Assistant Professor of AI-Enabled Robotics and Automation for Biological Systems
University of California Davis
Application
Details
Posted: 31-Dec-24
Location: Davis, California
Type: Full-time
Internal Number: 5900622
Assistant Professor of AI-Enabled Robotics and Automation for Biological Systems
Position Overview: The salary range for this position is $135,200 - $161,100 (annual). 'Off-scale salaries' and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience.
The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of AI-enabled Robotics and Automation for Biological Systems. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members who hold an AES appointment have a responsibility to conduct research and outreach relevant to the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. Participation in outreach programs and performance of university service are also expected.
Transformational changes are needed to address the societal challenges of food security and sustainable food and biomaterials production. The appointee is expected to conduct fundamental and applied research with a focus on AI-enabled Robotics and Automation for Biological Systems, and establish a competitively funded program that incorporates novel machine learning and AI algorithms into advanced perception, intelligent actuation, and robotic manipulation. The appointee is expected to integrate AI-enabled robotic and automation technologies for applications in the agricultural, natural resource, food, biotechnology, and related sectors. The appointee will work closely with other engineers and agricultural and biological scientists to create novel automated machines or systems that can interact intelligently in real-time with entities and systems involved in food and biomaterials production and processing. Example application areas include autonomous robotic or robot-aided monitoring and management of crop or livestock production and their corresponding environments, and intelligent automation for bioproduct production and processing.
The appointee will be responsible for teaching undergraduate courses in the Agricultural and Environmental Technology (AET) major, and undergraduate and graduate courses in the Biological Systems Engineering (EBS) major. The specific teaching assignments will depend on the academic background of the appointee and would typically include courses among TAE 60 (Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems for Agriculture and Environmental Science - a lower-division undergraduate course), TAE 100 (Smart Control Systems for Agricultural and Environmental Technologies - an upper-division undergraduate course), EBS 165 (Bioinstrumentation and Control - an upper-division undergraduate course), and EBS 221 (Agricultural Robotics - graduate-level course). The appointee is expected to develop new courses in topics such as AI-enabled robotics and machine systems, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, or other advanced automation-related subjects at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Advising and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students and performance of departmental, university, and professional service are expected.
Participation in and development of public outreach and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is also expected, along with collaboration with other faculty across the university, Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, partners in allied industries, or other appropriate public stakeholders. Safety and safe practice are of primary importance to the University of California, and this position involves teaching courses in which safety is a significant consideration. The successful candidate will ensure that Departmental and University safety policies are met and instill safety and help build a culture of safety throughout the academic program.
This position will be recruited at the Assistant Professor rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications. This is a tenure-track academic year (9-month) position. This appointment will be 50% Instruction and Research (I&R) FTE in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and 50% FTE in the California Agricultural Experiment Station through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The start date for this position will be no earlier than 7/1/2025.
Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests and the Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review.
For questions concerning the position, contact the Recruitment Advisory Committee chair, Prof. Stavros G. Vougioukas, at svougioukas@ucdavis.edu, or (530) 752-1890.
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in university programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment, UC Davis conducts a reference check on all first-choice candidates for Academic Senate Assistant Professor or Assistant Professor of Teaching, Steps 4, 5, or 6, or Acting Professor of Law positions. The reference check involves contacting the administration of the applicant's previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University's Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search for assistant professor to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled 'Authorization to Release Information' into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists considered for Academic Senate Assistant Professor or Assistant Professor of Teaching, Steps 4, 5, or 6, or Acting Professor of Law positions will be subject to reference checks.
UC Davis supports Family-friendly recruitments. UC Davis covers travel expenses for a second person to accompany an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother (or single parent of either gender) of a breast or bottle-feeding child less than two years of age. http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/programs/work-life/index.html
UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty with efforts to integrate work, family and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus sponsors a Work Life Program that provides programs and services that support faculty as they strive to honor their commitments to work, home and community. http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/programs/worklife/index.html
UC Davis is the home of the Aggies — go-getters, change makers and problem solvers who make their mark at one of the top public universities in the United States. Since we first opened in 1908, we’ve been known for standout academics, sustainability and Aggie Pride as well as valuing the Northern California lifestyle. These themes are woven into our 100-plus-year history and our reputation for solving problems related to food, health, the environment and society.Our 5,300-acre campus is in the city of Davis, a vibrant college town of about 68,000 located in Yolo County. The state capital is 20 minutes away, and world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley are within a two-hour drive.