College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Open Rank – Indigenous and Tribal Natural Resource Management Faculty

Hiring Organization: Department of Forestry Michigan State University
Employment type: Full-Time
Job Location: East Lansing, MI
Application Due Date: March 26, 2025

Position description

The Department of Forestry (75%) (College of Agriculture and Natural Resources) and the Residential College of Arts and Humanities (RCAH, 25%) at Michigan State University invite applications for a full‐time, 9-month tenure system open rank faculty position with a 40% research, 25% teaching, 25% outreach, and 10% service assignment. This position also is affiliated with the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Department (College of Arts and Letters) and the Native American Institute. The position start date is anticipated to be 16 August 2025.

This position is part of a distinguished cluster hire at the University level: The 1855 Professorships. Incoming candidates will have an immediate network of other scholars whose work advances institutional priorities of diversity, equity, and inclusion research, teaching and practices. Several Indigenous scholars at MSU have been recruited through the 1855 professorship program, which provides potential opportunities for collaboration.

We seek candidates with scholarship focused on applied natural resource management with a specific focus on forested ecosystems, including economic opportunities. We seek a scholar who examines Indigenous and Western “ways of knowing” to guide applied natural resource management, stewardship, and ecological restoration. Treaty outcomes and more recent consent decrees provide Great Lakes Tribes the authority to “co-manage” natural resources on ceded lands (i.e., most of Michigan). Thus, we seek a scholar who is also able to build upon existing MSU Forestry partnerships with Tribes in the Lake States and develop new partnerships in the Lake States and beyond.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop an internationally-recognized research program that co-creates research with Indigenous communities in the Lake States, nationally, and internationally. Hallmarks of an internationally-recognized research program include securing competitive external funding, publishing in leading peer‐reviewed journals, making substantive contributions to advance understanding of Indigenous and Tribal natural resource management, and recruiting and mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Teaching responsibilities center on a desire to accelerate the transformation of Forestry’s curriculum and RCAH’s course offerings to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous perspectives. Major Federal agencies (e.g., U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs) are hiring foresters and Tribal liaisons who are expected to have cultural competency to work with Federally-recognized Tribes for cross-boundary natural resource management. We seek to add these perspectives as part of our programs and curriculum at MSU. Thus, teaching could include content development and co-teaching, and/or development of new stand-alone courses.

Outreach responsibilities include community‐engaged research and outreach with Tribal governments and Indigenous communities. All faculty members are expected to participate in university governance and engage in professional service.

Required qualifications

An earned Ph.D. in forestry, natural resources, ecology, social science, anthropology, wood science, Indigenous studies, or a closely related field. A demonstrated record of research, including peer-reviewed journal articles and experience with research grant applications. Applicants also should have experience or a demonstrated interest in teaching and outreach/extension, including work with Indigenous communities.

The Department of Forestry is a vibrant, growing, internationally recognized unit committed to interdisciplinary education, research, and extension to understand and resolve environmental and natural resource issues. Established in 1902, MSU’s Department of Forestry was among the first undergraduate forestry programs in the U.S. and continues to innovate and lead in education, research, and extension.  Michigan State University has a strong plant science focus (160+ faculty) of international stature, including relevant interdepartmental centers and programs (e.g., Plant Resilience Institute; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program; Environmental Science and Policy Program).

The RCAH at MSU is an interdisciplinary, residential undergraduate college in the arts and humanities with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and with a curricular emphasis on social justice, community engagement, and the study of language and culture. 

Commitment to Creating a Sense of Belonging

Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi people. The University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.

Michigan State University is dedicated to achieving excellence by fostering an environment that welcomes a broad range of perspectives and experiences, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to contribute and thrive. We are an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. The CANR is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.  Candidates are invited to view Department of Forestry community norms at https://www.canr.msu.edu/for/dei/community-norms

Location

The position will be based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA. Michigan State University (MSU) is one of the top research universities in the world and home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs. MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, and scientists that provide regional, national, and international leadership in basic and applied research and excellence in teaching. In addition, consistent with its Land Grant origins, the MSU community pursues international engagement and provides strong extension programs that partner with diverse stakeholders to provide much needed research in the areas of food, energy, water, and the environment. MSU enjoys a park‐like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas. The campus is in the city of East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of >500,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. The University is proactive about its obligations under the ADA and provides individual accessibility plans to students and employees with disabilities. Michigan State University is also proactive in exploring opportunities for employment for dual career families, both inside and outside the University, and respects all family forms. Information about MSU’s dual career support and other types of support for balancing work and personal lives at MSU can be found at http://worklife.msu.edu/

Salary and Benefits

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications. MSU offers a generous benefits package (details at https://hr.msu.edu/benefits/index.html).

To Apply

For consideration, submit your application online.  Upload the following required documents: 1) letter of interest that includes a) qualifications for the position and b) two additional statements of research and teaching philosophy, respectively, highlighting how your experiences align with the position (2-page maximum for each statement); 2) curriculum vitae; 3) a description of how you will contribute to CANR’s positive culture, fair access to resources, and creating a sense of belonging (2-page maximum); and 4) contact information for three professional references.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Review of Applications

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on March 26, 2025, and continue until a suitable candidate is selected.

Questions regarding this position can be addressed to the Search Committee co-Chairs: Emily Silver,  esilver@msu.edu, 413-320-2396, or David Rothstein, rothste2@msu.edu, 517-432-3353.

Apply