This is a tenure-eligible faculty position in the Department of Veterinary Science at the University of Kentucky, with a 12-month appointment in the Special Title Series. The Department’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center has considerable expertise and an established national and international reputation in conducting and communicating research that benefits the health and welfare of the horse.

 

The appointee will be responsible to the Chair of the Department of Veterinary Science. The initial appointment will be at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank depending on qualifications, with an anticipated distribution of effort of 9.9% research, 9.9% teaching, and 80.2% service. The position appointee is expected to focus on outreach efforts to serve as our primary liaison to the local, state, national, and international equine industry and work with equine veterinarians as well as state and federal veterinarians.

 

This colleague will develop a research/outreach program that communicates our research and works with equine scientists in the department and college, faculty at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and regional/national equine stakeholders to enhance collaborative research and diagnostic efforts addressing ongoing veterinary issues. As a member of the Graduate Faculty, the appointee will be expected to participate in the education and mentoring of graduate students and post-doctoral scholars/fellows. This faculty member will also be expected to participate in undergraduate course(s) and teaching priorities in the Equine Science and Management and/or Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology degree programs.

Duties of the Position: The faculty person appointed to this position will be expected to:

1. Work with faculty and stakeholders to identify new opportunities for research and diagnostics in an area relevant to the horse that leverages current scientific expertise and scientific strategies with the needs of the industry.
2. Provide support and information to veterinarians dealing with health issues in their clients’ equids, recruiting and reaching out to colleagues where additional expertise is required. Maintaining open lines of communication when called to help with patient, farm, industry, scientific, clinical or other veterinary concerns to keep veterinarians and farm personnel abreast of discussions.
3. Communicate knowledge to horse owners and related stakeholders through respected equine industry publications, conference events, and direct consultations. Organize regular outreach events to include seminar series, meetings, and other events that inform stakeholders of ongoing research activities.
4. Contribute to ongoing academic programs in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment by contributing to equine-related courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
5. Participate in various committees at the department, college, and university level, including graduate student committees and national organizations for equine veterinarians.

Required qualifications: The successful candidate for the position shall have the following academic/professional qualifications:

1. DVM degree (or equivalent) and an advanced research degree (Ph.D.) in an equine- related scientific discipline.
2. Five or more years of clinical, equine experience.
3. Excellent written and oral communication skills, especially in terms of outreach and educational efforts, are required.
4. Academically qualified for appointment to the rank of assistant/associate professor in the Special Title Series.
5. Demonstrated potential to be involved in training of undergraduate and/or graduate students.
6. Demonstrated potential to interact with industry stakeholders.

Preferred qualifications:

Specialist training pertinent to the service component of this position as evidenced by residency training and subsequent Board certification through an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization. For example, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, American College of Veterinary Surgery, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

Criteria for Promotion: Appointment to the position will be at the rank of Assistant/Associate Professor based on the candidate’s experience and performance in the position in the areas of (i) outreach, (ii) research, (iii) mentoring of graduate and postdoctoral students, (iv) undergraduate instruction, (v) University and public/professional service, and (vi) attainment of professional status and peer recognition. Assessment of the candidate’s level of performance in each of these areas will be made by peer evaluation in proportion to the Distribution of Effort and the department’s statement on evidences. The dossier will include materials from internal faculty, external referees identified by the candidate, as well as independent of the candidate.

 

Evaluation of a candidate’s performance relative to original and productive research related to equine veterinary outreach/extension will be based upon (i) significance of the body of research published by the candidate in refereed journals, books, conference proceedings, reports, etc.; (ii) documenting the impact and role in assisting veterinarians and industry stakeholders with issues and educational gaps in knowledge; (iii) impact of the candidate’s research on advancing our understanding and/or resolution of a major scientific problem in the field of specialization; and (iv) success of the candidate in obtaining nationally competitive or other extramural funding in support of his/her research program.

 

Specific criteria for evaluating performance in student and postdoctoral training activities include (i) mentoring of graduate students and/or postdoctoral scholars; (ii) successful guidance of graduate students to their terminal degrees; (iii) serving on student advisory committees; and

(iv) subsequent professional accomplishments of graduate students or postdoctoral scholars whose training was supervised by the candidate. Specific criteria for evaluation of undergraduate instruction will include student and peer evaluation of lecture and laboratory teaching.

Criteria for evaluating the candidate’s contribution to University and public/professional service may include (i) extent and effectiveness of service on departmental, college or university committees, panels, forums, boards, etc.; (ii) public service involving professional activities that emanate from the special competence of the individual in his/her area of expertise; (iii) participation and leadership in professional societies, specialty-organizations, review panels, scientific conferences, etc.; and (iv) review of journal manuscripts, grant applications, etc. For those faculty with extension appointments, most forms of information delivery, including educational meetings, workshops, field days, even individual responses and contacts, are considered evidence of activity. An expanded statement of expectations/evidences will be provided prior to an offer being extended to the preferred colleague.

 

Application Process: Along with the application, applicants must submit a letter of interest, current curriculum vitae, and the names/contact information of three individuals who can serve as professional references when prompted.

 

Applications will be reviewed beginning October 1, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Anticipated start date is January 1, 2026. Interested applicants may contact Dr. Michelle Arnold for questions at michelle.arnold@uky.edu.

 

Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with comprehensive rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits.