Term Instructor or Term Assistant Professor for Tribes Extension

Do you care deeply about food, as well as food sovereignty in Alaska Native communities? Are you a passionate educator who can take advantage of technology to reach a remote audience? Are you adventurous and willing to travel by air and sea to reach the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands? We want to hire a University of Alaska Fairbanks faculty member who will partner with the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association, Extension, the Tribes Extension Program, and the Unangax Tribes in work around food sovereignty and security. This person will work out in the Anchorage office of the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association and will travel in the region.

This position will provide culturally relevant education in horticulture and food as outlined in the goals, objectives and timeline of the grant. The Aleutian Pribilof Island Association Main Office in Anchorage, which serves 13 Tribes (the Unangax) residing in villages on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands of Alaska, an area approximately 128,000 square miles. The Aleutian Islands extend westward over 1,300 miles from the southwestern corner of the Alaska mainland, with the Pribilof Islands to the north. Access to these remote communities is only by air or sea, and travel is severely limited due to extreme weather conditions and unreliable transportation. This position will focus on: 1) Food Systems, Farm and Community Markets, and Food Sovereignty, 2) Human Nutrition and Reduction of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity; 3) Native Language and Cultural Preservation; and 4) Traditional Ecological Knowledge Sharing and Learning. Youth involvement and culturally responsive programming will be integral to all activities. This project strives to help the Unangax boost food security, resiliency, and economic diversity; and to grow, cook, safely preserve, and eat more food at home, thereby improving nutrition, food safety, and self-reliance. Activities are designed to uphold cultural values and to be research-based. A variety of approaches will be used to reach this large, remote region including hands-on and virtual workshops as well as a variety of other outreach methods.

A typical to-do list in this position may include:

Planning your next trip, likely to a couple of villages in the region at once;

Crunching demographic numbers and writing an impact statement for an upcoming report;

Preparing a presentation for an upcoming conference;

Providing technical assistance to a Tribe on a grant they are submitting to secure a greenhouse; 

Helping a Tribe figure out which varieties of vegetables will grow best in their greenhouse; and

Attending meetings with Cooperative Extension, the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association, the Alaska Tribes Extension Program, and Tribes.

To thrive in this position, you will need:
A combination of knowledge, experience, or education in the following areas: food, nutrition, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, gardening, and agriculture;
Teaching experience, ideally in an informal setting;
Teaching diverse audiences;
Writing or developing relevant outreach content;
The ability to partner with and be guided by Tribes;
The ability to partner with diverse groups and entities; and
Attention to detail especially as it relates to report deadlines and procedures;
Grant and project management experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants for this position must have completed a B.S. or Master's degree in a relevant field (horticulture, food systems, natural resources, food, nutrition etc.). Applicants must have two to five years of experience working as an educator in charge of teaching and public outreach in food systems, gardening, agriculture, nutrition, food preservation, and other areas that help boost food sovereignty, security, resiliency, and economic diversity. The successful candidate would be hired at a Term Instructor level if they hold a B.S. or an Assistant professor level if they hold a Master’s or above. Applicants must have expertise in teaching virtually and hands-on in an informal/non-academic setting and expertise in some of the following areas: Northern horticulture, food systems, Natural Resources, Alaska Native/Indigenous knowledge systems, traditional foods, food policy, and food sovereignty and security.

Applicant Instructions:

Please provide a cover letter, resume and list of 3 professional reference with contact information

Position Details:

This position is located in Anchorage Alaska. This is a full-time, 9-month exempt faculty position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, annual leave, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. Salary is based on education and experience.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a successful candidate is identified.  Review of application materials will begin immediately. Search and selection procedures will be closed when a sufficient and viable number of qualified candidates have been identified.

Must hold a valid Alaska Driver's License or the ability to obtain one within 90 days of hire.

*To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.  Applicants who now or may in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States are not eligible.

This position is represented by United Academics (UNAC). http://www.unitedacademics.net/

This position is term-funded and is reviewed annually for contract renewal at the University's discretion.

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact UA Human Resources by phone at 907-450-8200.

UA is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, educational institution and provider and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Kenna Metivier, Assistant HR Manager, Signers' Business Office at kjmetivier@alaska.edu or 907-474-1847