Description

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF .

This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida.  This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering. The faculty member will actively seek contract and grant funding to support their program.  The faculty member will engage in Extension activities in their program area.  

This position is part of a cohort of new hires for the GCREC Agricultural AI Institute that will focus on the advancement of applied artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture with an emphasis on automation and efficiency within specialty crop production.

This position advances the Institute's research mission by developing and applying next-generation decision intelligence methodologies that transform agricultural data into actionable management recommendations. The successful candidate will establish an internationally recognized research program focused on prescriptive AI for agriculture, integrating reinforcement learning, causal inference, optimization, and agentic AI systems to enable autonomous and human-centered decision making.

Primary responsibilities include conducting innovative research in decision-focused AI for agriculture; developing reinforcement learning frameworks for adaptive farm management; advancing causal inference methods to improve decision making from observational and experimental data; designing agentic AI systems capable of planning, reasoning, and coordinating agricultural operations; creating prescriptive decision support systems for farm resource allocation, including things such as labor, equipment, water, fertilizer, and crop protection inputs. 

The specialist will play a key role in technology transfer, translating advances in decision intelligence into practical tools and workflows with potential for adoption by producers, industry, and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop user-centered decision support systems

The decision intelligence specialist will contribute to extension activities by training extension specialists and industry representatives on the use of decision support technologies and the integration of those technologies into current production systems.

Candidates with strong academic backgrounds that also demonstrate the ability to work with applied systems will be preferred. The candidate will have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment consisting of industry partners and faculty in agricultural and biological engineering, economics, entomology, horticulture, microbiology, plant pathology, plant breeding, and weed science. 

Candidates should possess the interest, skills, and temperament to interact and collaborate effectively with other researchers. The GCREC Agricultural AI Institute emphasizes team approaches to problem solving.  A successful candidate is expected to embrace all three missions of Research, Extension, and Teaching of the Land-grant university system. 

The candidate is required to establish a strong, externally funded, research program, and promote his/her research activity and leadership in professional societies as well as sustained publication activity in top scientific journals. The candidate is encouraged to collaborate with other faculty and research partners, creating synergy both inside and outside of the University of Florida.

The successful candidate will participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis, dissertation and undergraduate research, and publishing research results with students. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising and may teach courses and seminars.

Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.

Background Information:

The University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) is a nationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary research, Extension, and graduate education supporting Florida's specialty crop industries. The Center is in Wimauma, approximately 35 minutes from downtown Tampa. GCREC is home to more than 20 faculty whose expertise spans artificial intelligence, automation, engineering, geomatics, horticulture, plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, horticulture, national resource management, and precision agriculture. The center offers exceptional research infrastructure, including modern laboratories and offices, greenhouses, approximately 500 acres of research farm, and housing for up to 34 graduate students.

This position will be housed in the new Agricultural AI Institute, a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and precision agriculture for specialty crop production. The Institute is designed to foster innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, and features newly constructed offices, collaborative research space, advanced engineering and computer science laboratories, fabrication and prototyping shops, and dedicated training facilities. The Agricultural AI Institute provides an exceptional environment for developing transformative technologies while working alongside leading researchers, students, and industry partners to shape the future of agriculture.

The Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department is a unit in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida and has a variety of teaching, research and extension education programs. The Department is comprised of 34 faculty members located on the Gainesville campus, 6 faculty located across the state at research and education centers, 7 courtesy faculty and 20 support personnel (see website), and consistently ranks in the top 5 Agricultural and Biological Engineering programs nationwide. Instilling excellence in research, leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship are ABE's highest priorities. At ABE, the candidate will join a dynamic, cross-disciplinary group of researchers, and will enjoy broad opportunities for collaborations with existing teams, including those studying biofilm systems and biosensors, biofuels, coupled natural and human ecosystems, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, climate variability and change, crop modeling, hydrology and water quality.

The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students.  UF is a member of The Association of American Universities.  The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus.  UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine.  UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

Requirements

We seek an applied, interdisciplinary scientist, with computer science experience. Experience with horticultural crops, design and deployment of software solutions, and mobile applications for agriculture are desired. Familiarity with Python, C++, PyTorch/TensorFlow, agent-based modeling and simulation tools, edge AI platforms, and other relevant software is an advantage.

Required:    A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Engineering, Computer Science, Horticultural Sciences or a closely related discipline is required.  Candidates should have demonstrated, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and proven ability to participate in collaborative efforts and procurement of external funding.  Experience with artificial intelligence, agentic AI, and/or experience with AI deployment in agricultural systems is necessary. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the University Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to UF core values.   

Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws.  

The position will remain open until a viable applicant pool is determined.

Employment Conditions

This position is available immediately and will be filled as soon thereafter as an acceptable applicant is available.  Compensation is commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant.

Nominations

Nominations are welcome.  Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. This information should be sent to:

Please refer to Requisition # 540806

Dr. Vance Whitaker

Chair, Search and Screen Committee

University of Florida

Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

14625 County Road 672

Balm, FL, 33598

Telephone:                              (813) 419-6608

Electronic Mail:                      vwhitaker@ufl.edu

Application Information

For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit materials by August 30, 2026 and submit the following:

• Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above
• Curriculum vitae
• Contact information (including email addresses) for four individuals willing to write letters of recommendation
• Unofficial transcripts
• Selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible.  Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF to apply  

https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/540806/assistantassociate-professor-decision-intelligence-specialist