College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Assistant/Associate Professor of Precision Forestry

Hiring Organization: University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
Employment type: Full-Time
Job Location: Athens, GA
Application Due Date: January 5, 2025

POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES: This is a 9-month tenure track appointment with expected
research, teaching, and professional service responsibilities at the Assistant or Associate Professor
level in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia (UGA).
This position will be focused on the use of precision forestry technologies, including remote sensing,
LiDAR, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digitalization to improve site-specific
prescriptions in forest management and advance the use of technology in forestry. The candidate will
use these technologies to address diverse forest management, conservation, sustainability, forest
health, and/or timber operations. The establishment and continued support of an active, externally
funded graduate research program supporting M.S. and Ph.D. students in precision forestry is
expected. This position will also support our undergraduate and graduate teaching missions by
expanding our offerings in precision forestry. Undergraduate teaching responsibilities will begin in
Fall Semester 2025. The candidate will engage in professional service by actively assisting or leading
scientific societies, engaging in the peer review process, and providing service to the Warnell School
and UGA committees. This position is part of a cluster hire in the general area of sustainable
forestry. There will be an opportunity to collaborate with new hires in sustainable forestry, advanced
forest biomaterials, and natural capital. For more information on these related opportunities, follow
this link: https://warnell.uga.edu/careers.

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Forestry, Forest Engineering, Remote
Sensing, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, and documented expertise relevant to the
position description with a focus on integrating precision technologies into forest management
decision making. The successful candidate must have a strong background in remote sensing,
automation, and/or artificial intelligence and its use to support land management and/or forest
operations decision-making. A history of working with managed forest systems would be viewed
favorably. Demonstrated multidisciplinary collaborative work is preferred, with opportunities for
similar continued efforts with faculty in Warnell including with the Plantation Management Research
Cooperative (PMRC), Southern Pine Health Research Cooperative (SPHRC), Wood Quality
Consortium (WQC), and Center for Forest Business (CFB), and across the University, especially the
Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture. Strengths in oral and written communication must be
evident, and evidence of excellence in teaching is preferred. Evidence of activity in research design,
grant development, presentation of results at scientific meetings, and publication of results in leading
peer-reviewed journals is essential.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Appointment at the Associate Professor level requires a record
consistent with promotion to Associate Professor at the Warnell School such as strong evidence of
emerging stature as a regional/national authority, acquiring and administering external funding, ability
to produce and communicate research, and excellence in teaching and working with students. Service
at the Associate Professor level for at least 1-2 years is preferred for this rank.

THE UNIVERSITY: The University of Georgia (www.uga.edu) is a top 20 ranked public
land/sea/space grant institution comprised of 18 schools and colleges and designated as a Carnegie
Very High Research Activity (R1)institution with strong community engagement. Athens is a diverse
community of approximately 150,000 people located less than 75 miles from Atlanta. UGA enrolls
approximately 41,200 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The Warnell School of
Forestry and Natural Resources is a professional school with world-class research, teaching, and
outreach programs in natural resources conservation and is committed to inclusive excellence. The
Warnell School is comprised of 68 faculty, 100 support staff, 265 undergraduates, and 240 graduate
students (www.warnell.uga.edu). The school offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Forest Resources,
Master of Natural Resources, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the areas of
Forestry; Fisheries & Wildlife; Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management; and Natural Resource
Management & Sustainability. The school manages over 17,000 acres of forestland across the state in
support of its teaching, outreach, and research missions.

APPLICATION: To ensure full consideration, please apply by 5 January 2025. All applicants
MUST apply online through the UGAJobs system (https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/403344).
Candidates must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, one-page statements of teaching and
research interests, unofficial transcripts of all college-level work, and names and contact information
for three references. Individuals invited for interviews will be required to have three reference letters
submitted, on their behalf, directly to the chair of the search committee. University policy requires all
candidates to consent to and authorize a background investigation (www.hr.uga.edu). A background
investigation and request of official transcripts will be conducted on a post-offer/pre-employment
basis only. The starting date is negotiable but will be no later than 1 August 2025. For additional
information, please contact Dr. Kamal J.K. Gandhi (kjgandhi@uga.edu), Chair of the search
committee.

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu). Please do not contact the department or search committee with such requests.

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