The Department of Entomology at Michigan State University is accepting applications for a full-time, 12-month tenure-system Assistant Professor position with a 60% Research/40% Extension appointment. The successful applicant will develop and deliver data-driven integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for crop systems. Plant agriculture stakeholders urgently need arthropod management strategies that address resilience in the face of climate change, invasive species and other disrupting forces and we envision this position leveraging large datasets and experimental approaches to enhance productivity, biodiversity, and ecological functions of crop production systems across the Great Lakes region. This position is part of the new Agricultural Climate Resiliency Program, a partnership among MSU, the Plant Coalition, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development aimed at developing solutions to long-term climate- and water-related problems. As part of this program, MSU has launched an extensive cluster hire process to attract expertise in critical areas of research and outreach necessary to address such grand challenges.

The successful candidate will develop a research program that integrates investigation of arthropod biology and ecology with new and emerging technologies to model insect population dynamics, pest risk, and to develop novel management strategies. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in big data, machine learning, real-time remote sensing, robotic or UAV technologies, artificial intelligence, or other innovative analytical/technological tools to advance pest management systems. Training and mentoring of students at the interface between data science and pest management is expected. For more information about this posting, please visit careers.msu.edu.