DIRECTOR, STERNBERG MUSEUM OF NATURAL
HISTORY
Fort Hays State University is searching
for a highly motivated and innovative Director for its Sternberg Museum
of Natural History.
STERNBERG MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY:
The Sternberg Museum of Natural
History occupies a completely renovated (completed in 1999), unique building
adjacent to Interstate-70 Highway in Hays, Kansas. Its 101,000 square
feet of floor space accommodates both public areas and collection management
space. The collection space houses extensive research collections
representing the disciplines of mammalogy, ornithology, herpetology, ichthyology,
entomology, botany, vertebrate paleontology, and paleobotany. The
total number of specimens in these collections is in excess of 3 million,
and the Museum thus serves as a major research resource for the academic
departments of Biological Sciences and Geosciences. Public exhibits
of the Museum are internationally known and focus on animals of the Cretaceous
time period. These are supplemented with a program of temporary exhibitions,
both leased and prepared in-house, relating to a broad spectrum of natural
history topics. Educational programming for adults and especially
for children is designed to instill a fascination for plants and animals
in their environment. The new Kansas Wetlands Education Center, located
70 miles away at the largest wetland area in the central United States,
is a branch of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History that functions to
educate the public about the importance, history, plant and animal inhabitants,
and conservation of wetlands.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR:
The Director of the Sternberg Museum
of Natural History reports to the University’s Vice President for Administration
and Finance, who reports directly to the University President. The
Director is responsible for leadership and day to day operations of the
Museum. It is preferred but not required the Director be qualified to be
the scientific authority for the Museum. Specific duties include the following.
- Administer the various Museum
budgets, including State appropriations, grants and contracts, Museum endowments,
Sternberg Store revenue, gate receipts, and any others that may exist.
- Plan and participate in fundraising
activities of the Museum.
- Formulate, implement, monitor,
and evaluate strategic and long-range plans.
- Establish and implement Museum
policy.
- Recruit, supervise, and evaluate
Museum staff.
- Approve and oversee plans for
permanent and temporary exhibits, educational programs, and public service
activities of the Museum.
- Develop and administer plans
to market the Museum to the public and scientific community.
- Serve as spokesperson and advocate
for the Museum both within and outside the University.
- Oversee curation of the collections
of the Museum, ensuring that they are maintained according to acceptable
professional standards.
- Oversee the functions of the
Kansas Wetlands Education Center, the day-to-day operations of which are
performed under the supervision of a Site Manager.
- Conduct and publish scholarly
research.
- Participate in professional activities
designed to promote the scholarly reputations of the Museum and the University.
- Provide service to the Museum,
the University, and the community.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimal qualifications include
an earned PhD degree in one of the academic disciplines represented by
research collections in the Museum, preferably biology or paleontology.
Experience in museum administration is preferred. Exceptional candidates
with only an M.S. degree but having extensive experience in museum administration
will be considered. Applicants should provide evidence of scholarship
and must demonstrate aptitude for administration. Other qualifications
include strong communication skills and the ability to interact with diverse
constituents.
SALARY:
Commensurate with qualifications.
STARTING DATE:
1 May 2009
CONTACT:
Dr Elmer Finck, Search Committee
Chair
Department of Biology
Fort Hays State University
302A Albertson Hall
Hays, KS 67601
Phone 785-628-4214
Email [log in to unmask]
APPLICATION:
Electronic applications are encouraged.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled and must
include at a minimum:
1. Letter of application
2. Curriculum vitae or resume
3. Statement of professional
interests and aspirations
4. Copies of representative
scholarly work, if available
5. Names, mailing addresses,
email addresses, and telephone numbers of 4 references
Please do not request letters of
recommendation.
Fort Hays State University does
not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin,
age, disability, Vietnam era veteran status, or special disabled veteran
status in its programs and activities. The University employs only
United States citizens and aliens who are lawfully authorized to work in
the United States. The Director of Affirmative Action and Coordinator
of Title IX, Section 504 and ADA Regulations may be contacted at 600 Park
Street, Hays, KS 67601, 785-628-4033. FHSU is committed to the cultural
enrichment of its student body and work force through Affirmative Action
and Equal Education/Employment Opportunity. Members of historically
underrepresented social groups in higher education, women, and persons
with disability or veteran status are encouraged to apply. Successful
candidates will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal
background check.
Fort Hays State University is a
state-supported liberal and applied arts institution governed by the Kansas
Board of Regents. It primarily serves the western one-half of Kansas.
More than 10,000 students are enrolled in 4 colleges (Arts and Sciences,
Business and Leadership, Education and Technology, and Health and Life
Sciences) and a Graduate School, which have a combined total of 340 full-time
faculty members. The campus is modern, spacious (4,160 acres), and
attractive, and it has outstanding museums, galleries, and cultural and
recreational facilities.
Hays, Kansas is a city of approximately
20,000 located roughly midway between Kansas City and Denver on I-70. It
is a regional center serving the cultural, health, educational, business,
service, and transportation needs of much of western Kansas. Medical
and educational facilities are superior. Manufacturing, medicine,
education, retail sales, farming, ranching, and oil comprise a large part
of the local economy. One public elementary school recently was rated
among the top 25 in the country by a national publication.