Agricultural Economics

McQuinn Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership/Professor (060477)

Description:
The University of Missouri-Columbia's College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (CAFNR) invites applications for the Al and Mary Agnes McQuinn Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership. The successful candidate will serve as Director of the McQuinn Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and, based on qualifications, be eligible for a tenured professorship in the College's Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS). Candidates with backgrounds in economics, agricultural economics, sociology, rural sociology, business administration and similar fields are encouraged to apply.

The CAFNR Division of Applied Social Sciences has inaugurated an ambitious and innovative program in entrepreneurship research, education, and extension. Unlike traditional entrepreneurship programs designed for generalists, the McQuinn Chair's location in CAFNR lends itself to a natural emphasis on entrepreneurship in life sciences, food and agriculture, rural development, and natural resource entrepreneurship. CAFNR faculty have already assumed a leadership role in several campus entrepreneurship initiatives including grants from the Kauffmann Foundation.

When created in 2004, the McQuinn Chair was designed to enhance research, classroom teaching and one-on-one mentoring in entrepreneurial leadership. This includes the pursuit of innovative and non-conventional visions, the parameters and requirements of risk-taking, and personal conduct and priorities. The scope of the chair is not only with the creation, management and growth of new firms but also with the operation of existing enterprises, adaptation to technological and organizational innovations, and the management of human resources.

We are specifically interested in candidates whose professional background, research and/or teaching interests complement the Division of Applied Social Sciences’ existing strengths in entrepreneurship theory, the economics of institutions and organizations, agricultural biotechnology, natural resource economics, community development, and policy analysis.

The DASS is home to several research and outreach organizations and institutions, including the Contracting and Organizations Research Institute, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership, and the Economics and Management of Agro-biotechnology Center, along with the McQuinn Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The DASS has a strong tradition of granting faculty extraordinary latitude to develop new and innovative centers, programs, and activities.

Responsibilities:
While the assignment of specific responsibilities to the occupant of the McQuinn Chair will depend on the experience, credentials and interests of the successful candidate, we anticipate drawing from the following areas for the assignment:

• Undergraduate teaching in areas related to entrepreneurship
• Graduate teaching in areas related to agribusiness, organizations and institutions, and or public policy.
• A program of research/scholarship consistent with that of a senior faculty member in an AAU research university
• Outreach activities linked to economic development, entrepreneurship (collective and otherwise) initiatives.

Qualifications:
A PhD (or other terminal degree) in a field relevant to the Chair is preferred. However, candidates with significant professional experience in an area of entrepreneurship are also encouraged to apply. Candidates will need to demonstrate their capacity to be effective teachers, productive scholars, effective collaborators with DASS colleagues and other faculty on the MU campus, and generally play a leadership role in the DASS, CAFNR and MU generally associated with a senior faculty position.

MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources strongly endorses the principles embodied in the MU’s values statement – respect, responsibility, discovery, excellence (http://web.missouri.edu/~jesse105/values.php). In that context we seek to recruit and retain outstanding scholars who are: committed to blending service with scholarship; leaders; good colleagues who will collaborate with others from diverse disciplines and backgrounds; flexible and adaptable in an era of rapid change.

Salary:
$125,000-$175,000

Application:
Applications will be reviewed starting February 1, 2007. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Candidates interested in the position should send a letter of application, a current CV and the names of five professional references to the address indicated below. Electronic submissions are encouraged. After an initial screening, additional information may be requested. Finalists for the position may be asked to submit official copies of their university transcripts. Applications should be sent to:

McQuinn Chair Search Committee
c/o Michael Nolan
215 Gentry Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
Email: mcquinnchair@missouri.edu

Date Posted:
September 28, 2007