Jobs at Member Institutions & APLU

Oregon State University (OSU) Division of Extension and Engagement and Oregon Sea Grant seek applications for a Coastal Water Resources Extension Educator, Assistant Professor of Practice, position with a negotiable location based within the southern Oregon coastal counties (Coos or Curry). This position will focus on emerging South to Mid-Oregon Coast issues related to water supply, surface and groundwater quality, and community access to clean water. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term position. The anticipated starting salary will be $70,008 – $74,004, commensurate with education, skills, and experience. The programmatic home for this position is Oregon Sea Grant’s Extension program with OSU Extension Service. The academic home will be determined within one year of the start date, based on the candidate’s background education and research program direction. This position is fully funded through Oregon Sea Grant for the first 24 months at 1.0 FTE. Thereafter, Oregon Sea Grant will fund the position at 0.75 FTE with the remaining 0.25 FTE funding contingent on securing extramural funding. This is a ranked position with promotional opportunities.

Water-related issues are one of the highest statewide priorities and the most requested educational services from Extension by elected and community stakeholders. Underserved communities are disproportionately bearing the costs and impact of underinvestment in the development, management, and protection of water resources, and related education and services at the local level. This position will help address these educational and applied research needs while fostering relationships and seeking opportunities that bring more services and assistance to Oregon’s southern and mid coast communities.

The purpose of this Coastal Water Resources Extension Educator position is to develop Extension education and applied research programming on water resources, practices that improve the resilience of water resource systems for the South to Mid-Coast Oregon communities. The incumbent will incorporate community needs assessments, network building, reviews of current knowledge, available resources, and emerging opportunities into water resources extension education program development, delivery, and evaluation. Programming will assist communities in understanding emerging coastal water issues and their connections to water resource quantity, quality, and trends; factors affecting access to reliable water supplies; how freshwater resources are managed, protected, and interact with the marine environment; and practices to improve current and future conditions. The Oregon Water Vision and Oregon Mid-Coast Integrated Water Management and Implementation Actions provide examples to some of the Coastal Oregon water resources issues.

Programming would likely engage people and communities to better understand the connections of coastal seasonal water availability (e.g., water scarcity, flooding and needed environmental flows to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems to climate change, human development, ecological health, community water conservation actions, policies, incentives and trade-offs that can improve water supply, land use and water management practices. Specific examples may could include developing education programs that lead to improving the reliability of home and community water delivery systems, sewage/septic treatment, practices to minimize water contamination and adapting green infrastructure and low-impact land development to protect and improve water quality. The incumbent may also consider incorporating citizen science-based weather, water quantity and quality data monitoring to engage communities in learning and sharing about water resources in their communities. It is anticipated the incumbent will collaborate on synergistic Extension program development and evaluation with Extension colleagues, agencies, watershed councils and the Tribes with ties to the southern and mid-coast of Oregon on the intersection of water with fire management, other coastal hazard considerations, resource development and management and human development.

The assistant professor of practice can develop education programs that engage communities in understanding how emerging developments, processes and solutions can impact water resources for south coast to mid-coast communities. Examples include state cooperative resource conservation management agreements with the Tribes with ties to the southern and mid-coast of Oregon dam removals on the Rogue, Klamath, and other coastal rivers, flows necessary to maintain ecological needs of freshwater and estuarine species, coastal hazards associated with climate change (e.g., harmful algal blooms (HABs), saltwater inundation of fresh water, ocean acidification, beach closures due to contaminated waters), legacy and contaminants of emerging concern and the development of marine renewable energy. Such topics will become even more critical to stakeholders with regional climatic variation and other climate exacerbated change.

Active and effective communication, engagement, and collaboration with staff and key stakeholders is critical to the success of this position. This position will travel to and from meetings throughout the state, with occasional out-of-state travel for projects and training.

To review posting and apply, go to: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/129504. Apply to posting #P06302UF.   Closing Date: 03/31/2023.  OSU is an AA/EOE/Vets/Disabled.