and a vehicle to evaluate the impact of VineBalance for enhancing the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of New York State's viticulture industry. Provide research-based knowledge through educational activities for members of the grape extension teams and other extension staff, private consultants, industry representatives, growers, and others through a variety of means including but not exclusive to direct teaching through group experiences (meetings, workshops, etc.) and mass media (webinars, podcasts, print, etc.) Ensure a major program emphasis on the demonstration and adoption of IPM principles and practices. Analyze and evaluate major program efforts in cooperation with extension staff and if needed make recommendations for altering and improving them. Applied Research: 25% Conduct applied, integrated research designed to fill IPM knowledge gaps, in cooperation with appropriate faculty and extension field staff, and/or independently. Lead and cooperate on grant and funding proposals with agencies, organizations, faculty, and extension personnel that will address IPM applied research needs and generate program support. Collect, analyze, and interpret data as needed. Prepare reports for granting agencies, NYSIPM publications and social media, and other extension publications. Actively pursue outside grant funds to support the on-going applied research efforts. Program Evaluation: 15% Evaluate, document, and report the efficacy, environmental impact, and cost of Grape IPM projects, programs, and practices, as well as the level of adoption. Develop and communicate IPM program evaluation options on an area basis to ensure the documentation of impacts. Work with area extension staff to evaluate the environmental, health and economic impact of their program efforts. Regularly communicate area program activities and impacts to IPM Program Coordinators, faculty, off-campus extension staff, program advisory committee members, growers, and private consultants. Share results in quarterly and annual reports with the IPM Program; and local, state, and federal partners and agencies. Identify and report IPM knowledge gaps and information transfer problems. Present results of IPM implementation and research projects at appropriate local, regional, state, and national meetings. Professional Development: 5% Participate in professional development opportunities, conferences, and workshops appropriate to program and personal skill enhancement. File professional improvement plan and constructively evaluate self-performance for improvement and subject matter excellence. Stay informed of advances in Grape IPM. Participate in related regional, statewide, and national professional organizations as appropriate. Supervision: 5% Provide supervision and guidance for technical support staff, as needed. Provide guidance to IPM extension educators on Grape IPM implementation and the development of educational materials. May provide direct supervision for project personnel. Required Qualifications: M.Sc. degree required in entomology, plant pathology, weed science, horticulture, agronomy, or a closely related field and eight or more years of related work experience. Must have a strong background in integrated pest management. Be able to design, execute and analyze complex field experiments. Fundamental competence utilizing current technology to communicate to diverse audiences using a variety of format. Minimum of 3 years of experience in Extension education and/or research in IPM (which could include time spent pursuing a graduate degree). Must possess or have the ability to acquire a New York Driver's License. Preferred Qualifications: Ph.D. degree in entomology, plant pathology, weed science, horticulture, agronomy, or a closely related field. Work experience in conducting, interpreting, evaluating, and communicating the results of applied research. Extensive professional work experience in crop production, pest management, Cooperative Extension, or in developing informal educational programs. Bilingual in English and Spanish is desirable. Must possess or have the ability to acquire a New York State Certified Pesticide Applicators License. Must be authorized to work in the United States. What We Offer This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position that will be housed at Cornell AgriTech located in Geneva, NY. Flexible working location could be considered but should permit regular access to the main grape growing areas of NY. This is non-tenure track position with an initial three (3) year appointment. Reappointment is contingent upon available resources and successful performance. Cornell takes pride in offering generous benefits to support and enhance your health, wealth and wellness, including generous time off, competitive health insurance, retirement plans and a tuition assistance program. Here's a quick overview of the kind of benefits that have made us an award-winning employer of choice: https://hr.cornell.edu/jobs/benefits-snapshot To apply: Please apply via Academic Jobs Online http://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27633 Qualified candidates should submit a short cover letter, curriculum vitae, contact information for three references, and a statement supporting diverse communities (this can be a stand-alone document (preferred) or the information can be embedded in other parts of the application materials) outlining how, through research, teaching, service, mentoring, extension, and/or outreach, the candidate has and will contribute to support Cornell's historical mission of "any person ... any study," via the website. Applications will be reviewed as received, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified. CALS hiring range for this title is $93,000 to $95,000. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Life. Changing. Pay Range: $70,400.00 - $170,700.00 Pay Ranges: The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria: Prior relevant work or industry experience. Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position. Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary) Unique applicable skills. Familiarize yourself with Cornell's COVID-19 workplace guidance as well as the university's COVID-19 services and information. Employment Assistance: For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu. If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email atequity@cornell.edu. Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu. Notice to Applicants: Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant. EEO Statement: Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law. Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. 2024-05-19 EEO Statement: Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement. Minimum Salary: 31200.00 Maximum Salary: 31200.00 Salary Unit: Yearly