Assistant/Associate Professor-Ruminant/Animal Nutrition

The Department of Food and Animal Sciences at Tennessee State University
invites applications for a motivated Ruminant/Animal Nutritionist to fill a 12-month, full-time,
tenure-track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank.

The successful candidate will establish an independent, externally funded research program in climate-smart animal agriculture, with a focus on improving nutrient-use efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in livestock systems. Emphasis will be placed on generating baseline data and evaluating mitigation strategies to reduce GHG emissions from ruminant systems, particularly beef cattle, across Tennessee.

This position will contribute to the College of Agriculture's Climate-Smart Agriculture Program. The incumbent will teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses as needed and develop a nationally recognized research program resulting in peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and/or scholarly book chapters. The position also includes mentoring and providing hands-on
research training to undergraduate and graduate students in animal sciences.

Research responsibilities include conducting studies to estimate feed intake and digestibility in
rangeland and smallholder livestock systems using appropriate methodologies, identifying and
evaluating promising mitigation and adaptation strategies by assessing their impacts on enteric
methane emissions, animal productivity, and potential trade-offs. This work will involve measuring
enteric methane emissions and nutrient flows in ruminant systems through direct animal
experiments and indirect modeling approaches (e.g., IPCC-based models). The successful candidate
will design, implement, and analyze feeding trials aimed at reducing GHG emissions and optimizing
nutrient dynamics in ruminant production systems. Additional responsibilities include leading data
collection efforts on animal activity and diet to estimate GHG emissions; preparing and publishing
scientific manuscripts; contributing to research and policy briefs; presenting findings at conferences and workshops; and developing competitive grant proposals to support future research initiatives.

The successful candidate will engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with faculty across animal
sciences and related fields to strengthen research outcomes, student training, and mentorship. The
position requires the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to foster a
collegial, diverse, and collaborative academic community.