University of California Berkeley

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics (ARE) at the University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), invites applications from qualified individuals for the position of Assistant Cooperative Extension (CE) Specialist in Economics of Diversity and Equity. This is a Cooperative Extension appointment – an academic position in ARE – that holds the alternative working title of Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension in Economics of Diversity and Equity. It is a career-track, non-senate position where “indefinite status” can be obtained once the associate level has been reached (comparable to tenure).

Cooperative extension specialists (or professors of CE) conduct applied research, develop applications of research-based knowledge to specific problems, and provide educational leadership and technical information to county-based CE academics and clientele. Professors in CE provide statewide leadership to University colleagues, public agencies, community-based organizations, stakeholders in their area of expertise, and the general public. A Professor in CE serves as a liaison between University research units and statewide clientele. They are encouraged to keep campus and county-based CE academics and clientele apprised of emerging issues and research findings and directions. Professors in CE are expected to participate and provide leadership in ANR Program Teams, work groups, and Strategic Initiatives, work closely with CE academics toward the resolution of issues of regional and statewide importance, and coordinate statewide programming with University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) colleagues throughout California.

This CE specialist would be expected to develop a research and extension program to address issues of diversity and equity. This could include research on the distributional impacts of proposed and implemented policies or on issues of rural development and poverty in California with an emphasis on minority communities. This specialist could study labor markets and advancement opportunities, educational opportunities, public goods and resource availability, environmental justice, or gender issues.

This specialist would be dedicated to studying the dimensions of equity issues in California, identifying policy solutions, and conducting extension and outreach to implement such solutions. This specialist would apply a strong quantitative and empirical background to advance economic prosperity and access to opportunity for all Californians.

Extension: This specialist’s extension agenda would have two parts, both focusing on implementing solutions to create a more equitable and inclusive society. The first part would be to provide information to state, regional, and local policymakers on policy solutions that address equity and discrimination issues. These policy solutions could be identified with help from stakeholder groups. The specialist would also educate policymakers on the distribution of benefits and costs of other potential, proposed, and implemented policies. This would aid in the adoption of policies that promote equity. In addition to municipalities, counties, and state agencies, clientele would include anyone affected by the studied policies, including disadvantaged and minority communities, small farmers, farm workers, minority-owned and small agribusinesses, and school districts. The specialist could conduct outreach on the impacts of policies to these communities as well. A second part of this specialist’s extension agenda would be to enhance economic literacy and finance education of disadvantaged and underserved communities. The specialist would collaborate with farm advisors, 4-H, local educators and others to develop appropriate educational offerings with the goal of empowering people, as individuals and/or business owners, to make informed economic decisions that improve their financial outcomes. The implemented programs would improve social mobility and economic literacy among underserved communities. This may include improved training in applied economics in high school and junior college and mentoring programs for college students who are interested in issues surrounding agriculture and natural resources.

Research: This specialist would be expected to develop a nationally and internationally competitive research program in welfare economics with a focus on issues of equity and discrimination. Their research would take a quantitative approach to studying the impact of policies on social mobility, measurement of access, and environmental justice. The specialist could bring geospatial data and new tools from data science to bear on these issues.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values at UC Berkeley and the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. The successful candidate for this position will demonstrate a commitment to advancing these objectives and values. All applicants are required to submit a statement on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, which will be assessed on the applicant’s knowledge, track record, and future plans in this area; applicants can find guidance to write this statement at https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity/support-faculty-candidates.

The Department is interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia.

Apply link:
https://apptrkr.com/3456064