Assistant Professor of Forestry

Description

The New Mexico Highlands University Department of Forestry invites applicants to fill one or more nine-month, tenure-track faculty positions beginning as early as January 2026.
 

Successful candidates will be responsible for teaching a range of forestry and natural resources courses per academic year; conducting research and scholarship that engages both undergraduate and graduate students; serving the University, professional organizations, and the broader community of natural resources stakeholders; advising Forestry Department students; contributing to the modernization and improvement of the Forestry and Conservation Management curricula; participating in the Department of Forestry’s outcomes assessments; aiding in the maintenance of Society of American Foresters (SAF) accreditation; and establishing and maintaining relationships with industry, tribal, governmental, and non-governmental partners.

Preferred areas of specialization include wildlife science and management (specifically large mammal ecology and management), water sciences and watershed management, landscape ecology, and spatial analysis. Regardless of specialty, individuals with proficiency in quantitative ecology and/or spatial analysis, remote sensing, and GIS experience in forestry and natural resources management are strongly encouraged to apply.

This position is part of the NMHU College of Arts and Sciences’ initiative to strengthen its Department of Forestry’s teaching and research capabilities. The College of Arts and Sciences, housed within a Hispanic Serving Institution, is dedicated to creating a climate of engagement, diversity and inclusion, and providing pathways for students from underrepresented groups to pursue STEM careers. All applicants should have a demonstrated willingness to work collaboratively with faculty from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds and to advise and teach an undergraduate and graduate student body that is diverse with respect to socio-economic status, culture, and career path.

The successful candidate will be expected to seek and acquire external research support and collaborate with universities, state and federal government agencies, and non-governmental organizations in their areas of specialization. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to participate as a researcher embedded within a multi-million dollar National Science Foundation Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology housed at NMHU which focuses on involving undergraduate and graduate students in forest restoration research across spatial scales in collaboration with our partners.

The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, which is housed on NMHU’s Las Vegas, NM campus, utilizes NMHU faculty members and students in projects throughout the state. NMHU Forestry faculty also regularly collaborate with the faculty and staff of New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center located in Mora, NM. Building upon our current strengths, the incumbent will be expected to contribute to the development of a nationally recognized education, research, and outreach program focused on forest or wildland fire management and/or forest or wildland ecosystem health. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated ability or willingness to concentrate on these themes in relation to Southern Rocky Mountains and Southwestern ecosystems. NMHU has working relationships with the USDA Forest Service, USDOI Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, NM Forestry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other private and non-governmental organizations and is growing its international footprint.

Qualifications

Job Qualifications:

Duties and Responsibilities
-- Teach up to 12 credit hours per semester of forestry courses as appropriate to the faculty member’s expertise and departmental needs
– Develop and deliver courses in the faculty member’s area of expertise, and assist with the development of new programs and projects in accordance with the academic and strategic needs of the department and university, including exploring the potential for development and delivery of online Forestry courses
– Assist with the modernization and improvement of curricula
– Serve as an advisor and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students
– Seek, secure, and effectively manage external funding in support of research and scholarly activity in the faculty member’s area(s) of expertise
– Perform service to the University, professional organizations, and the broader community of stakeholders
– Establish and maintain good relationships with industry, the community, non-governmental organizations, and agency partners
– Provide support in the faculty member’s area(s) of expertise to members of the department, university community, and external partners as necessary and appropriate, including as a participant in NMHU’s NSF CREST program focused on forest restoration
– Other duties as assigned in accordance with departmental needs and as appropriate under the collective bargaining agreement and faculty handbook

Minimum Qualifications
A B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Forestry, Wildlife Science, Environmental Science, Biology, or a closely related discipline. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in a natural resource management field such as Forestry, Biology, Ecology, Forest Management, Entomology, Ecosystem Sciences, or a closely related field. ABD candidates will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in forestry and natural resources ecology and management, with expertise in wildlife sciences, conservation and management, and GIS.
- Ability to teach more than one of the following types of classes: wildlife habitat management, wildland pest management, and/or GIS (links to the undergraduate and graduate student catalogs can be found at: https://www.nmhu.edu/highlands-university-catalogs/).
- Experience working in interdisciplinary teams.
- Knowledge of ArcGIS Pro, and various modeling software applications commonly used in Wildlife and Forestry (for example, Forest Vegetation Simulator, Linear Programming, MaxEnt) as well as traditional office technologies.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Experience with the delivery of intensive field-based courses.
- Applicants with a B.S. in Forestry from a program accredited by the Society of American Foresters in combination with the above expertise will be preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Understanding of the ecology and management of forests, preferably with expertise in wildlife sciences and management, wildlife conservation and planning, and sustainable wildlife management strategies, game and endangered species conservation, and/or wildlife habitat restoration.
- Proficiency in data management, spatial analysis, and remote sensing.
- Skills in using technology to deliver web-based and face-to-face courses.
- Skill in active learning techniques.
- Ability to effectively communicate both in writing and speech.
- Ability to direct students in accomplishment of tasks and courses.
- Ability to effectively work in a team.
- Ability to be a community partner.
- Ability to interface well with other science disciplines at NMHU in collaborative efforts.
- Ability to bring current research into the classroom to show the application of natural resources concepts and practices to real world problems.
- Ability to work well and safely with students in classroom, laboratory, and field environments.
- Ability to engage graduate students from various undergraduate majors and cultural backgrounds to design a thesis or field project that shows their ability to conduct technical research and effectively communicate results to professional and lay groups.

Physical demands:
- Walking and carrying equipment in steep, rugged landscapes.
- Operation of computer equipment in an office setting.
- Able to lift 75 pounds.
- Can tolerate outdoor temperature extremes within OSHA guidelines.
- May sometimes work in smoky, dust-laden air because of work near fires.