Position Title:
Professor and Department Chair of Agricultural Education and Studies
Appointment Type:
Faculty
Job Description:
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa seeks a Professor and Chair for the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies. Nominations and applications are sought for a visionary leader with demonstrated capacity to lead this department in its mission areas of teaching, research, and extension/outreach/service. The department and college are consistently ranked among the top programs in the country and have a culture of excellence and accomplishment.
The department has approximately ~20 faculty and staff and is administered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which provides an operating budget including funding from the Experiment Station. The department has one of the largest undergraduate enrollments ~550 in CALS with B.S. degrees in agricultural and life sciences education, agricultural communication, and agricultural studies. The department offers M.S. (resident and online) and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural education with current enrollment at ~45 graduate students. The department collaborates actively with most of the departments in CALS and the School of Education in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
The Chair of the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies will provide visionary and bold leadership to advance the department’s mission in teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service. The Chair will be responsible for:
Strategic and Academic Leadership
Leading and supervising faculty and staff to foster a collaborative and high-performing academic environment.
Stimulating excellence and innovation across all mission areas, with a focus on local-to-global engagement and sustainability.
Initiating and overseeing strategic planning that aligns with the department’s long-term goals and the land-grant mission of Iowa State University.
Faculty and Staff Development
Recruiting, mentoring, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff.
Promoting a collegial and accountable departmental culture.
Supporting faculty and graduate students in securing extramural funding and fostering a culture of team science and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Curriculum and Student Success
Encouraging the development of dynamic and relevant undergraduate and graduate curricula.
Supporting student recruitment, retention, and success through world class, relevant and innovative programming.
Promoting cross-disciplinary thinking and leadership among students.
Fiscal and Operational Management
Ensuring sound fiscal and personnel management in compliance with university policies.
Managing departmental budgets, endowments, and resources to support all mission areas.
Supporting capital projects, fundraising, and donor engagement.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
Communicating the department’s mission, vision, and achievements to internal and external stakeholders.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with alumni, industry partners, public agencies, and community organizations.
Representing the department and college in university-wide initiatives and external forums, including after-hours and overnight travel as needed.
Collaborative Governance
Serving as a collaborative member of the college leadership team.
Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration with other departments, centers, and institutes.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.
Required Minimum Qualifications:
Ph.D. or equivalent in any of the areas of expertise in the department, or a closely aligned field
Scholarly activities that qualify for tenure in CALS at the rank of Professor
Preferred Qualifications:
Evidence of capacity and/or demonstrated leadership in:
Research productivity as evidenced in publications, extramural grants and professional presentations;
Organizational budget/fiscal management
Personnel management, including recruitment, advancement and retention of personnel;
Advancing teaching, and undergraduate and graduate program planning and development, and student success;
Advancing research enterprises and collaborations;
Advancing Extension and/or outreach enterprises and collaborations;
Working with external stakeholders, and building and expanding partnerships and coalitions with public and private sector organizations.
Position Details:
Initial Department Chair appointment is for five years with formal review during year four. The administrative appointment is at-will, and serves the Dean of the CALS. The academic appointment is tenured. The position of chair will be filled as a 9-month appointment with summer salary provided. Position expectations are 85% administrative and 15% in teaching, research, outreach and service, or any combination thereof.
Additional Information:
Proposed Start Date:
negotiable
Number of Months Employed Per Year:
09 Month Work Period
Time Type:
Full time
Proposed Start Date:
January 1, 2026
Number of Months Employed Per Year:
09 Month Work Period
Time Type:
Full time
Application Instructions:
Application Instructions:
To apply for this position, please click “Apply” and complete the Employment Application.
Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Cover letter/statement that describes experience and forward-looking outlook related to the indicated purposes of the department and the responsibilities of the Chair
2) Full curriculum vitae
3) Contact information for four professional references (at least one from outside the applicant’s current organization.) References will not be contacted without permission from the applicant.
The guaranteed consideration date for the review of applications is October 15, 2025. For questions about the position, please contact the search committee chair, Dr. Jeff Iles ([email protected])
Why Choose ISU?
Iowa State Faculty enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
• Retirement benefits, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program
Original Posting Date:
August 27, 2025
Posting Close Date:
Job Requisition Number:
R17688
Education