"Specialist in Cooperative Extension (Professor of Cooperative Extension)-Groundwater Quantity and Quality"

Job Description

Specialist in Cooperative Extension (Professor of Cooperative Extension)-Groundwater Quantity and Quality
Located at the West Side Research and Extension Center

Position Overview: The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), in collaboration with the University of California, Merced, invites applications for a Professor of Cooperative Extension at the Assistant Rank, which has the formal appointment title Specialist in Cooperative Extension.

The Professor of Cooperative Extension-Groundwater Quantity and Quality will address the challenges of drought, climate change, and their link to long-term groundwater overdraft through an innovative research and extension program. In collaboration with academics, public agencies, and non-profit and private sector partners, they will build capacity across California to sustainably manage groundwater quantity and quality. The successful candidate is expected to develop applied research that supports sustainable use strategies and conduct outreach that facilitates the adoption of new science-based knowledge for water management in the western region of California's Central Valley. We seek a candidate with expertise in areas including hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, sustainable groundwater management, current (e.g., salinity, nitrates, TCPs) and emerging (e.g., microplastics, PFAS) contaminants in groundwater, groundwater monitoring and modeling, managed aquifer recharge, and strategic cropping systems.

Professors of Cooperative Extension, also known as UCCE Specialists, develop and conduct research and educational programs aimed at appropriate clientele groups in communities outside of UC campuses. UCCE Specialists have programs primarily focused on mission-oriented research or creative work that supports the university's efforts to extend knowledge, including outreach and community engagement.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement a collaborative research, education and outreach program with the goal of enhancing the sustainable use and quality of groundwater.
• Conduct applied research on topics such as: subsurface hydrology and assessing groundwater quality in the San Joaquin Valley; development and use of models of groundwater hydrology, groundwater/surface water interactions, and chemical fate and transport for management and planning activities; design of conjunctive use scenarios for sustainable farming under different cropping patterns; evaluation of the impacts of climate change, droughts, floods, nitrates, pesticides, and other chemical applications on groundwater quality and quantity; development of novel groundwater use strategies; development of different scenarios and practical guidelines for groundwater recharge; agricultural drainage and its impact on salinity management and groundwater quality.
• Extend knowledge on groundwater quality and management through different modalities and approaches, which may include extension publications, newsletters, web pages, blogs, policy briefs, UCCE Advisor meetings, on-site visits to farmer locations, stakeholder validation workshops, and grower workshops.
• Develop and implement, in collaboration with UC ANR academics, educational programs on groundwater management, with a focus on conjunctive use that maximizes the sustainable use of the available water.
• Collaborate with UCCE Advisors and Specialists, UC Merced faculty, UC Research and Extension Centers, and UC ANR statewide programs, institutes, and program teams to conduct applied research and inform extension efforts.
• Engage with networks of groundwater management professionals throughout the state, including the Groundwater Resources Association, and provide expertise to agencies responsible for implementing and overseeing groundwater management.
• Network with scientists from DWR, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the US Geological Survey, as well as with private sector experts and stakeholders.
• Work closely with Westland and other water districts and relevant authorities to address implementation requirements and challenges of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and other related programs.
• Publish in relevant UCANR outlets and external scientific journals appropriate for the field of groundwater management.

Counties of Responsibility: This statewide position will support agriculture and its allied agencies and organizations in California.

Reporting Relationship: The position will be physically located at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center (WSREC), in Five Points, CA, with an official appointment with UC Agriculture and Nature Resources (UC ANR). The UCCE Specialist will also hold an additional 0% (uncompensated) Adjunct Professor series appointment with the working title of Professor of Cooperative Extension (Groundwater Quantity and Quality) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Merced.

Qualifications and Skills Required: A minimum of a Ph.D. in Hydrogeology, Hydrogeochemistry, Geophysics, Water Resources, Hydrological Sciences, Natural Resources Management, or a closely related field is required. Key Qualifications: Experience in groundwater research and extension; excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills; strong publication record; experience in leading collaborative research teams.

Salary & Benefits: Salary: The beginning salary will be in the Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist Rank Step 1- $87,700 to Step 6 - $114,800 annually. Benefits: The University of California offers comprehensive benefits, including paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

How to Apply: If interested in this position, please visit: https://recruit.ucanr.edu/ and choose "applicants" (refer to position #25-31).