"Assistant Professor - Animal Welfare"

POSITION SUMMARY:

This is a nine-month, full-time academic, tenure-track faculty position (60% research and 40% teaching) at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Science. This position is part of the Dairy Innovation Hub, a state-wide initiative to advance dairy research, education, and outreach. The teaching load for this 40% teaching appointment is 4.67 contact hours per semester. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong interests and abilities to conduct research and teach courses in dairy and/or animal science with an emphasis on dairy welfare and management. Opportunities exist for optional summer employment through teaching, research grants, internship supervision, and other funding sources.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Research (60%)

• Conduct primary research on dairy cattle welfare and management.
• Utilize the UWRF Dairy Herd and/or collaborate with commercial dairy farms across Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.
• Handle and evaluate herd data sets using dairy management software.
• Work with individual cow management systems.
• Engage in collaborative dairy research with UW-Madison, and UW-Platteville, as part of the Dairy Innovation Hub program.
• Establish and maintain affiliations with dairy farmers, dairy-affiliated groups, and dairy associations at the regional, state, and national levels.

Teaching (40%)

• Teach undergraduate courses in dairy and/or animal science with emphasis on dairy welfare and/or management.
• Help in teaching core disciplines of Dairy or Animal Science based on departmental needs, individual interest, educational background, or skill level.
• Be an effective and engaged teacher.
• Maintain a strong interest and ability in providing undergraduate students with leadership, mentoring, and advising.
• Have well developed and effective oral and written communication skills.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Dairy Science or Animal Science or Animal Welfare or closely related discipline. A DVM with a graduate degree would also be considered. Applicants who have finished course work and are still working on their dissertation may be considered for a conditional appointment and must complete their Ph.D. or graduate degree within one year after their date of appointment.
• Educational and professional expertise primarily in dairy cattle
• Professional priority for achieving excellence in dairy welfare and management research
• Strong interest in and desire to teach college-level courses
• Well-developed and effective oral and written communication skills
• Familiarity with North American animal agricultural practices

Preferred Qualifications:

• Handling and evaluating herd data to assess and improve dairy cattle health and wellbeing
• Experience with dairy management software, such as Dairy Comp, PC Dart, etc.
• Experience with individual cow management systems, such as Cow Manager, etc.
• Experience in evaluating the individual cow’s environment as it relates to cow comfort
• Demonstrated research activity in publications in relevant areas
• Experience and ability to teach in the core disciplines of Dairy or Animal Science at the college level
• Experience, contacts, and involvement in the dairy industry
• Strong interest in and ability to provide undergraduate students: 1) leadership and mentoring in research; 2) academic advising; and 3) advising of co-curricular activities such as student organizations.

How to Apply:

Applicants are required to apply online at Career Opportunities. UWRF will not consider paper, emailed or faxed applications. Applicants are required to provide:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Unofficial Transcripts
• 2- 3-page Statement on Research Plans and Teaching Philosophy
• Letter of interest specifying qualifications and experience (cover letter)
• Names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of at least three references who can specifically comment upon your teaching experience and professional preparation (references)

Inquiries should be addressed to:

Melkaye Melka
Associate Professor & Search Chair
melkaye.melka@uwrf.edu

Deadline to Apply: Initial review of applications will begin upon receipt. For full consideration, applicants should submit all required materials on or before March 15, 2026