Assistant Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in the Department of Animal & Veterinary Sciences (AVS) at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in Fall 2022.  Candidates with Animal Science backgrounds and specialization in biotechnology are especially encouraged to apply. Cal Poly Pomona is one of two polytechnic universities in the 23-campus California State University system and among 11 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students have participated in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn-by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.

 

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

 

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 15 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility, and was placed by Diverse Issues in Higher Education among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students.  

 

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains, and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, recreation and resources, please see YourLife@CPP.

 

Student Population.  California residents comprise the majority (96%) of applicants to undergraduate programs at Cal Poly Pomona – nearly half (49%) of new students were transfers in Fall 2020.  A majority (58%) of Cal Poly Pomona students are first generation, 70% receive financial aid, and 44% qualify as Pell-eligible.  The university enrolls a diverse student body that identifies as 49% Latinx, 21% Asian, 15% White, 3% Black, 5% International, 3% two or more races, 3% unknown, less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Native Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Indigenous Native American. About 39% of the student body were STEM majors with the top enrolled programs including psychology, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, biology, and computer science.

 

Inclusive Excellence Criteria.  We aspire to be the model inclusive polytechnic university in the nation. We have a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and to educational experiences that leverage the diverse perspectives and experiences needed to succeed and thrive in a diverse society.

Tenure track faculty hires will demonstrate a commitment and record of contributions through their teaching, scholarship, or service to these inclusive excellence criteria (a minimum of two must be addressed in the Student Success Statement):

 

1. Integrates the values of equity and inclusivity into their teaching, scholarship and/or service contributions with diverse student populations;
   
   
2. Incorporates the contributions and struggles of historic ethnic minority groups and communities into their teaching, scholarly work, and/or service contributions;
   
   
3. Adopts teaching strategies that support the learning and success of students from diverse student populations;
    
4. Mentors and engages diverse student populations in discovery, scholarship, and creative activities;
   
   
5. Engages students in problem-based projects and learning that address the needs of diverse communities;
   
   
6. Possesses knowledge of challenges and barriers for underrepresented students and faculty within the discipline;
   
   
7. Mentors and assists diverse student populations interested in pursuing graduate education;
   
   
8. Engages in community-responsive action research or service with diverse student populations and communities;
   
   
9. Has experience in or demonstrates a commitment to adopting experiential learning activities and pedagogy with diverse student populations and communities; and
   
   
10. Has expertise in or demonstrated commitment to teaching, scholarship and/or service that contributes to access, diversity, and equal opportunity in higher education.
    
    

College

The Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture offers a variety of applied science programs in Agricultural Science, Animal Health Science, Animal Science, Food Science & Technology, Nutrition Science and Dietetics, and Plant Science, as well as management and technology programs in Agribusiness & Food Industry Management and Apparel Merchandising & Management.  We are the legacy College of Cal Poly Pomona and a foundational aspect of the university’s identity and heritage.  Located in Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the nation with over 10 million people, and close to the second largest U.S. city (Los Angeles), we are committed to the development and support of urban agriculture and of sustainable food, agriculture and related systems in California.  Our educational programs prepare our students for exciting careers in the food, agriculture, nutritional health, animal health, and apparel sectors as well as opportunities in federal and state agencies.  We are the primary provider of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in these disciplines in Southern California.  Our orchards, greenhouses, vineyards, large urban farm with organic certified acreage, animal units and laboratories, veterinary clinic, food science laboratories, experimental kitchens, and digital apparel design, production and retail laboratories, provide hands on experiences for our students under Cal Poly Pomona’s “learn by doing” philosophy. Our students engage with the campus and local community, gaining practical experiences working with faculty and staff in our AGRIscapes Center, the Discovery Farm, and the Farm Store, and with the extended community through industry internships, volunteer activities, and other interactions. Our faculty are engaged teacher-scholars with a strong commitment to student success, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Department

The Animal & Veterinary Sciences Department (https://www.cpp.edu/agri/departments/avsd.shtml) has 867 undergraduate and 22 graduate (MS) students. More than 85% of the students are women. The student population is very diverse (Hispanic/Latino, 58.5%; White 15.5%; Asian, 14.5%; Multiracial, 5.5%; Unknown/Non-resident aliens, 4.4%; Black/African American, 1.5%; and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.3%) and this diversity is also reflected in the faculty. The Animal Health Science major has 161 students, whereas the Animal Science major has 705 students. About 61 percent of undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college or earn a four-year degree. The department offers a four-year curriculum in the two undergraduate majors, leading to a Bachelor of Science degree.  Animal Science has options in Pre-veterinary Science/Graduate School, and Animal Science general. The Pre-veterinary Science/Graduate School subplan meets requirements for admission to most schools of veterinary medicine, related medical technical fields, and for graduate study in animal nutrition, meat science, animal breeding, and animal physiology. The Animal Science general option is designed to prepare students that do not plan to go to veterinary or graduate school for employment in the animal and allied industries. Animal Health Science trains students that want to be registered veterinary technicians. A Master of Science degree in Agriculture with a subplan in Animal Science is also available. In addition, minors in Equine Studies, and Animal and Veterinary Sciences are offered.

