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This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 50% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 50% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) available in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida, based in Gainesville, FL. This assignment may be revised in accordance with the unit's needs. Tenure will accrue in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. The faculty member will seek contract and grant funding actively to support their program.
Expected Duties:
The successful candidate will develop a research and teaching program related to the chemistry of food and food ingredients. Appropriate research areas may include, but are not limited to, sustainable food ingredients, sensory, allergens, toxicology, plant-based food ingredients, chemistry of sustainably sourced food components (flavor, color, nutritive and bioactive compounds) which can promote health while ensuring a palatable food supply, microplastics, engineered nanoparticles, and PFASs in the food chain. Additionally, developing state-of-the-art physicochemical tools for the characterization of food components, extending shelf-life, and reducing food waste through mechanistic studies of chemical changes during food processing and storage are potential areas of research. Emphasis may be placed on designing next-generation food materials and structuring systems that minimize environmental impact while maintaining desirable functionality and sensory quality. Research may involve AI-augmented discovery and predictive modeling. The University of Florida is committed to integrating artificial intelligence across all academic disciplines to create an AI-enabled workforce and advance research
The candidate will be expected to develop and teach courses (in-person, hybrid, and/or online) related to food science, as well as at least one additional food chemistry course that benefits our undergraduate and graduate students. These are, but not limited to, Food Chemistry, Toxicology, Instrumental Analysis, and Flavor/Sensory Chemistry. Participation in other related courses is also expected. The candidate will be expected to develop an externally funded research program, advise undergraduate students, and mentor master’s and doctoral students. The Department’s Food Science curriculum is recognized by IFT for undergraduate education.
Service to the Department:
The candidate will be expected to participate in faculty meetings, committees, graduate seminar and related service work appropriate to faculty members. The successful candidate will actively participate in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising theses, dissertations, and undergraduate research, and publishing research results alongside students. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities related to the Land-Grant mission within their program area.
Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.
Background Information:
The Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, a large interdisciplinary unit within IFAS, comprises three distinct undergraduate programs: Food Science, Nutritional Sciences, and Dietetics. The Food Science program is an approved curriculum with the Institute of Food Technologists. Undergraduate student enrollment is approximately 550, including 72 Food Science students. The graduate program enrolls approximately 62 graduate students. Graduate-level programs are competitive and provide the opportunity for graduate student mentorship. Please consult the departmental webpage for additional information. The department’s 30 faculty members conduct research, teaching and extension programs in a broad range of areas, including food chemistry and processing, food safety and microbiology, sustainable food systems, phytochemical characterization, aquatic foods, fruit and juice processing, engineering modeling, micro- and macronutrient metabolism, as well as pre- and probiotics, nutritional immunology, and chronic disease prevention. The department has a strong interdisciplinary nature and there is great opportunity for unique collaborations, such as those established through the Center for Nutritional Sciences.
Within walking distance are superb opportunities to participate in translational research with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute and collaborate with faculty from the Colleges of Medicine, Health and Human Performance, Public Health, Pharmacy, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Agricultural and Life Sciences. The University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research provides research support laboratories for disciplines such as proteomics, genomics, and bioinformatics.
The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
