Postdoctoral Associate Food Science

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is Cornell University’s second largest college. The Dillon Lab explores the role of animal‑source foods in sustainable food systems, and seeks to understand how system structure mediates sustainability outcomes from management change or policy implementation. Our applied work consists of modeling and field‑based collaborations with transdisciplinary teams to quantify synergies and tradeoffs between environmental impacts, ecosystem services, and the social and economic dimensions of food systems.

Position Function

We are seeking a highly motivated and collaborative Postdoctoral Associate with expertise in livestock systems, quantitative modeling, and environmental impacts. This position will support ongoing modeling efforts to evaluate the impact of public food purchasing policy and changes in farm management on the environmental impact of livestock systems. The successful candidate will be an integral part of a multidisciplinary team. They will contribute to a spatialized, dynamic life cycle assessment of ruminant production systems in the Northeast U.S. using integrated assessment models, and to the completion of a beef life cycle assessment for the City Food Policy Project.

Additionally, the candidate will improve animal growth and performance predictions for grazing livestock by mechanistic nutrition models.

• Conduct spatially explicit environmental impact assessments of livestock production at regional, national, and international scales.
• Contribute to life cycle assessments of animal‑source foods produced in New York State and the broader Northeast and mid‑Atlantic regions.
• Support evaluation of social, environmental, and economic tradeoffs associated with livestock production under varying policy and market scenarios.
• Support comparative evaluation of livestock nutrition and performance models for grazing beef and dairy systems.
• Integrate biophysical and environmental models into broader food systems modeling frameworks.
• Contribute to peer‑reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, and presentations.

• Research – 90%
• Mentoring – 10%

• PhD in Animal Science, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency with quantitative systems modeling (e.g., mechanistic, process‑based, dynamic, and/or life cycle approaches).
• Expertise in management of livestock production systems and the associated environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on air and water quality).
• Interest in spatially explicit environmental impact assessments at regional and local scales.
• Proficiency in R, Python, or other relevant programming languages.
• Record of peer‑reviewed publications.
• Must have and maintain a valid and unrestricted NYS Driver’s License and be cleared to drive for university business with the ability to register with Agile/Fleet Commander.

• Competence with life cycle assessment methods and software, including uncertainty methods, spatialized approaches, and integration with dynamic modeling frameworks.
• Experience applying or developing mechanistic animal models, and/or whole farm models with explicit modeling of soil processes and plant growth.
• Familiarity with system dynamics and agent‑based modeling approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical findings to both scientific and applied audiences.
• Proven success mentoring undergraduate or graduate students.
• Record of collaboration in multidisciplinary research teams, especially using participatory modeling approaches.
• Prior postdoctoral research experience.
• Willingness to support administrative functions associated with…