Responsibilities
The Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture seeks applications for the position of Department Head.
The head is expected to provide vision, leadership, and administration in support of the land-grant missions of teaching, research and Extension; work closely with faculty and staff to set departmental priorities and allocate resources; advocate for the department within the university, state, region and nation as well as internationally; cultivate an environment that encourages excellence; promote opportunities for and be committed to interdisciplinary research, teaching, and Extension; identify and obtain additional resources for the department; and support an environment of respect among faculty, staff, and students.
Department
The department has 30 faculty (24 in Horticulture and 6 in Landscape Architecture), 36 professional and support staff, 27 graduate students, 211 undergraduate students (54 Horticulture, 94 Landscape Architecture which includes Pre-LA, 28 Sustainable Food and Farming Systems, 35 Turf Management) and 9 postdoctoral associates. The Landscape Architecture program is fully accredited, and both Landscape Architecture and the Horticulture programs are nationally ranked. The department has excellent research programs in horticulture production, plant sciences, plant-environment interactions, sustainable food and landscape systems, and turf grass systems, with a strong interdisciplinary emphasis. Both applied and basic research in the department is supported by state-of-the-art facilities. The department supports a wide variety of Extension programs for consumers and industry professionals. It is also committed to excellence in innovative and experiential teaching and learning, supported by a variety of teaching styles, class sizes, engagement methods, and modern teaching facilities, to help students reach their full potential. The department promotes a collaborative attitude that fosters collegiality, civility and respect among peers, staff and students.
Qualifications
The successful candidate must have: an earned doctoral degree or terminal degree in plant sciences, landscape architecture, or related field; appropriate qualifications for appointment as a tenured full professor in the department; an outstanding record in teaching, research, and/or Extension; the ability to provide academic leadership; strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with administrators, faculty, staff, students, stakeholders, and other groups.
The College
The department is an integral part of the College of Agriculture, one of the world’s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life, and natural resource sciences. The College is ranked third in the U.S. and sixth in the world in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. The College is deeply committed to the three land-grant missions (teaching, research, and Extension), to international activities and perspectives that span all missions, and to excellence in all we do. The College has 11 academic departments and includes 279 faculty, 2896 undergraduate students, and 640 graduate students.
Application Procedure
Qualified persons are requested to submit the following: letter of application; statement of their vision of future needs for research, teaching and engagement in horticulture and landscape architecture; statement of administrative philosophy; complete curriculum vitae; and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references. Initial nominations and inquiries will be kept confidential; references will be contacted only upon approval by the applicant.
Nominations of outstanding potential candidates for the position are welcomed. Applications, nominations and inquiries should be addressed to: Dr. Zhao Ma, Chair, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Head Search Committee, Purdue University. All application materials must be combined into one pdf and uploaded electronically on the careers site. The search committee will begin review of applications on December 1, 2025 and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified. Questions regarding the position may be addressed to Dr. Zhao Ma at (765) 494-1790 or zhaoma@purdue.edu. A background check is required for employment in this position.
Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access university.