Fort Hays State University is seeking a highly motivated, productive
biologist to administer the new Kansas Wetlands Education Center.
KANSAS WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER:
The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) is a new museum that
currently is under construction. The grand opening is expected
to be in autumn of 2008. KWEC will be a branch museum of the Sternberg
Museum of Natural History and, therefore, a unit of Fort Hays
State University. The building will be located about 70 miles
southeast of Fort Hays State University near the city of Great
Bend in central Kansas. It will overlook the largest wetland area
in the interior of the United States. The wetland area consists
of three units: 19,857 acres known as the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife
Area and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks;
7,200 acres known as the Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve and managed
by The Nature Conservancy; and 21,820 acres nearby known as the
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and managed by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
The KWEC will contain 11,246 square feet of floor space. That
space will include an exhibit gallery, an auditorium, an education
room, a museum store, office space for staff, volunteers, and
graduate students, a mud room, rest rooms, storage space, and
mechanical rooms. Viewing areas will overlook a marsh and nearby
wooded area, the latter with a wildlife trail. The role of the
KWEC will be to interpret wetlands and educate the public.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTOR:
The Director of the KWEC will report to the Director of Fort Hays
State University's Sternberg Museum of Natural History. The Director
likewise will be accountable to the Vice President for Administration
and Finance and the President at Fort Hays State University. As
an administrator employed by the University, the Director will
have the following responsibilities:
- serve as the scientific authority for the KWEC;
- administer the various budgets of KWEC, including State appropriations,
grants and contracts, gift shop accounts, program receipts,
and any others that may exist;
- formulate, implement, monitor, and evaluate the strategic
and long-range plans of the KWEC;
- propose or establish and implement operations policy for the
KWEC;
- recruit, supervise, and evaluate KWEC staff;
- recruit, oversee, and evaluate Graduate Assistants who receive
a stipend to work at the KWEC and who will receive a MS from
the Department of Biological Sciences;
- develop, implement, and administer a volunteer program for the
KWEC;
- oversee maintenance of KWEC exhibits and presentation of KWEC
programs;
- develop, implement, and administer plans to market the KWEC
to the citizens of Kansas and the traveling public;
- serve as spokesman for the KWEC to the public and the media;
- conduct scholarly research related to wetlands;
- participate in professional activities related to the KWEC,
the Sternberg Museum, and Fort Hays State University;
- provide information in response to inquiries from the public;
- provide service to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History,
Fort Hays State University, the community, the State, and the
professional discipline;
- strive to maintain a close working relationship with wetland
landowners (including private landowners, the Kansas Department
of Wildlife and Parks, The Nature Conservancy, and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service);
- maintain a good working relationship with the Convention and
Visitors Bureau in Great Bend, Kansas, and with other stakeholders
in the region.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimal qualifications include an earned Ph.D. in a biological
discipline that relates to wetlands, such as ornithology, ecology,
conservation biology, wildlife management, or numerous other disciplines.
Applicants must provide evidence of scholarship, including peer-reviewed
publications and the ability to acquire research funding. Other
necessary qualifications include strong communication skills and
the ability to interact with diverse constituents. Preferred qualifications
include experience in administration, academic teaching, and mentoring
graduate students.
SALARY:
Commensurate with experience
STARTING DATE:
1 July 2008
CONTACT:
Dr. Jerry R. Choate, Director
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Fort Hays State University
3000 Sternberg Drive
Hays, KS 67601
Phone 785-628-5664
Email: jchoate@fhsu.edu
Fort Hays State University does not discriminate on the basis
of gender, race, religion, national origin, age, disability, Vietnam
era veteran status, or special disabled veteran status in its
programs and activities. The University employs only United States
citizens and aliens who are lawfully authorized to work in the
United States. The director of affirmative action, coordinator
of Title IX, Section 504 and ADA regulations, may be contacted
at 600 Park St., Hays, KS 67601, 785-628-4033. FHSU is committed
to the cultural enrichment of its student body and work force
through Affirmative Action and Equal Education/Employment Opportunity.
Members of historically underrepresented social groups in higher
education, women, and persons with disability or veteran status
are encouraged to apply.
Preference will be given to applications postmarked by 1 March
2008. No electronic applications will be accepted. Applications
must include at minimum:
1. Letter of Application
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Statement of professional interests and aspirations
4. Copies of representative scholarly work
5. Names, mailing addresses, email addresses, and telephone
numbers of four references
Please do NOT request letters of recommendation.
Fort Hays State University is a state-supported liberal
and applied arts institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
It primarily serves the western one-half of Kansas. Approximately
10,000 students are enrolled in four colleges (Arts and Sciences,
Business and Leadership, Education and Technology, and Health
and Life Sciences) and a Graduate School, which have a combined
total of 340 full-time faculty members. The campus is modern,
spacious (4,160 acres), and attractive, and has outstanding museums,
galleries, and cultural and recreational facilities.
Hays, Kansas is a city of approximately 20,000 located
roughly midway between Kansas City and Denver on I-70. It is a
regional center serving the cultural, health, educational, business,
service, and transportation needs of much of western Kansas. Medical
and educational facilities are superior. Manufacturing, medical,
education, retail, farming, ranching, and oil comprise a large
part of the local economy. One public elementary school recently
was rated among the top 25 in the country by a national publication.
Paid for by Fort Hays State University
