Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement and the Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program invite applications for a full-time, 12-month, fixed-term Assistant Professor of Practice position. This Applied Economist position is located at the OSU Extension Service Klamath County office in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The academic home for this position will be the Department of Applied Economics in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University.
As a land grant institution committed to teaching, research, and outreach and engagement, Oregon State University (OSU) mission is to promote economic, social, cultural and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation and the world. This position contributes to the mission of the College of Agricultural Sciences, with principal responsibility for needs assessment; for development, delivery, and evaluation of Extension non-credit program and educational material; and for conducting applied research to support Extension activities.
The purpose of this position is to provide leadership in the development, implementation, synthesis, and evaluation of Extension applied economics, with primary service to the Klamath Basin and secondary support to the broader Southern Region.
This position is responsible for designing, developing, maintaining and/or carrying out educational programs and outreach activities to serve broad and diverse populations in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. This includes complying with civil rights and language/visual access regulations.
OSU is committed to advancing and applying state-of-the-science tools that foster meaningful interaction and engagement with partners and stakeholders. This academic faculty member is required to use modern learning and outreach tools including online and hybrid classes, multimedia and digital communications; employ and practice engaged scholarship; promote integration of programs across disciplines that are demand-driven; and use open-source tools that continually align with innovation and shifts in educational program delivery. These activities will be included in the annual plan of work, impact statements, and summary of accomplishments/achievements.
The division has built the capacity and expectation for employees to use digital communications and technologies in the modern-day workplace. This reflects our demonstrable commitment to using digital communications tools and changing technologies as a primary way to raise Oregonians’ awareness of and engagement with our organization, programs and resources.
The College of Agricultural Sciences academic and professional faculty are committed to enhancing learner success by engaging them in quality academic, research, internships, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities. Positions with primary responsibility for Extension and Engagement are likewise committed to learner success through programming appropriate for broad and diverse audiences.
Active and effective communication with colleagues and key stakeholders is critical to the success of this position. This position will require traveling/driving to various sites in the assigned counties.
About Klamath:
Klamath County is one of 36 counties in Oregon and is in south central Oregon. The OSU employees and trained volunteers of the OSU Extension Service in Klamath County work alongside local partners to provide educational workshops, activities, and services tailored to the unique industries, natural resources, and people in the Klamath County communities.
About Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Program:
The Division of Extension and Engagement’s Extension ANR Program aims to promote improvements in the economic, environmental and social well-being of Oregon residents. The ANR program serves broad and diverse audiences in Oregon communities having specialized interests by delivering information through academic and professional faculty who have a presence in 36 county offices, 11 branch agricultural experiment stations at 14 locations, and who represent 11 academic departments at OSU.
About the Division of Extension and Engagement (division):
The Division of Extension and Engagement (division) is core to Oregon State University’s mission. The division helps create real solutions and positive impact across Oregon and beyond. The division is aligned under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement. To learn more about our division and its core units and initiatives, visit the division’s website.
Oregon State University strives to ensure that all educational programs, services, activities, and materials we offer to the public are identified, developed, delivered, and evaluated in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. OSU division’s educational programs, services, activities, and materials are available to all people. OSU division prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials. All employees are responsible for and expected to comply with Civil Rights obligations and actively work to expand access to all eligible populations.
Position Duties
65% – Extension programming
a) Extension teaching
- Utilize Oregon State University’s principles of teaching excellence to deliver high-quality, noncredit Extension education in agricultural, natural resource, and rural economics.
- Conduct initial and on-going needs-assessment activities to identify priority economic issues affecting agricultural producers, land managers, and rural communities in the Klamath Basin and surrounding regions.
- Develop, design, and deliver Extension educational programming to the communities assigned focused on applied agricultural and resource economics. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
- Water allocation, irrigation, and water management economics
- Farm and ranch profitability and enterprise budgeting
- Farm and ranch succession and transition planning
- Grazing practices and public lands management
- Agricultural production costs and input markets, including enterprise budgets for regional animal and cropping systems, custom farming operations, and land rental/lease arrangements (both short- and long-term)
- Agricultural policy and regulatory impacts
- Energy, climate, and natural resource economics
- Market trends, risk management, and economic resilience
- Translate economic research and data into practical decision-support tools, including Extension publications, economic impact analyses, briefs, presentations, and visual materials appropriate for broad and diverse Extension audiences.
- Deliver Extension education using a variety of teaching and engagement methods, including workshops, field days, webinars, virtual meetings, one-on-one consultations, and written or digital materials.
- Integrate economic analysis into multidisciplinary Extension programs by collaborating with county-based faculty, research center scientists, and state specialists.
- Design and implement evaluation protocols to assess and document Extension program outcomes and impacts.
- Use technology as a tool to increase the reach and effectiveness of Extension programming, including participating in Ask-Extension and other digital communication platforms.
- Engage and contribute to opportunities to enhance access, inclusion, and relevant best practices for all audiences and document related outputs and impacts.
- Design culturally inclusive and socially cognizant materials for Extension non-credit programs that can be offered centrally or online to maximize client participation across the designated counties.
- Follow OSU and division brand guidelines, digital publishing standards and digital contact management data integrity practices for programmatic communications, marketing and engagement.
- Create accessible and inclusive environments that make space for a range of learner needs and provide reasonable accommodations.
- Solicit peer teaching evaluations and community evaluations of teaching as per OSU Extension standards.
- Travel/driving is required to deliver Extension education and maintain stakeholder engagement throughout Klamath Basin and Southern Region.
b) Partnerships/collaboration/networking
- Develop and maintain networks of formal and informal interest groups to support Extension programming and applied economics work, including agricultural producers, irrigation districts, conservation organizations, tribal entities, local governments, and state and federal agencies.
