Assistant Professor in Native American Nutrition & Food Systems

About the Job

Assistant Professor in Native American Nutrition & Food Systems

Please note:

This position will not include H1B sponsor ships.

Position:

The University of Minnesota invites applications for a 9-month faculty position in Native American Nutrition and Food Systems at the Assistant Professor level in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences. The appointment will typically consist of 50% research and 50% teaching, but appointment percentages may vary depending on the qualifications and seniority of the appointee.

Description:

This position will be a nine-month, tenure-track appointment involving research and teaching that supports the mission of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. The appointee is expected to develop a strong extramurally funded research program that investigates the relationship between diet, lifestyle and health of Native American individuals, urban and/or tribal communities. The research program should be representative of the diversity of tribal communities in Minnesota.

Expectations include leadership in organizing nutrition and food-related scholarly and community events, such as the Native American Nutrition Conference. The appointee is expected to develop and maintain strong and respectful relationships with tribal communities and develop collaborations with other investigators within the Department, the College, and the University, such as the Academic Health Center, the Extension Department for Family, Health and Well-being, and the School of Public Health.

The appointee will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in nutrition, food systems, and related areas. Advising will include undergraduate, M.S., MPS and Ph.D. students.

Qualifications

Required:

* Earned doctorate in nutrition, food science, food systems, public health or a related field, with training and experience in community-based participatory research in nutrition, public health, or food systems

* Demonstrated experience working closely with Native American and/or Alaska Natives on issues related to nutrition, public health, and the food system; strong motivation to build a research program with Minnesota tribal communities

* Published research in peer reviewed scholarly journals on the topic of Native American nutrition and food systems; and strong communication and interpersonal skills

Preferred:

* Post-doctoral research experience related to Native American nutrition and food systems; understanding of Native American research and evaluation methods and the importance of culture to these efforts

* Evidence of ability to acquire extramural funding including experience in grant writing and managing grants

* Evidence of strong research and administration skills and ability to work independently and in collaboration with interdisciplinary team members; experience with mentorship of students

* Potential for effective classroom teaching of appropriate nutrition, food science and/or food systems courses

About the Department

Department of Food Science and Nutrition:
The Department of Food Science and Nutrition creates and shares knowledge to ensure a safe, healthy, and appealing food supply that supports the well-being and prosperity of people and the environment. The Department creates an environment welcoming of all cultural backgrounds and fosters an organizational culture of collaboration, innovation, entrepreneurship, and shared leadership. As food, health, and well-being have a central place in all communities, we hold ourselves accountable to creating an academic environment that both reflects and contributes to our 21st-century pluralistic society.

In accordance with our history as a 1862 land-grant university, we continue to create an environment of teaching, research, and outreach that serves all communities and stakeholders with respect and dignity.

The integration of food science and nutrition provides an exceptional opportunity for the Department to capitalize on the intersection of the areas of health, food culture, dietary habits, food experience, and food production. The Department plays a unique and important role in training professionals and providing services in the fields of food science, nutrition, and dietetics. Faculty members in the Department are nationally and internationally recognized scholars in a wide range of nutrition and food science areas, including food safety and microbiology, food chemistry, sensory evaluation, food processing, nutrition and health, diet-based disease prevention, and community nutrition.

The Department employs 21 tenure/tenure track faculty members and about 30 professional staff members. Current enrollments include over 270 undergraduate majors and around 100 masters and doctoral students from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Undergraduate programs include an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and an IFT-approved food science program. The department hosts an…