Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Maple Syrup Production

General information

A privileged living environment in the heart of Quebec City and the first French-language university in North America, Université Laval is a major university open to the world and recognized for its culture of excellence in teaching and research. Thanks to the Department of Wood and Forest Sciences of the Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics, Université Laval is the only university in Quebec to offer undergraduate programs in forestry and wood engineering leading to the Quebec Order of Forest Engineers or to the Quebec Order of Engineers. The Department of Wood and Forest Sciences is also responsible for the integrated multi-faculty bachelor's degree in natural and managed environments and the only graduate program in agroforestry in Canada. It has 35 full-time professors and lecturers, five research chairs, a teaching leadership chairs, a research consortium, two research centers and over 500 undergraduate and graduate students. Collaborations with the Departments of Geography and Geomatics, as well as with other faculties at Université Laval, offer interesting opportunities for multidisciplinary research.

Job Description

In accordance with its development plan and to support a key sector of Quebec’s economy, the Department of Wood and Forest Sciences is seeking a professor in maple syrup production. This field, at the intersection of economic, environmental, and cultural considerations, represents a strategic area for sustainable forestry.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach in French at all levels and contribute to the various departmental programs, in particular the bachelor's degree in Forest Management and Environment, Forest Operations, and Natural and Managed Environments, as well as those in Agroforestry, Agronomy, and Agroeconomy. The candidate will also be expected to develop an innovative research program aimed at addressing the current challenges of the maple syrup industry. More specifically, the teaching and research
activities will focus on the following areas:

1. Physiology and ecophysiology of maple and fundamental mechanisms of sap flow.
2. Impact of climate change on the health of sugarbushes and the dynamics of sap flow.
3. Biotic and abiotic factors affecting maple syrup yield and the resilience of sugar maple stands.
4. Sap collection systems to optimize efficiency and reduce losses in maple syrup production.
5. Parameters influencing the quality of sap and syrup.
6. Development of innovative management practices for sustainable and integrated resource management.

Responsibilities include:

1. Teaching in French in sugarbushes management and maple syrup production in related fields (e.g., ecophysiology, tree physiology, forest ecology) at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
2. Development of training activities (graduate-level courses and continuing education for professionals in the field).
3. Securing research funding from granting agencies and external partners to support research activities.
4. Conducting research and supervising graduate students on topics related to the fields listed above.
5. Development of teaching and research activities at the Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures forest domain of Université Laval, a site dedicated to research and teaching.
6. Collaboration with existing research groups, notably the Canada Research Chair in Silviculture Adapted to Climate Change and the Research Chair in Maple Syrup Production and Sugarbush Management.
7. Participation in departmental, faculty, university, and multi-stakeholder committees.