Juliet C. Sproul Chair for Southwest Florida Habitat Restoration and Management, Associate/Full Professor

Job Summary

Florida Gulf Coast University's Water School invites applications and nominations for the Juliet C. Sproul Chair for Southwest Florida Habitat Restoration and Management. This endowed chair will be based at the Harvey Kapnick Research and Education Center at Naples Botanical Garden, a unique hub for interdisciplinary research, education, and community engagement focused on wetland and habitat restoration, subtropical/tropical ecology, and ecosystem management.

The Sproul Chair will serve as a leader in advancing research and practice in Everglades restoration, wetland ecology, and habitat restoration and management, developing collaborative programs that address pressing environmental challenges in Southwest Florida and the Greater Everglades. The position will also strengthen FGCU's partnership with Naples Botanical Garden by expanding opportunities in plant ecology, conservation, and restoration locally and across Southwest Florida and the greater Caribbean region.

This is a nine-month, multi-year renewable appointment beginning August 2026. The position is based primarily at the Kapnick Center, Naples Botanical Garden, with some responsibilities on FGCU's main campus.

Florida Gulf Coast University is a comprehensive university dedicated to quality education, research, and service. All faculty are expected to: be excellent teachers, responsive to changing professional needs; be committed to innovative delivery of instruction resulting in improved student learning; be committed to effective use of technology including distance learning; produce peer reviewed scholarship; and provide service to the College, University and Community. Teaching assignments may be on the main campus or at off-campus sites within our region.

The Water School at FGCU brings together faculty from across disciplines to address the environmental, economic, and human dimensions of water and environmental issues. The Harvey Kapnick Center and Everglades Wetland Research Park, located at Naples Botanical Garden, serves as a hub for research, education, and outreach, with state-of-the-art classrooms, research facilities, and collaborative opportunities with Garden staff engaged in conservation, restoration, and education throughout Southwest Florida and the Caribbean.

Job Description

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

• Plans, prepares, and teaches assigned courses, including developing syllabi, instructional materials, and assessments.
• Delivers consistent, interactive, and engaging lectures aligned with curriculum goals and accreditation standards.
• Maintains the highest standards of classroom instruction and engages in reflective self-assessment to ensure continuous improvement.
• Holds regular office hours and provides academic advising and individual support to students.
• Teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students, primarily through research engagement and select courses (e.g., Wetland Ecology, Restoration Ecology).
• Mentor junior faculty and serve as a visible leader in advancing The Water School's mission.
• Utilizes the University's learning management system and other instructional technologies effectively.
• Collaborates with departmental faculty on curriculum development and program advancement.
• Ensures curriculum outcomes and accreditation standards are met.
• Establishes and maintains an active research program, including opportunities for undergraduate student involvement.
• Disseminate research through scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach to local, regional, and international audiences.
• Demonstrates evidence of scholarly publication and grantsmanship.
• Secure external funding to support research and student training, with an emphasis on CERP-related and other restoration initiatives.
• Engages in continued professional development and maintains professional skills appropriate to rank and field.
• Actively participates in departmental, college, and university committees and meetings.
• Serve on The Water School Leadership Team and contribute to interdisciplinary initiatives aligned with the School's strategic pillars: climate change, ecosystem health, natural resources, and restoration/remediation.
• Contributes to community, institutional, and professional service in support of the University's mission.
• Build collaborative research and educational partnerships with the Naples Botanical Garden, community organizations, agencies, and stakeholders.
• Participates in faculty evaluation, student learning assessment, and required training activities.
• Communicates professionally and in a timely manner with students, colleagues, staff, and administrators.
• Upholds the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and excellence in all professional activities.
• Lead an internationally recognized program of research in habitat restoration, wetland ecology, and Everglades restoration.
• Oversee and provide leadership for the Everglades Wetland Research Park at the Kapnick Center, ensuring integration and further development of research, education, and outreach activities.
• Complies with University policies, procedures, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Additional Job Description

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Ecology, Environmental Science, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Ecological Restoration, Ecological Engineering, Natural Resources Management, or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation.
• Demonstrated record of scholarship and peer-reviewed publications in wetland ecology, restoration ecology, ecosystem management or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience and leadership in Everglades or subtropical/tropical wetland or upland research/restoration, including familiarity with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
• Demonstrated record of external grant acquisition and collaborative research.
• Evidence of effective mentorship of graduate students and junior faculty.
• Experience engaging various stakeholders and communicating science to academic, agency, and community audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience fostering interdisciplinary collaborations across ecological, engineering, and socio-economic disciplines.
• Demonstrated record of collaboration with botanical gardens, conservation organizations, or other non-profit partners.
• Demonstrated commitment to community engagement in teaching, research, and service.
• Demonstrated ability to develop linkages across local, regional, and international networks in conservation and restoration.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the discipline(s).
• Understanding how to use digital and interactive technologies for efficiently and effectively achieving specific learning goals.
• Knowledge of critical thinking processes and understanding how to help learners develop high level questioning skills.
• Knowledge and skill in the use of inquiry-based instructional models and strategies.
• Knowledge and ability to use technology in various teaching modalities (e.g. Face-to-face, synchronous online or asynchronous online).
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders both within and outside the University in the development and delivery of instruction, resulting in improved student learning.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Appointment will be made on a 9-month multi-year appointment with an anticipated start date of August 2026.

Because applications and materials are subject to public review and retention under Florida's Public Records Law, please DO NOT send examples of your project/scholarship unless requested to do so. Therefore, all submitted materials, including articles, disks, slides, books, etc., become the property of FGCU and CANNOT BE RETURNED. As applicable, finalists will be notified of the need to submit specific additional materials. Such materials will become the property of FGCU. Under Florida's Public Records law, applications will be available for public review upon request.

Required Application Materials:

• Unofficial Transcripts
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Statement of Research
• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Five (5) Professional References (including at least one academic collaborator, one community/agency partner, and one student mentee)

The position is listed as "open until filled"; however, applications received by February 1, 2026 will receive priority consideration.