Director of Wisconsin Forestry Center and Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Forestry

Aligned with their role in the CNR, the individual will be a UW-Madison Division of Extension Specialist within the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), integrating Extension leadership, applied research, and community outreach with CNR undergraduate and graduate education that advances the NRI mission. 

The WFC Director plans and provides strategic direction for the Wisconsin Forestry Center (WFC) to advance the mission, goals, and objectives of the Center in alignment with the CNR and NRI. This position is expected to facilitate impactful forestry research and outreach programming consistent with the WFC mission. 

The Director will be expected to connect the resources of the WFC to other CNR faculty, staff, and students as well as Extension researchers and outreach programs. The Director is expected to play a leadership and collaborative role in existing and emerging state, regional, and national forestry initiatives, teams, and opportunities. The successful candidate will be poised to be a leader in forestry and forest-related products with a track record of successful leadership, applied research, and innovative outreach. Other expectations include undergraduate and graduate student mentoring and contribution to college and university governance. Scholarship and service consistent with professor rank expectations are required. 

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Administration (60%)
  • Leadership: Direct and supervises the Wisconsin Forestry Center programming, budget, and personnel resources; Directs, and implements strategic planning initiatives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources; Leverage UW-Madison Division of Extension and UW-Stevens Point investments in the WFC by securing extramural funding to support strategic planning initiatives aligned with the WFC’s mission, and undergraduate and graduate students and staff in support of Extension and applied research missions; Serves as the WFC liaison to internal and external local, regional, and national stakeholder groups to generate support that advances the WFC’s mission and strategic planning initiatives; Provide leadership in integrating the WFC’s research programs and services into the Forestry discipline, the College of Natural Resources curriculum and broader outreach and research efforts while fostering collaboration with other UWSP and UW-Madison Division of Extension forestry experts and initiatives; Provide an annual Program, Services, and Research report for review by CNR and Division of Extension administrators; When appropriate, participate in CNR/UWSP/Division of Extension committees and workgroups that benefit from the individual’s expertise and vision; Represent UWSP and Extension Forestry at local, regional, and national levels.
  • Fiscal Management: Develop an annual budget, one-year budget projections, quarterly budget reports, and provide an annual budget report for review by CNR administrators; Maintain an accurate, accountable fiscal management system and balanced budget; Provide administrative oversight related to all grants and contracts of the WFC.
  • Personnel Management: Supervise all students and staff of the WFC; Follow all UWSP/CNR policies relative to the evaluation of those staff; Develop and implement a personnel management system that clearly specifies roles and responsibilities of all WFC staff and lines of supervision; Provide an overview of personnel management in an annual report to CNR and Division of Extension Administrators.
  • Facilities Management: Provide oversight and leadership related to the development and maintenance of all WFC facilities and equipment; Provide an overview of facilities management in an annual report to CNR Administrators.
• Development (20%)
  • Facilitate, develop, and/or lead extramurally funded Forestry research and outreach including Extension programming and public engagement; Publish and present research in peer-reviewed journals, relevant public outreach outlets, professional and public conferences, seminars, and outreach venues; In coordination with the CNR Dean and/or Associate Dean for Outreach and Extension, develop and secure extramural and philanthropic giving to support the mission of WFC.
• Academic (20%)
  • Teach a minimum of 2 courses (6 credits) per year; Facilitate undergraduate and graduate student development; As a faculty member of the Forestry Discipline and CNR, participate in the regular order process for curriculum, strategy, and faculty/staff governance and oversight.