Responsibilities

The head promotes excellence in all facets of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering by: 

Culture, Climate, and Inclusive Excellence

  • Fostering an inclusive culture within the department in which all contributions to the team are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of the team, and the success of each person.
  • Ensuring opportunities are open to all, programs are inclusive of all constituencies, and efforts are made to engage diverse audiences, especially those that are traditionally underrepresented.

Strategic Visioning

  • Leading the development and implementation of a shared vision and strategic plan integrated across teaching and learning; research, discovery and innovation; extension, outreach, and community engagement; and public and professional service in the department that results in sustained impacts that are highly aligned with the unit’s strengths (i.e., ecological engineering; design of natural and resilient systems; cyber-secure automated, autonomous, and assistive systems; irrigation system design and management; food and advanced bioproducts processing and engineering; biomedical engineering; developing, engineering, deploying, and managing complex natural and engineered systems; managing waste streams for maximum value), IANR’s vision and mission, and for the benefit of Nebraska and beyond.
  • Ensuring BSE’s continued leadership in achieving UNL’s N2025 goals.
  • Fostering a climate of curricular and pedagogical innovation across the continuum of learners to enhance student success and advance the unit’s strategic enrollment planning and implementation.
  • Engaging, coordinating, and providing leadership as appropriate with the IANR Communities of Practice, especially in those communities of practice where departmental faculty have expertise that contributes to the expected outcomes and impacts of these communities (i.e., Healthy Agricultural Production and Natural Resources, the Drivers of Economic Vitality for Nebraska, and the Healthy Humans).
  • Communicating with transparency and clarity all aspects of departmental initiatives, operations, and challenges and opportunities with faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders.

Collaboration

  • Supporting, coordinating, and partnering with departments/schools and other entities internal to the university that support and/or align with departmental programming and faculty expertise. Emphasis will be on enhancing collaboration with the Departments of Agronomy and Horticulture, Food Science and Technology, and Animal Science, the School of Natural Resources, and the College of Engineering to advance the unit’s strengths and IANR’s interdisciplinary initiatives.
  • Partnering with IANR administrators, unit heads, and center directors to promote and support collaborations and team building.
  • Engaging and coordinating as appropriate with Extension and research program areas.
  • Nurturing a strong and productive relationship with an advisory board for the department.
  • Fostering linkages with external groups and industry partners to strengthen ties that advance the mission and vision of the department, IANR, and the university.

Resource, Personnel Management, and Advancement Activities

  • Aligning and managing personnel, financial and physical resources responsibly to maximize the effectiveness of those resources, exhibiting fiscal discipline and transparency, and utilizing best management practices.
  • Recruiting faculty, staff, and students to attract, develop, and retain a team exhibiting and valuing excellence.
  • Providing appropriate oversight for the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory, Rogers Memorial Farm, and the Industrial Agricultural Products Center.
  • Working with IANR’s expanded leadership team in donor engagement, fundraising, and stewardship to advance BSE’s goals.
  • Ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations regarding safety, and, if appropriate the environment (e.g., handling and disposing of hazardous wastes, animal care and use, and biosafety).
  • Ensuring all programs of the department are administered in accordance with the university’s affirmative action/equal opportunity/diversity programs. 

Nurturing Success of Faculty, Postdocs, Staff, and Students

  • Encouraging and providing support for the professional development of the faculty, postdocs, staff, and students.
  • Engaging in professional development to continually hone skills to effectively lead and manage departmental operations and initiatives, and to advance the mission of the department.
  • Ensuring that guidance documents (e.g., operational procedures, bylaws, performance review standards) are relevant and up-to-date, and that they promote equity and inclusion in both their content and application.

Success in the role will be measured by the accomplishments and impacts of the faculty, staff, students, and programs of the department. The incumbent accepts committee assignments, reporting responsibilities, and other special ad hoc assignments as requested at the administrative unit, college/division, institute, and/or university level.