The Ada Hayden Herbarium (ISC-IA-ISTC) houses around 710,000 specimens, including the University of Iowa Herbarium (IA - transferred in 2004) and the University of Northern Iowa Herbarium (ISTC - transferred in 2023). ISC was founded in 1870 by Charles Bessey, and ISC-IA-ISTC now ranks within the top 12 in size among university herbaria in the United States. The general collection includes angiosperms, gymnosperms, pteridophytes, bryophytes, lichens, algae, fungi, and myxomycetes. Its holdings also include the Charles Christopher Parry Collection of 19th century western US and Mexican specimens. Virtually all of Iowa's estimated 2000 species of ferns, conifers, and flowering plants are included in ISC-IA-ISTC. The large holdings of grasses of the Western Hemisphere comprise one of the premier university collections in the United States. The herbarium also holds significant collections of legumes, cottons and fungi.
Duties:
Curate and manage the Ada Hayden Herbarium (ISC)
Supervise students and volunteers
Manage incoming and outgoing loans
Continue specimen digitization efforts
Maintain current knowledge of plant classification and nomenclature
Seek external funding to support herbarium infrastructure and specimen-based research
Manage the herbarium budget
Identify plants and answer questions relating to the Iowa flora
Provide outreach about the herbarium, its mission and history, and specimen-based research to a broad range of audiences including the general public
Provide herbarium access for users and other visitors, especially for tours and educational purposes (e.g., high impact experiences for undergraduates)
Conduct original research, including work relating to the Iowa flora
Provide research support to faculty, staff and students on campus
Contribute to department and professional service
Required Qualifications:
• Master’s degree and 5 years of related experience
Preferred Qualifications:
M.S./M.A. in botany or a closely related discipline including coursework in plant taxonomy/systematics and floristics
Minimum of 5 years of herbarium curatorial experience, including experience working with students or volunteers
Expertise in modern herbarium curatorial best practices (including archival preservation methods), specimen digitization (including working with collections database management software), and plant sample collection
Experience providing plant- and specimen-based outreach to a broad range of audiences including the general public
Experience writing successful grant proposals to support herbarium infrastructure or plant-related research
Publication record of plant-related research
Application Instructions:
To apply, please visit the ISU Jobs Portal at this link: https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJobs/job/Ames-IA/Curator-III_R15153, click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to upload or attach the following:
• Curriculum vitae/resume
• Cover letter
• List of 3 references (contact information only)
If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485. If you have questions about the position, please contact Deb Lewis at dlewis@iastate.edu or Lynn Clark at lgclark@iastate.edu.