- Organize and participate in program advisory groups and working committees to identify priority economic issues, guide program development, and evaluate program effectiveness.
- Collaborate with Extension academic and professional faculty, research scientists, and external partners to develop science-based and data drive economic informed solutions to regional agricultural and natural resource challenges.
- Serve as an economic resource and liaison between OSU Extension and regional stakeholders to ensure economic considerations are incorporated into decision-making and planning efforts.
- Engage with community-based and regional organizations to support innovation, economic resilience, and sustainable resource management.
- Travel/driving is required to access and engage stakeholders throughout Klamath Basin and Southern Region.
c) Accountability
Develop annual plans of work that address identified educational needs and document program outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
- Regularly report Extension activities and impacts through the Faculty Success system and other required reporting mechanisms.
- Communicate relevant, science-based economic information to community leaders, decisionmakers, and agriculture stakeholders when requested.
- Utilize appropriate communication strategies to promote Extension programs locally, regionally, and statewide.
- Complete the university’s required training courses and the division’s civil rights training session(s).
- Report appropriate civil rights data from educational programming and outreach activities into the division’s reporting system for the internal civil rights review.
- Actively contributes to and upholds a workplace culture that is respectful, inclusive, safe, and collegial, fostering open and constructive communication and mutual respect in all interactions.
15% – Scholarship
Assigned duties for this position are expected to result in scholarly outcomes. Refer to the Division of Academic Affairs Promotion Guidelines for Professor of Practice Appointments and Promotion.
Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor of Practice is based on evidence of the candidate’s:
- High level of effectiveness in teaching and education including formal and informal community-based or-engaged instruction, advising, and other assigned duties.
- Achievement in scholarship and creative activity that contributes to the body of knowledge or its application and dissemination in the candidate’s field(s) of expertise.
- Appropriate level and balance of institutional, community, and professional service.
The criteria for Teaching, Advising, and Other Assignments provides guidelines for documenting and evaluating achievement in these areas.
Scholarly contributions include:
- Engage in practice-oriented scholarship consistent with OSU Promotion and Tenure guidelines for Professors of Practice.
- Produce durable, peer-validated scholarly outputs such as peer-reviewed Extension publications, applied research reports, professional practice articles, and other web-findable materials.
- Communicate scholarly work to Extension audiences, practitioners, and professional peers using oral, written, and digital formats.
- Document the impact and adoption of scholarly outputs relevant to community-based professional practice.
15% – Applied research
- Conduct applied research and economic analysis that directly supports Extension programming and stakeholder needs in agricultural, natural resource, and rural economics.
- Evaluate and document applied economic research outcomes and communicate results through Extension publications, presentations, and other outreach venues.
- Collaborate with Extension faculty, researchers, and industry partners to design and implement relevant applied economic research projects relevant to regional priorities.
- Contribute economic analysis and evaluation components to grant-funded projects, contracts, and service agreements that support Extension education and applied research.
- Maintain awareness of economic, policy, and industry trends at local, regional, and state levels and integrate findings into Extension programming.
5% – Service
- Participate in departmental, Extension, college, and university meetings, committees, and activities consistent with the responsibilities of the position.
- Serve as a liaison to regional organizations and professional groups relevant to agricultural and natural resource economics.
- Engage in professional development and maintain active involvement in appropriate professional organizations.
- Contribute to a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful workplace and support cohesive marketing and visibility of OSU Extension programs.
Minimum/Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Applied Economics, Economics, or a closely related field. Degree must be completed by the start date.
- Demonstrated experience conducting applied economic analyses relevant to agriculture, natural resources, or rural communities.
- Evidence of strong verbal and written communication skills, with ability to communicate successfully with a broad and diverse audience.
- Experience presenting to stakeholder groups.
- Experience working collaboratively with broad and diverse stakeholders, including producers, agency partners, and Extension or outreach professionals.
- A commitment to collaborative and respectful learning and working environments that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming.
- General knowledge and ability to use computers, including proficiency with information technology, professional office software, and collaborative work platforms.
- Demonstrated ability to translate economic data and analysis into clear, practical information for nontechnical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently while also functioning effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030.
Preferred (Special) Qualifications
- Experience working within Cooperative Extension or a land-grant university system.
- Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Water and irrigation economics
- Agricultural policy analysis
- Natural resources or environmental economics
- Farm management and enterprise budgeting
- Economic impact analysis
- Experience securing external funding or contributing to grant proposals for applied research or Extension programs.
- Familiarity with Oregon agriculture, particularly issues relevant to the Klamath Basin or similar production regions.
- Ability to learn and adapt to using multiple forms of digital communications tools and systems, including websites, email newsletters, social media, and other tools in a changing technological environment.
- Ability to incorporate multiple cultural perspectives in educational design and delivery.
Working Conditions/Work Schedule
Travel/driving is required to support Extension non-credit educational programming and services and stakeholder engagement throughout Klamath Basin and Southern Region, as necessary.
Benefits
Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
- Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
- Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
- Retirement savings paid by the university.
- A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
- Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
- Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
- Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical illness insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.
Oregon State University is deeply committed to the principles of a Health Promoting University.
2025 Best Place for Working Parents® Designation!
Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.
Due to funding, OSU will not sponsor immigration work authorization for this position (e.g., H-1B, etc.).
To review posting and apply, go to: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/179878. Apply to posting #P09904UF. For full consideration, applications must be received by 5/20/2026. Closes 6/3/2026. OSU is an EOE/Vets/Disabled.
