Extension Associate - New York Sea Grant / College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Cornell University
Deadline: Applications must be submitted by Monday, June 29, 2026
Location: Oswego, NY
The Great Lakes Tourism Specialist will serve as a primary resource for Great Lakes coastal recreation and tourism organizations, businesses, and local, county and state agencies on tourism and economics.
Position Function
Serve as a primary resource for Great Lakes coastal recreation and tourism organizations, businesses, and local, county and state agencies on tourism and economics. Provide extension programming related to the economic and social impacts, business development, promotion, and environmental management/policy issues associated with Great Lakes coastal recreation and tourism. Demonstrate the ability to self-motivate, work independently as well as a member of a team, and develop annual plans of work that include measurable outcomes. Develop extension, outreach, and educational materials and training programs to support a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable coastal recreation tourism industry, as well as inform a related research plan for New York State. Additionally, develop, implement, and evaluate a stakeholder engagement process for identifying the status, constraints, and opportunities for coastal recreation and tourism in New York’s Great Lakes region, which includes a newly designated National Marine Sanctuary.
Specific Program Development Responsibilities:
• Serve as a recognized subject matter specialist in the areas of water dependent business development, tourism/promotion, economics, and/or natural resource management and policy as it relates to water-dependent businesses, the marine trades industry, scenic byways and other coastal tourism attractions and facilities, recreation-related organizations, and government agencies, as well as adult education.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders (especially with the marine trades industry, tourism advisory councils, water-dependent businesses, etc.), community partners, and agencies to develop enduring and empowering relationships for productive dialogue around what constitutes sustainable Great Lakes recreation and tourism.
• Facilitate information exchange and collaboration among stakeholder groups to promote, diversify and/or strengthen nature-based/ecosystem, cultural, and heritage tourism efforts.
• Disseminate and translate science-based research generated about Great Lakes tourism and recreation to businesses, agencies, community members, recreationalists, and the public in various formats.
• Develop and implement an extension and outreach program and facilitate business development, organizational partnerships, science, and information management actions to provide science-based information to inform and support sustainable coastal recreation and tourism in New York’s Great Lakes.
• Engage stakeholders and shareholders in identifying priority research needs and preferred policies and management strategies for supporting sustainable coastal recreation and tourism in the region.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and resources to professional organizations, such as the marine trades industry, to increase their resilience to industry disturbances such as COVID-19, high and low water levels, ice fluctuations, seiches, and other coastal hazards.
• Collaborate with other universities, Sea Grant, and extension staff to stimulate educational resource program sharing in the field of economics related to Great Lakes recreation and tourism.
University and Extension Program Ties:
• Plan and conduct extension education programs related to recreation and tourism, economics, business development/retention and natural resource management and policy. Develop significant new subject matter materials such as curricula and extension education publications.
• Actively pursue outside grants and contracts to support this program area.
• Has subject matter responsibility for integrating Sea Grant Extension and University recreation and tourism economics, business development and natural resource management and policy programming initiatives in a statewide, regional, and/or national context.
• Collaborate within area of program expertise within New York Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and State and Local agencies.
Anticipated Division of Time
Program Implementation (40%)
• Programs are implemented using various educational tools such as publications, electronic technology, group experiences, mass media, individual advisement, websites, social media, etc.
• Engage stakeholders in various forums, including workshops, meetings, conferences, etc. When appropriate, support the development of new organizations and representative groups to articulate industry needs.
• Develop networks of volunteers and/or public/private professionals (experts) to assist in extension outreach program development.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders (especially water-dependent businesses, recreationists, tourism advisory councils, marine trades industry, etc.), community partners, and agencies to develop enduring and empowering relationships for productive dialog around sustainable recreation and tourism in the Great Lakes.
• Collaborate with other universities, Sea Grant, and extension staff to stimulate extension outreach resource program sharing in the field of coastal recreation and tourism economics.
Program Development (30%)
• Extension and outreach programming and tools are developed, implemented and evaluated based on the needs of clientele as identified, in part, through a Program Advisory Network whose members represent the interests served by the position.
• Serve as a recognized subject matter specialist in the areas of coastal recreation and tourism, economics, business development/retention and natural resource management and policy.
