
The Food Science and Nutrition Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, is seeking a full-time, academic year, tenure‐track Assistant or Associate Professor of Nutritional Science starting September 14, 2023. Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Candidates must have a strong interest in and commitment to teaching and working with students of diverse cultural backgrounds. Their primary teaching contribution will be in Nutrition courses for Nutrition majors. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching, and effective communication and interpersonal skills. In addition, candidates should be able to provide opportunities for learn by doing experiences and undergraduate research. The incumbent will be expected to participate in the Master of Science in Nutrition program, supervise graduate students, team-teach, and teach graduate-level and online courses. Candidates will be considered in the context of their interest and potential to contribute to the Food Science and Nutrition Department Mission and Program Educational Outcomes.
The incumbent will be expected to conduct research focused on the impact of nutrition on human metabolism. Research interests may include Cardiovascular Disease, Nutrition-related Immunology, Personalized Nutrition, Nutrient-regulated gene expression or other relevant themes using a variety of models. The incumbent should have experience with state-of-the-art techniques/methods such as: metabolomics; proteomics; microbiome analysis; epigenetics; lipoprotein analysis; flow cytometry; etc. They will be expected to develop a successful research program, obtain external funding, publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals, present research at conferences, and supervise/mentor graduate students. Assigned time (25% reduction in teaching assignment) will be provided during the first two years of the appointment towards class preparation and development of research/scholarly activities. The University and the San Luis Obispo region offer many opportunities for research, including potential collaborations with Cal Poly researchers, the Cal Poly Center for Health Research, local healthcare organizations, and other entities.
Cal Poly's focus is on undergraduate teaching with an expectation of engaging in research and scholarly activities and service. The incumbent will be expected to contribute to department, college, and university service activities. They will also participate in service to the undergraduate and graduate programs, e.g., curriculum planning, development, and assessment, and active involvement in the MS Nutrition Graduate Group. Expectations also include service to professional organizations. The ability to be a collaborative team player and to interact well with peers, students, industries, government agencies, and the public is essential.
Grade and salary commensurate with education and experience of the individual selected. Anticipated hiring ranges:
Assistant Professor: $82,000-$90,000
Associate: $90,504-$99,000
At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees, and our community. Bringing people together from different backgrounds, experiences, and value systems fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly’s values of free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility. Cal Poly's commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Doctorate degree in Nutrition or Nutritional Sciences or closely related field
- Demonstrated experience and commitment to and evidence of quality, student-centered learning and teaching
- Evidence of potential to develop a successful academic research program at Cal Poly, including external funding, and publications
- Demonstrated ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings
- Engagement with peers, students, industry, government agencies, California industry and the general public
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, with proficiency in the use of the English language
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching, research, and/or service
PREFERED QUALIFICATIONS
- Post-doctoral research experience in research related to nutritional sciences
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals as lead or corresponding author
- Record of excellence in teaching and research
- Successful acquisition of grant funding as PI or Co-PI for university research
Preference will be given to those with experience in working with diverse populations and fostering a collaborative, supportive and inclusive environment. Preference will also be given to those with relevant work experience and those who bring professional capabilities.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
Following a conditional offer of employment, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate may start work with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may result in the withdrawal of the offer of employment. Note: Cal Poly cannot deny an applicant a position solely or in part due to a criminal conviction history until it has performed an individualized assessment and linked the relevant conviction history with specific job duties in the position being sought.
Please note: Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Sensitive positions are those requiring heightened scrutiny of individuals holding the position based on potential for harm to children, concerns for the safety and security of people, animals, or property, or heightened risk of financial loss to Cal Poly or individuals in the university community.
For health and well-being, Cal Poly is a smoke & tobacco-free campus. The university is committed to promoting a healthy environment for all members of our community.
CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so. Any candidates advanced in a search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at CSU Vaccination Policy and questions may be sent to academicpersonnel@calpoly.edu.
In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California. It is also expected that faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Food Science and Nutrition Department has 12 full-time faculty, numerous part-time faculty, support staff, and approximately 600 majors. FSN offers two majors - Nutrition and Food Science. The department hosts a dynamic and innovative Nutrition program that encourages national as well as international perspectives on teaching and research. The Nutrition curriculum includes two concentrations: Applied Nutrition and Nutrition Science.
The Applied Nutrition concentration is accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Nutrition Science concentration prepares students for graduate programs and a variety of health professions including nursing, Physician Assistant programs, medical school, dentistry careers and others. The Food Science program offers an Institute of Food Technologists-approved curriculum and a Research Chef Association-approved curriculum. The department offers two graduate programs including a Master of Science in Nutrition and Master of Science in Food Science as well as a Dietetic Internship program.
The FSN department will have 6 new laboratories in the Boswell Ag Tech Center, a centerpiece of Cal Poly’s new $125 million William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation building, which will enable research and discovery to train tomorrow’s leaders in agriculture and food innovation (https://cafesbuilds.calpoly.edu/boswell-ag-tech-center/). The Cal Poly Metabolomics Service Center (https://www.metabolomics.cafes.calpoly.edu) will move to the new Boswell Ag Tech Center. Faculty will continue to have access to the instrumentation and a full-time mass spectrometer-specialist technician for use of the Cal Poly Metabolomics Service Center to support a variety of research efforts involving small molecule analysis, including metabolomics.
HOW TO APPLY
Review begin date March 30, 2023. Applicants are encouraged to submit materials by March 30, 2023 for full consideration; however applications received after this date may be considered. Interested candidates must attach (1) a cover letter addressing how the candidate meet the required and preferred qualifications; (2) resume/curriculum vitae; (3) unofficial transcripts of the highest degree; (4) statement of teaching philosophy; (5) goals and plans for research; (6) a statement describing the candidate’s experience(s) with diversity, equity, and inclusion and how their experiences have prepared them to advance Cal Poly’s commitment to inclusive excellence (https://diversity.calpoly.edu/inclusive-excellence); (7) at least three professional references with names and email addresses when completing the online faculty application. The selected candidate will be required to provide sealed official transcripts prior to appointment for final consideration.
Inquiries can be directed to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Scott Reaves sreaves@calpoly.edu.