The University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC) is an internationally known hub of basic and applied research, demonstration, and education that supports the maple industry.
UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Plant Biology are currently searching to hire a scientific director for PMRC, at the rank of associate or full professor, to guide the Center’s research direction. They seek an innovative and experienced researcher with a nationally or internationally recognized research program, grounded in the basic science of tree biology, with clear potential for translational application to maple health, sap, and/or syrup production.
Established in 1946, PMRC is a field station with modern laboratory facilities, a state-of-the-art sugarhouse, and surrounded by two major stands of sugarwoods at the base of Vermont’s tallest mountain. For over 75 years, scientists and specialists have contributed practical and scholarly knowledge in areas such as tree biology, tap, tubing and evaporator technology, sap yield influences, equipment sanitation, sugarbush management, and the effects of climate change.
In a new world of climate change, PMRC researchers are studying how it will challenge the maple industry. UVM Extension Maple Specialist Mark Isselhardt understands that maple syrup has never been a predictable crop, but sugarmakers are looking into new ways to continue sap collection and syrup production in the face of a warmer and wetter future. Isselhardt, who is based at PMRC, was interviewed for UVM Today about factors that will affect the long-term sustainability of maple.
Isselhardt’s interview is an example of PMRC’s reputation as a sought-after authority on cutting-edge maple research and its practical applications.
To learn more about the PMRC scientific director position and to apply, please visit the UVM jobs website at https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/70414