Job Title
Assistant Professor, Sustainable Urban Water Management
Agency
Texas A&M Agrilife Research
Department
Dallas
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
Dallas, Texas
Job Type
Faculty
Job Description
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas Water Research Institute (TWRI) are seeking a highly motivated and visionary Assistant Professor in Sustainable Urban Water Management. The appointment is a 12-month based position with 75% research and 25% extension. The candidate is expected to lead at the forefront of innovation and technology, particularly in the realm of plant-water relationships, the use of alternative water resources for irrigation, the implementation of climate-based irrigation technologies, the development of blue-green infrastructure, and active engagement in citizen science initiatives.
This position has the potential to integrate with existing programs at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas, especially in turfgrass and urban landscape, ecological engineering, and controlled environment horticulture (CEH) programs as well as complement water research programs at other research and extension centers and departments. Furthermore, this role at the Dallas Center has the potential to emerge as a central hub for tackling urban water challenges in five major Texas metropolitan areas – Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. Given that two-thirds of Texas' population resides in these areas, maintaining a robust research and extension program under effective leadership while stressing the importance of active stakeholder and community engagement will be crucial for long-term sustainable urban water management in the state of Texas.
Position Responsibilities:
Research Excellence:
- Investigate and comprehend the complex interplay of soil-plant-water within urban environments.
- Develop and implement cutting-edge climate-informed irrigation technologies for sustainable water management and conservation.
- Investigate mapping and modeling of water usage.
- Develop strategies to maximize efficient water usage in urban environments.
- Investigate the effects of water quality in turfgrass and food production systems.
- Optimize water management practices in CEH systems
- Investigate different water sources for potential use in turfgrass and controlled environment production systems.
- Collaborate with faculty and staff at the Dallas Center and other AgriLife Centers to develop innovative and sustainable blue-green infrastructure solutions to enhance urban resilience, reduce flood risks, and improve environmental quality.
Extension outreach:
- Support extension and outreach programs to enhance urban water security and resilience, focusing on sustainable management practices and climate adaptation.
- Foster citizen science and community involvement by examining public perceptions and implementing targeted educational initiatives.
- Investigate the main drivers of water conservation adoption strategies and overall social implications.
- Educate urban residents on critical water conservation practices and enhance water quality through landscape management and urban water use best practices.
- Support County Extension Agents in training and evaluation of water programs.
- These duties require operating a vehicle to perform duties.
Leadership:
- Cultivate partnerships with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, cities, municipal water districts, and water related groups (e.g., Texas Water Development Board) to enhance collaborative efforts in urban water conservation.
- Influence policy decisions related to urban water security and irrigation regulations.
- Serve as a pillar to unify various individual efforts and different groups (inside the Texas A&M system) into a cohesive and synergistic team.
Program Development:
- Establish and maintain an extramurally funded research and extension program to lead in sustainable urban water management.
- Mentor graduate students and undergraduate students.
- Oversee and guide a research and extension team in the urban water program.
Administrative Relationships:
- Reports directly to the Center Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Dallas, with guidance from the Texas Water Resources Institute.
- Directs the work of support staff, other technical personnel, and graduate students assigned to the research program.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Required job qualifications:
- Ph.D. in an area of Environmental Science, Engineering, Water Resource Management, Horticulture, or a closely related field.
- Experience conducting research on soil-plant-water interactions, urban water management, or related disciplines.
- Strong quantitative skills, including expertise in water modeling, hydrological modeling, GIS, or related analytical techniques.
- Record of peer-reviewed publications or scholarly achievements demonstrating research proficiency.
- Valid driver's license or the ability to obtain one by the hire date.
Preferred job qualifications:
- Prior academic, post-doctoral, or professional experience in urban water management.
- Prior research experience integrating stormwater management, rainwater harvesting, or sustainable landscaping practices.
- Experience working with municipal entities, water districts, or in multi-agency collaborative settings.
- Modest teaching experience will enhance graduate student success.
- Modest outreach experience with stakeholder interaction and community engagement.
- Grant writing experience and evidence of the ability to attract external funding.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Excellence in verbal and written communication skills, including a relevant publication record.
- Team-building skills, collaboration capacity, and project management abilities.
- Good organization skills.
- Professional demeanor.
- Ability to multi-task and establish effective working relationships.
- Knowledge and understanding of the mission and role of the Land Grant University System.
Additional information about Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Dallas, and the Texas Water Resources Institute.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research: https://agriliferesearch.tamu.edu/
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/
Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Dallas: https://dallas.tamu.edu/
Texas Water Resources Institute: https://twri.tamu.edu/
What You Need to Know
Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.
Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?
When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.
In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit packing including the following:
- Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
- 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
- Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
- Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
- Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife
Application Instructions
Applicants must upload a
- Cover letter (two-page limit)
- Curriculum vitae including a list of three references and their contact information within the CV
- Vision statements of research and service (two-page limit).
To be given full consideration, please submit applications by 4/18/2025. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. The anticipated start date is 9/1/2025.
Questions:
Address inquiries to Search Committee Chair and co-chair: Dr. Genhua Niu, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Dallas, Genhua.niu@ag.tamu.edu, 972-231-5362 and Dr. Lucas F. Gregory Lucas.Gregory@ag.tamu.edu, Associate Director at Texas Water Research Institute, 979-314-2361.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.