 

The department maintains 330 acres of range land and 100 acres of irrigated pastures. Livestock includes a breeding herd of Angus, and Angus Crossbred cattle, flocks of purebred Rambouillet and Suffolk sheep, goats, and a herd of various commercial breeds of swine.  It's the only four-year program with animal production units in southern California. In addition, horses are available at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center, a breeding facility located on the Cal Poly Pomona campus. Students get hands-on learning experiences working directly with a variety of animals which gives them a competitive edge in the employment marketplace and getting into veterinary school.

 

The Position:

 

Teaching: Tenure-track faculty position providing instruction in the Animal & Veterinary Sciences Department, Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture, for undergraduate courses focusing on the Pre-Veterinary Science/Animal Science program and as needed, the Animal Health Science program if the candidate possesses the required expertise (i.e., DVM or equivalent). The workload is based primarily on teaching; however, faculty are also expected to seek grant funding to secure assigned time for research/scholarship activities. Assigned time will be provided during the first two years of the appointment and will be used towards development of pedagogy and research/scholarly activities.

 

Research/Scholarship: The new faculty member will conduct research/scholarly activities commensurate with their area of expertise and seek collaborations with faculty or external organizations.

 

Service: Committee service to the Department, College, and University will also be expected. The new faculty member will participate in departmental service including curriculum development, student advising, program assessment and development, student recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities.

 

Compensation: Salary and rank are commensurate with experience and qualifications. Fringe benefits are considered competitive when compared to similar institutions in the region.

Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and a demonstrated commitment to diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply.

Minimum requirements:

• PhD in Animal Science or related field and/or DVM or equivalent. Terminal degree must be earned by the start of the appointment.
• A Student Success Statement that demonstrates your commitment and record of contributions through applicant’s teaching, scholarship, or service, by addressing at least two of the inclusive excellence criterialisted above. (one-page limit)
• Ability to provide instruction in general Animal Science courses, including: Food Animal Production, Animal Breeding, Biotechnology Applications in Animals, and Science of Muscle Foods.
• Ability to conduct research in applicant’s area of expertise.
• Evidence of collaborative work and willingness to work with and collaborate with research faculty and work in partnership with animal units and centers.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and enthusiasm for teaching a diverse undergraduate student population.
• Demonstration of ability to contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and/or service, and experiences of teaching and working in an inclusive environment.

 

Preferred/Desired Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated experience in teaching science courses at the university level.
• Demonstrated teaching and/or research experience in Molecular Biotechnology (e.g., molecular, proteomic, metabolomics, bioinformatics, etc.).
• Ability to assist with instruction and management of other programs in the department (equine, pre-veterinary, animal science general, animal health science, and graduate program).
• Demonstrated success in scholarly activities e.g., publications, grant awards, presentations at professional meetings, etc.
• Demonstrated experience in animal industries and professional organizations.
• Demonstration of work that incorporates a global perspective and a commitment to diversity in higher education

 

Conditions of Employment: The person offered this position is required to pass a background check.

The 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 currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ . Questions regarding the policy may be sent to avpfa@cpp.edu

 

Application Process:

A completed application will consist of:

• A cover letter that describes the candidate’s teaching and research experiences, and interests that address the duties and qualifications articulated in the position description
• A completed Application for Academic Employment form, available at http://www.cpp.edu/~faculty-affairs/documents/acadapplication_feb2017.pdf.
• A curriculum vitae comprised of at least those elements specified on the Application for Academic Employment form including the names, titles, physical and email addresses, and telephone numbers of at least five individuals who can speak to the candidate’s potential for success in this position
• A transcript showing highest degree earned (an official transcript will be required for finalists)
• Finalists for the position will be required to provide three recent letters of reference.
• A separate Student Success Statement (one page, single-spaced) about your teaching, or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working or otherwise engaging with a diverse student population. Please address at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria listed above.

 

The position is open until filled. First consideration will be given to completed applications received no later than February 15, 2022. Early response is encouraged. Application materials must be submitted online via Interfolio at http://www.cpp.edu/~faculty-affairs/open-positions/.

 

Please direct inquiries to semurinda@cpp.edu or cgrano@cpp.edu.