Recruitment Intake Information

The PeopleAdmin program maintains and is used to manage all our active positions on-campus - faculty included. (Some faculty positions maintain specific requirements for the type of or purpose of the position). 

The first step in the recruitment process is to confirm that the position description is up to date and correct. 

To review the process through which you can access your unit/department's positions and to make updates/modify the descriptions, please review this article: https://kb.uwlax.edu/108420

Advertising text is the foundation of your recruitment.  It is what is displayed to potential applicants as the lead-in, description, and "how-to", of the recruitment.  

If you need assistance, just ask Human Resources, we can help you build the advertising text, but in general, the advertising text should follow this format:

1. Inviting statement to encourage applications to UWL.  Such as, UW-La Crosse invites applicants to the open position.
2. Use exciting words to describe the opportunity and to detail 'a day in the life' of the experience.  
3. Describe the qualifications or 'what we need' for the position.  
4. Outline who should be contacted for information on the opportunity.
5. Describe what is needed for full consideration, (i.e. a CV/Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, etc.).
6. Information about UWL, the La Crosse area, Benefits, UWL's AAO/EEO and Diversity Statement are all part of what HR takes care of in the recruitment.  

Here is an example of a recent post-doctoral ad that can help you start our writing: 

The Esker and Grozinger Laboratories in the Departments of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology and Entomology at The Pennsylvania State University are looking for a motivated candidate to join our team as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the area of digital and precision agriculture and biodiversity monitoring. Candidates will have the opportunity to take a lead role in diverse projects that relate to their interests, including designing automated monitoring and sensing tools for insects, plants, and pathogens, developing integrative data management systems, conducting landscape-scale ecological modeling, and/or designing decision support tools. The candidate will be co-supervised and provided with excellent professional development and mentoring opportunities in the agricultural and data sciences.

Education and Experience:

Qualified candidates are required to have and provide evidence of a Ph.D. at time of appointment. Motivated candidates should possess strong knowledge in one of the areas of our programs with excellent quantitative skills, quantitative methodology, and experience in engineering, computational science, and/or data science. Candidates should demonstrate knowledge and expertise in computational and statistical methods. Proficiency with programming languages like R or Python is essential. Experience in applications of machine learning or hierarchical statistical modeling is a plus. Candidates will have the opportunity to collaborate with and train in programs such as the Penn State Digital Agriculture and Emerging Technologies Initiative, Center for Pollinator Research, Insect Biodiversity Center, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Food, Environmental Sciences, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences' RISE program and Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Engineered Systems.

Practical communication skills are necessary as our research has a vital collaborative and outreach component, working closely with core agricultural stakeholders and academic institutions. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to contribute to teaching and mentoring efforts in our programs. Penn State offers numerous opportunities for professional development in these areas, including the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence.

Interested candidates should send inquiries about this position to either:

Dr. Paul Esker, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, at pde6@psu.edu, or +1-814-865-0680.

Dr. Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology, Department of Entomology, at cmgrozinger@psu.edu, or +1-814-865-2214.

Application Information:

For full consideration, applicants need to submit the following: a cover letter that addresses their background, experience, and interest in the position, a CV, and the names and contact information of three references. Review of applications will begin November 15, 2022. The position(s) will remain open until filled. This is a limited-term appointment funded for one year from date of hire with excellent possibility of refunding.

The Selection Criteria, now called Evaluation Criteria, should be the published required and preferred qualifications for the position.  These should be promoted within the recruitment. 

Many searches prefer to develop the Evaluation Criteria along with the input of their panel/committee.  The PeopleAdmin tool has an “Evaluation Criteria” module to allow for collaboration and rating within the system by the panel/committee. To learn more, please view these resources.

Human Resources will add the Evaluation Criteria on your behalf during the staging part of the recruitment.