Assistant/Associate Professor of Community and Lifespan Nutrition

The Food Science and Nutrition Department in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is seeking a full-time, academic year, tenure-track assistant/associate professor in Community and Lifespan Nutrition starting September 12, 2022. Candidates with practitioner, industry, or other professional experience are encouraged to apply. 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. The candidate’s primary teaching contribution will be in Community Nutrition, Nutrition in Aging, Maternal and Child Nutrition, Critical Evaluation of Nutrition Research, Writing in Nutrition Science, Introduction to Nutrition, and other undergraduate and graduate courses as needed by the department. Additional responsibilities will include advising of undergraduate (e.g., senior thesis) and graduate students, team teaching assignments, and teaching synchronous and asynchronous online courses. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching, and effective communication and interpersonal skills. In addition, candidates should be able to provide practical experience and individualized student learning opportunities such as student internships and undergraduate research.

The successful candidate is expected to conduct research on nutrition related to community and global health and wellbeing, lifespan/life course nutrition, food security, or other relevant themes. The candidate is expected to develop a research program, obtain external funding, publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals, present research at conferences, and supervise/mentor graduate students. Assigned time 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 community-based research and activities, including potential collaborations with researchers at the Cal Poly Center for Health Research, local healthcare organizations, and non-profit organizations.

The candidate is expected as part of their appointment to contribute to department, college, and university service activities. The candidate will also participate in service to the undergraduate and graduate programs, e.g., curriculum development; planning; and active involvement in the MS Nutrition Graduate Group. Expectations also include service to professional organizations. The ability to be a productive, collegial team player and to interact well with peers, students, industries, government agencies, and the general public is essential.

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

Earned doctoral degree in Nutrition, Public Health or closely related field, with emphasis on community, public, global health, or lifespan/life course issues.

Candidates must be committed to quality undergraduate education and are expected to develop and maintain an active research program that involves undergraduate and graduate students.

Evidence of successful academic research, external funding, and publication history in relevant disciplines or potential to develop a research program.

Demonstrated experience and commitment to student-centered learning and teaching, as well as the ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings is required. Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral use of the English language is required.

Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Demonstrated experience and commitment to student-centered learning and teaching, as well as the ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings is required.

Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral use of the English language is required. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preference will be given to candidates with:

University-level teaching experience in relevant coursework

Practitioner, industry, or other relevant professional experience

RD/RDN credential

Experience working with diverse populations and fostering a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive environment

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 https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/" href="https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/">CSU Vaccination Policy and questions may be sent to academicpersonnel@calpoly.edu.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Food Science and Nutrition Department has 13 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 Food Science program offers an Institute of Food Technologists-approved curriculum and a Research Chef Association approved curriculum. 

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

The College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences is the fifth-largest public college of agriculture in the United States, with over 4,100 undergraduate students, 184 full time faculty and staff, 15 majors, and five graduate programs.  We have a very strong faculty and an accomplished student body with an incoming high school GPA of 4.0, a large university farm (over 10,000 acres of cropland, pasture, and forest, with student-run enterprises in dairy, beef cattle, poultry, sheep, horses, organic and conventional crops, and a food science pilot plant, the new Oppenheimer Family Equine Center, a commercial winery in the Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture, under construction, and many other facilities), several research centers, and the Learn By Doing ethos that is central to Cal Poly’s mission.  See https://cafes.calpoly.edu for more information about CAFES.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1901, Cal Poly is one of only five comprehensive polytechnic universities in the nation, with approximately 22,000 undergraduates, 120 postbaccalaureate, and 900 graduate students. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Cal Poly #1 among public master's universities in the western United States for 25 consecutive years. A primarily undergraduate university, Cal Poly offers academically focused students 66 baccalaureate degrees and 27 master's degrees. Operating on the quarter calendar system, Cal Poly takes pride in its "Learn-by-Doing" approach to teaching and learning, which has characterized Cal Poly since its founding. One of the 23 campuses of the California State University system, Cal Poly has a statewide mandate as a polytechnic university. Cal Poly is one of the largest land-holding universities in the nation and uses all of its land holdings in active support of its educational programs. Cal Poly is located in historic San Luis Obispo, a city of 47,500, 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's scenic Central Coast. With excellent public education resources, recreational facilities and an expanding dedication to the arts, the area is known for its scenic landscapes and extraordinarily temperate climate.

HOW TO APPLY

Review begin date January 7, 2022. Applicants are encouraged to submit materials by January 7, 2022 for full consideration; however, applications received after this date may be considered. Interested candidates must attach (1) a cover letter, (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), and (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. If you have any questions, please reach out to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Aydin Nazmi at nazmi@calpoly.edu