What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Extension Specialist position at Oklahoma State University?
This career-track position will focus on community, homeowner, and commercial horticulture Extension programming and will provide direct assistance to agriculture and natural resources Extension educators throughout Oklahoma. This position will provide horticultural programming and assistance to Extension educators who serve all 77 Oklahoma counties. This position will develop an innovative OSU Extension volunteer horticulture information center / program to effectively respond to calls, emails, social media and internet-based inquiries, and “ask Extension” inquiries related to all horticultural topics. The horticulture information center / program will provide unbiased, research-based information related to consumer horticulture topics and inquiries. Collaboration with Master Gardener personnel and volunteers will be important. In summary, this position will work to develop an OSU Extension horticulture information center / program to effectively respond to routine consumer horticulture inquiries, assist county Extension educators with horticulture related topics, and provide consumer horticulture in-service education and training for county Extension educators.
The candidate will be expected to develop and document scholarship related to the outcomes and impacts of their Extension program. They will be expected to develop and disseminate OSU Extension resources, including peer-reviewed Extension publications. The candidate will update, revise or create OSU Extension fact sheets and revise Extension educator handbook sections pertaining to consumer horticulture. The candidate will provide expertise to county Extension educators and the public via phone calls, emails, letters, virtual and in-person, plus join county Extension educators with site visits as needed. The candidate will assist with coordination of consumer horticulture workshops and / or field days. The candidate will assist with developing independent segments and will appear as a guest on the Oklahoma Gardening television show covering consumer horticulture topics. The candidate will write articles for the monthly Horticulture Tips email newsletter and will deliver in-service horticulture Extension training. Creative use of tools such as artificial intelligence and social media are encouraged.
The successful candidate will contribute to the OSU community through service opportunities, such as periodically serving on Department, Division, and / or University committees. The candidate will work cooperatively with OSU faculty and staff and serve as a member of the OSU consumer horticulture team. Regular engagement in professional development opportunities and activities will be expected as well as completion of all required Departmental, Division, and / or University level required annual trainings. Within six months of hire, the candidate will be expected to obtain the state pesticide applicator certification in category 10 (Demonstration and Research). This will allow the candidate to work with Extension educators and the public to teach proper pesticide selection, handling, mixing, loading, use, as well as proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
