University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences 

Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Assistant/Associate Professor

The Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) seeks to fill a 9-month research and teaching position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor focused on Data Science in Agricultural Economics. Applicants should have a demonstrated record of research using advanced quantitative methods and high resolution (temporal, spatial and/or other cross-sectional unit) data products (a.k.a. “big data”) to address topics dealing with the economics of agriculture. Applied research focused on topics such as precision farm management, risk management, land use, environmental dimensions of production agriculture, or agricultural supply chains is of interest. Strong quantitative skills and experience in a modern open-source programming language (e.g. R or Python) is desired. The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to the department’s courses and training in data science and data analytics.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO. 

Primary Duties include:

•   Develop a nationally prominent research program with publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and attract extramural funding

•   Contribute to the department’s undergraduate and graduate teaching programs through teaching (generally two courses per year) and student mentorship

•   Collaborate with colleagues to address societal problems that require complex quantitative data analysis and modeling

The UIUC offers access to world-class computational resources through the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (www.ncsa.illinois.edu) and a rich collaborative research environment in data science (DS) and statistical learning. UIUC and the State of Illinois are currently investing in a new campus-level DS initiative (https://idsi.illinois.edu) and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences launched a new Center for Digital Agriculture in 2019. Several leading agricultural and technology companies working on DS in agriculture are located in the UIUC Research Park.

All candidates must hold a Ph.D. in agricultural/applied economics, economics, or a related field by the time of appointment. Candidates must show potential for a strong research and teaching program, and have completed their doctoral degree before the start date of the appointment. 

Salary is commensurate with experience. Start date is as soon as possible after the close of the search. This position is 100% full time, nine-month, tenure-track appointment.

To ensure full consideration, candidates should apply by November 20, 2019. To apply, create a candidate profile at jobs.illinois.edu and upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a sample of written work, a research statement, a teaching statement, and contact information for three references. Applicants who are currently graduate students or post-doctoral fellows must submit transcripts from their graduate program(s). All requested information must be submitted for your application to be given full consideration. Questions about applications can be directed to Melissa Warmbier (//This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153); text-decoration: none;">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and questions about the position should be directed to the search chair, Ben Gramig (//This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153); text-decoration: none;">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.