Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is seeking applicants for a tenure track faculty position in Sustainable Food Ingredient Technology located in the Department of Food Science and Technology (FST).
Responsibilities: This is a 9-month tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor with responsibilities in research and teaching (70% research, 30% teaching). The successful candidate will be expected to develop a strong research and teaching program focused on sustainable food ingredient technology, including protein, starch, lipids, and other ingredients. Applicants with a research focus on plant proteins or other plant-based ingredients are especially encouraged to apply. The department currently has strengths in food microbiology, food processing/engineering and food chemistry. This position would amplify our current expertise to enhance focus on ingredient technology, functionality and strive to add value to and increase sustainability of the global food system.
The position will contribute to the college strategic plan in all CALS strengths, includingeconomy, environment, food and health. This position is well suited to collaborate within FST and extensively across CALS,especially with Biosystems Engineering (BSE), the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES) and in the the University (through Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering). The incumbent could collaborate with the Virginia Tech Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (ARECs) across the state and serve as a member of the VT Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture (CAIA) on missions related to providing technological solutions to increase production efficiencies, bioactive ingredient incorporation into food matrices; and encourage sustainable practices.
The individual will develop a nationally and internationally recognized, extramurally funded research program with an emphasis in development and application of novel and sustainable food ingredient technologies in food systems, potentially focused on improving nutritive value of foods and/or development of novel protein sources. Areas of expertise may include, but are not limited to: novel and sustainable food ingredient applications, development of novel and sustainable food ingredients from agricultural and other sources, process engineering approaches to sustainable food ingredient production. Approaches rooted in various disciplines such as food processing, food chemistry, biochemistry, industrial microbiology and biotechnology, and separations science and engineering and other novel perspectives are welcome to apply. The individual is also expected to develop and sustain relationships with industry leaders in sustainable and novel food ingredient development and application.
The individual is expected to develop and teach an undergraduate sustainable food technology course and to contribute to teaching in other ways as appropriate. The individual will mentor graduate (M.S. and Ph.D.) and undergraduate students and will be expected to serve on department, college and university committees, as well as appropriate professional organizations.
Required Qualifications: 1) a Ph.D. in food science & technology, food engineering, agricultural and biological engineering, plant chemistry or biochemistry, or other related discipline; 2) excellent oral and written communication skills; 3) demonstrated ability to develop and conduct scholarly research; 4) demonstrated ability for teaching in a classroom setting and commitment to quality student education; 5) strong commitment to create an environment that fosters diversity and inclusion.
Preferred qualifications: 1) demonstrated ability to write competitive research proposals, 2) post-doctoral or industry research experience, 3) demonstrated ability to develop and sustain relationships with industry partners, 4) familiarity with food ingredient and food product regulations, and 5) expertise in ingredient science, intermolecular food systems and properties of food.
