Lecturer in Systems Thinking for the Future of Agriculture

Lecturer in Systems Thinking for the Future of Agriculture

• Education

Institutional Mission: The School for Field Studies (SFS) creates transformative study abroad experiences through field-based learning and research. Our educational programs explore the human and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental problems faced by our local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where we live and work. The SFS community is part of a growing network of individuals and institutions committed to environmental stewardship.

Position:

Lecturer in Systems Thinking for the Future of Agriculture

Reports To:

Dean, Office of Academic Affairs

Location: Greve, Italy, SFS Center for Sustainable Food Systems

Start Date: Anticipated travel and arrival to the Center for Sustainable Food Systems are scheduled for November 2026. The selected candidate will participate in required virtual and on‑site trainings. Dates will be determined and agreed upon with the Center Director and Dean.

Compensation: Salary is dependent on experience and qualifications.

Position Summary: The SFS Center for Sustainable Food Systems, located in Greve, Italy seeks an enthusiastic, team-oriented individual to serve as part of a team of faculty and staff that delivers an interdisciplinary, hands‑on learning experience to students spending a semester in Italy. On a full‑time contract basis, the Lecturer in Systems Thinking for the Future of Agriculture will deliver the 50-hour Systems Thinking for the Future of Agriculture course during the fall and spring semesters. Additionally, during fall and spring, they will co‑teach the 50-hour Directed Research course with other faculty members, leading a faculty‑developed directed research project with a small group of students. This position will engage students in a classroom setting, but also through extensive time spent in the field. We encourage faculty to integrate as much fieldwork and hands‑on experience into their courses as possible. Faculty are also integral members of the Center’s communal living model, eating and working with the student cohort. SFS programs require flexibility in working hours to accommodate different aspects of the academic program.

Additional responsibilities outside of teaching may include giving a cookery class to the students as part of the culture program, joining group lunches and weekly dinners and helping with the cooking during self‑catered field trips, participation in community engagement days, involvement in student life, organization of laboratory space, and general Center upkeep. We are especially interested in candidates with experience teaching to a diverse student body, and demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in a learning environment, conservation, and the Center’s host community.

Center Focus

Our research at the SFS Center for Sustainable Food Systems analyzes the integration of environmental, sociocultural, and economic dimensions of food systems to achieve sustainability in different agroecological contexts. Conservation of wild ecosystems and/or agrobiodiversity is addressed in all research projects, which follow an interdisciplinary approach incorporating both natural and social sciences. Field research is carried out on vegetable and cereal cultivation, sheep, goat, and cattle rearing, artisanal fisheries in Sicily, vineyards and olive groves, and in multi‑use agroforestry operations, conservation activities with National and Regional parks. At the end of the semester program, students will present their research findings and experience to the local community, government, and key stakeholders from the program.

SFS Position on Diversity and Inclusion

SFS was founded with the belief that stewardship of our planet is the responsibility of people all around the world. Addressing complex global issues requires the active inclusion of stakeholders with varying perspectives and identities. We recognize that to successfully address threats to our natural world, we must look beyond social constructs designed to divide us. Just as we value biodiversity in all its forms, we value and engage with a multitude of diverse perspectives and people in the countries where we work and the students and staff we serve.

Duties and Responsibilities

Teaching

• As part of an interdisciplinary teaching team, teach and co‑teach the Systems Thinking for the Future of Agriculture and Directed Research courses, respectively. Course descriptions are found below.
• Plan, revise, and effectively deliver a challenging, problem‑based interdisciplinary curriculum to learners from diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds.
• Organize lectures, prepare course materials, and adhere to a daily academic schedule in