The College of Agriculture and Bioresources invites applications from world-class scholars for the Jarislowsky Chair in Regenerative Agriculture. The Jarislowsky Chair in Regnerative Agriculture has been established via a $4,000,000 endowment that was generously funded by an initial gift from The Jarislowsky Foundation and co-funders to support a global leader in establishing a research program that will accelerate the science and adoption of regenerative agriculture. The chairholder will be a strategic leader, a catalyst for innovation and a connector for the agri-food ecosystem – in Saskatchewan, Canada and globally – who will inspire and ignite solutions to the myriad challenges of feeding another billion people in the next 30 years. The goal of the Jarislowsky Chair in Regenerative Agriculture will be to provide strategic leadership across the four stages of agricultural production (inputs at the food-energy-water nexus, agronomic practice, agricultural development and livelihoods, or markets and consumption) and to strengthen existing and build new collaborations both on and off campus.  

The successful candidate for the inaugural chairholder will have a PhD in agricultural sciences, a primary focus on developing, assessing and demonstrating regenerative agriculture practices, demonstrated experience in teaching and mentoring students, and be eligible for appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level. Experience in the use of soil health as a key evaluation metric will be an asset. They will have demonstrated expertise in agricultural practices of the Northern Great Plains and ideally a strong track record in collaborating with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, land managers and farmers. Saskatchewan has 16 million hectares of agricultural land, including 1.6 million hectares on First Nations reserves; the alignment of regenerative agriculture principles with the values of Indigenous peoples creates a unique opportunity to support First Nations in agricultural and economic development. The candidate will be expected to leverage their position through collaboration with colleagues across a range of disciplines, accelerating the science and adoption of regenerative agriculture. The Chair will, through leadership and global excellence, significantly expand the University of Saskatchewan’s capacity in regenerative agriculture, particularly as pertaining to: teaching and mentorship of students, identifying best practices in Canadian agriculture, world-leading research, and the sharing of knowledge and best practices with all stakeholders and rights-holders. The Jarislowsky Foundation has supported other organizations in the area of Regenerative Agriculture; collaboration with these these chairholders and organizations will be encouraged.

The chairholder will be appointed for an initial five-year term, renewable based on the performance of the chairholder.

In addition to base salary (commensurate with experience), significant philanthropic funding to support the chair’s work (stipend, research grant, HQP support) will be allocated annually from the endowment subject to budget approval by the Advisory Committee.

Application Procedure: Interested applicants should submit a letter of application and a complete curriculum vitae that summarizes research, teaching, student mentorship, leadership and outreach experience. Applicants should provide the names and contact information (postal address, phone number, and email address) of three academic referees. In addition, a complete package will include 1) a one-page (single-sided) executive summary from the nominee outlining their vision for the first 5 years in the position, including overarching research goals, desired outcomes/impacts and plans for knowledge transfer, and 2) a one-page (single-sided) summary of their teaching and mentorship philosophy, including specific examples and testimonials where appropriate.

Application packages should be submitted to Carrie Vassilakopoulos (carrie.vassilakopoulos@usask.ca) in the Dean’s Office, College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The review of applications will begin June 21, 2023, with an anticipated start date in the fall of 2023.