• Provide subject matter expertise and educational program support to elected officials, appointed representatives, executive-level agency administrators at local, state, and federal levels, and other decision-makers.
• Provide coastal recreation technical expertise and program support to an extensive and diverse variety of public and private stakeholders and decision-makers, including water-dependent businesses, marine trades industry, byways, state and county Cooperative Extension Services, state and regional groups, state and national natural resource management agency professionals, state and national environmental regulatory agency professionals, and the news media.
• Develop and implement an extension and outreach program, as well as facilitate organizational partnerships, science, monitoring, and information management actions to provide science-based information to inform and support sustainable recreation and tourism in the region.
• Develop/update a webpage on the New York Sea Grant website dedicated to coastal recreation and tourism with relevant business, economic and environmental information for New York’s Great Lakes.
• Disseminate and translate science-based research generated about recreation and tourism, including economics, to businesses, agencies, community members, and the public in various formats.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and resources to stakeholders to increase their individual and collective capacity to sustain practices that support sustainable coastal recreation and tourism.
Program Evaluation and Applied Research (10%)
• Collaborate on the design, execution, and analysis of extension/outreach program evaluations. At least one program evaluation is performed annually to assess benefits and identify avenues for program improvement. The results of such program evaluations are summarized in a written narrative that communicates findings and recommendations to regional and county extension educators, program advisory committees, lay leaders, industry representatives, and university faculty.
• Plan and conduct applied economics, business development, marketing/promotion, social science, and/or natural resource management and policy research in support of extension education programs in coastal recreation and tourism and may develop significant new subject matter materials such as curriculums and extension education publications.
Grant Management (10%)
• Assist with the pursuit of outside grants and contracts to support the program area.
• Act as key personnel for grants secured.
Staff Development and Professional Improvement (10%)
• May design and teach regional in-service education programs to support the efforts of regional and county extension educators, Sea Grant specialists, volunteers, DEC state agency personnel, and industry leaders in coastal recreation and tourism economics.
• May occasionally collaborate with university departments and other state Sea Grant programs in planning and conducting extension staff development activities.
• Keeps current in their area of professional expertise.
• Professional growth is demonstrated in developing and fulfilling professional improvement plans filed with Sea Grant Extension program leadership.
Requirements:
Required
• Master’s degree in tourism, natural resource management, business management, economics, environmental economics, ecological economics, socioeconomics, marketing, promotion, communication, or other related fields.
• 2+ years of experience working with outreach or similar public education programs.
• Knowledge of principles, theory, research, extension methods, and educational materials in the subject matter field.
• Coursework in environmental or natural resource economics.
• Advanced computer skills and the ability to use virtual and long-distance education technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop adult education programs.
• Effectively participate in professional team efforts.
• Relate effectively to co-workers, advisors, stakeholders (e.g., water-dependent businesses, recreational users, tourism advisory councils, etc.), community and professional leaders, and targeted audiences.
• Communicate effectively through oral, written, and visual channels.
• Ability to work effectively independently or within groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the position and have reliable transportation as well as have and maintain a valid and unrestricted New York State driver’s license. All employees must register with Agile/Fleet Commander.
Preferred
• Experience using long-distance education technologies in extension or outreach.
• Experience in applying for external resources to support applied research and outreach programming.
• Experience bringing successful educational programs to underserved or marginalized communities.
• Experience in human dimension research.
• Experience conducting economic research.
Reporting Relationships
The Extension Associate reports to a Great Lakes Regional Extension Leader. Direction is established through Program Advisory Networks, university faculty, and organizational leadership of the Sea Grant Extension Program. This position will primarily reside in Oswego, New York.
To apply:
Please apply via Academic Jobs Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs).
Qualified candidates should submit a short cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references via the website.
Applications will be reviewed as received, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified.
CALS hiring range for this title is $80,000.
Who We Are:
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world’s complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.
Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League and Land-grant [https://landgrant.cornell.edu/]university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.
Cornell’s regional and global presence includes state-wide Cornell Cooperative Extension programs and offices in all counties and boroughs, global partnerships with institutions and communities engaged in life-changing research and education, the medical college’s campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.
With a founding principle of “any person, any study,” Cornell is an equal opportunity employer.