Associate Director for Research

SIPS functions as a community of scientists and practitioners associated with a suite of disciplines covering diverse aspects of the plant sciences, and tackling an array of grand challenges. Our work reveals new insights into the biology of plants and their interactions with the environment, including their pests and pathogens.  We work across disciplines to address the big challenges of the day, at local and global scales.

The role of the Associate Director for Research is to support the success of certain cross-cutting themes of importance to SIPS, selected in consultation with SIPS leadership and the broader SIPS community.  For example, the AD for research works with SIPS leadership and various subsets of the SIPS community to put forward some winning visions for Moonshot cohort recruitments.

Key Efforts:

1. Leadership and Communication:
   • Participates in SIPS leadership meetings, representing SIPS research perspective.
   • Represents SIPS Director and/or selected research initiatives in interactions with visitors, committees, etc., as needed.
   • Chairs the SIPS Funding Committee to chart strategies for generating fundable ideas and attracting new resources.
   • Supports SIPS leadership in engaged with other units on campus as appropriate (e.g., Global Development and the new School of the Environment and Sustainable Development; CALS; other).
2. Supporting initiatives
   • Supports several informal working groups, including the Green Cities initiative, informal agroecology group, bionutrient circularity group, Indigenous plant science group, nitrogen initiative
   • Supports the Land Restoration initiative (potential funding from Acelen Renewables)
   • Supporting discussions on participatory research and extension, in collaboration with the AD-Extension
   • Supports advancement toward a Cornell Crop Improvement Center
3. Supporting the Faculty Renewal process
   • Co-organizes sessions with faculty and others to envision new positions
   • Supporting gap analysis as well as visioning for new directions
   • Supports the SIPS Leadership in finalizing the annual request to the Deans
4. Forums and Events:
   • Co-organizes annual SIPS Symposium
   • Supports other events as needed/requested
5. Supporting facilities and capabilities
   • Engages with the SIPS Innovation Hub, supporting its director and operations
   • Engages with the synchrotron (XLEAP), supports initiatives
   • Supports efforts to upgrade greenhouse and growth chamber facilities
6. Engagement, Listening and Visioning:
   • Engages in in-person and virtual meetings with SIPS faculty, CALS, CCE, and various local and global institutes to gather perspectives and identify opportunities for research.