Professor and Chair - Department of Economics

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Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:
The Department of Economics at Iowa State University seeks nominations and applications for the position of Professor and Chair. The department is jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), offering a distinctive environment that integrates agricultural economics and general economics within a single academic unit. The department is recognized for excellence in teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service, and supports undergraduate programs in Agricultural Business, Economics, and Business Economics, as well as graduate programs in Economics and Agricultural Economics.

The Chair serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the department and provides strategic leadership to advance the department's missions of teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service. The Chair is responsible for promoting excellence across all mission areas; facilitating strategic hiring; supporting the success and development of faculty, staff, and students; stewarding financial and human resources; and enhancing the department's visibility and impact locally, nationally, and internationally.

As leader of a jointly administered department, the Chair reports to the Dean of CALS and the Dean of LAS and serves as a collaborative member of both college leadership teams. The Chair works closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, industry partners, community stakeholders, and university administrators to advance the department's strategic priorities and contribute to the missions of Iowa State University and both colleges.

The initial Chair appointment is for five years and is subject to review in accordance with university policy. The Chair serves in an at-will administrative appointment and reports jointly to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The appointment is expected to be a 9-month faculty appointment with summer salary provided while serving as Chair.

The anticipated workload distribution is approximately 80-85% administration and leadership and 15-20% scholarly, teaching, research, extension, outreach, and/or service activities. Responsibilities may be adjusted based on departmental and institutional needs. Responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership

• Provide collaborative, strategic, and innovative leadership with a demonstrated commitment that advances the department's mission and strategic priorities.
• Lead departmental planning and continuous improvement efforts that position the department for long-term success.
• Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, accountability, and collegiality across all mission areas.
• Serve as an active and collaborative member of both CALS and LAS leadership teams.

Faculty and Staff Development

• Recruit, retain, mentor, develop, and evaluate an outstanding faculty and staff.
• Support faculty success in teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service.
• Provide leadership for promotion and tenure, post-tenure review, faculty advancement, annual evaluations, and professional development initiatives.
• Foster an environment in which faculty and staff are supported, engaged, and accountable for achieving departmental goals.

Research, Extension, and Outreach Leadership

• Advance the department's research enterprise and scholarly reputation.
• Support faculty and graduate students in securing extramural funding and developing impactful research programs.
• Ensure appropriate stewardship of Agriculture Experiment Station activities and compliance with associated reporting requirements.
• Promote excellence in extension and outreach programming and strengthen engagement with stakeholders throughout Iowa and beyond.
• Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration within the department, across colleges, and with external partners.

Academic Programs and Student Success

• Promote excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate education.
• Support the development and continuous improvement of relevant, rigorous, and responsive academic programs.
• Champion student recruitment, retention, mentoring, and success.
• Foster a culture that values effective teaching, student learning, and graduate education.

Fiscal and Operational Management

• Ensure effective stewardship of departmental financial, personnel, and physical resources.
• Provide sound fiscal leadership and maintain compliance with university and college policies and procedures.
• Allocate resources strategically in support of departmental priorities and goals.
• Ensure efficient and effective departmental operations.

Governance and External Engagement

• Maintain and support effective departmental governance processes.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with faculty, staff, students, college leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Represent and advocate for the department within the university and to external constituencies.
• Build and strengthen relationships with alumni, industry leaders, professional organizations, public agencies, and other partners.
• Promote the department's strengths, accomplishments, and impact at local, state, national, and international levels.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Economics, Agricultural Economics, or a closely related discipline.
• Established record of scholarship, teaching, and service sufficient to qualify for appointment with tenure at the rank of Professor at Iowa State University.
   

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated leadership experience in an academic, research, administrative, or organizational setting.
• Strategic planning and organizational leadership.
• Budget and fiscal management.
• Recruitment, development, evaluation, and retention of faculty and staff.
• Undergraduate and graduate program development and student success initiatives.
• Research leadership, including extramural funding and graduate student mentoring.
• Extension, outreach, policy engagement, or public scholarship.
• Building interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships.
• Record of effectiveness in collaboration, communication, and relationship building.
• Working effectively with industry, government, nonprofit organizations, alumni, and other stakeholders.
• Leading organizations with multiple constituencies and complex administrative relationships.
• Working effectively within a system of shared governance and consultative academic decision-making.
   

Department/Program & College Description:
The Department of Economics is one of Iowa State University's oldest and most distinguished academic units. The department is among a select group of economics departments nationally that combines agricultural economics and general economics within a single department. It is home to approximately 33 faculty members and 7 staff members and serves approximately ~450 undergraduate students and ~55 graduate. Faculty conduct nationally and internationally recognized research spanning several fields in economics, agricultural economics, and environmental and resource economics. Through its research, teaching, extension, and outreach programs, the department addresses critical economic challenges facing Iowa, the nation, and the world. The university is committed to continued investment in the department, including strategic investments in faculty and academic programs.
 

Department Unit/Website:

https://www.econ.iastate.edu

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Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on "Apply" and complete the Employment Application. To guarantee full consideration, applications should be received by 12/05/2026. All interested, qualified persons must apply for this position by submitted or attaching the following:

1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of interest and Statement of Purpose
3) Names and contact information for at least three professional references. References may be contacted to provide letters of recommendation and/or participate in a reference conversation via phone.

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

Why Choose ISU?

Iowa State Faculty enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
• Retirement benefits, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program

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Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email [email protected].

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.