Tenure-Track: Assistant Professor

Description

The Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University invites applications for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor position with a nine-month academic appointment beginning January 1, 2027.

The department seeks an individual with demonstrated expertise in dairy processing, dairy regulations, bioactive properties, food safety, structure-function relationships, sustainable dairy processing, and other related fields. The position should support the department's commitment to advancing innovation, industry engagement, and experiential learning in food and dairy systems. The successful candidate will also provide leadership in dairy science education and contribute to Texas A&M's land-grant mission through scholarship, workforce development, and extramural research activities.

The department seeks individuals who have a demonstrated interest and experience in working in transdisciplinary teams. We seek candidates who can develop a nationally and internationally recognized research program and compete for funding from federal, state, commodity board, and private funding sources. Preference will be given to a candidate with expertise that complements and synergizes with the strengths of the food science faculty and advances food science and technology at Texas A&M University.

Responsibilities:

Research: The candidate is expected to develop and maintain a competitive, extramurally funded research program related to dairy science that aligns with the collaborative mission of the department.

Teaching: The candidate is expected to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in Food Science and Technology and contribute to academic service. For example, the candidate is expected to develop new courses in their areas of expertise and in support of a dairy science program that aligns with the department's teaching and research mission.

Aplin Center: The successful candidate is also expected to support the Aplin Center, including its new dairy processing and teaching laboratory, through research, teaching, and collaborative activities that enhance experiential learning and innovation in dairy science.

About the Department:

The Department of Food Science and Technology's (https://foodscience.tamu.edu/) strengths include specialized expertise in food science technologies, encompassing food chemistry, engineering, microbiology, molecular biology, microbiome interactions and processing and unique access to a wide array of laboratories and pilot facilities including a dairy processing and teaching laboratory within the Aplin Center, which is currently under construction.

The Department of Food Science & Technology is an administrative unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, http://agrilife.org/, within the Texas A&M University System. The department has a vibrant faculty, staff, and students that all contribute to the missions of teaching, research, extension, and service. Texas A&M University has a variety of programs and networks to support both the professional and personal success of its faculty. The Department is committed to knowledge discovery and delivery of high-quality education to position the science of food within a sustainable framework, with emphasis on improving the safety, quality, and nutritional value of foods.

Academic Programs:

The Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees within the disciplines of Food Science & Technology. Our programs prepare future leaders for academic, food industry, or government positions through internships, undergraduate research opportunities, and experiential learning activities.

Research:

The department has expertise in food safety, food chemistry and functional foods, food processing, and food analysis. The department has a core analytical laboratory with modern mass spectrometers, chromatography equipment, and biochemical analyses. A pilot food processing line allows for commercial and experimental food production under high-acid, hot-fill conditions and the department houses advanced electron beam food processing equipment.

About the University:

Texas A&M University, the only institution in the state to hold Land, Sea and Space Grant status, is a Tier I research university. University enrollment exceeds 81,000 students of which over 18,000 are graduate and professional students. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences includes 15 departments and over 300 faculty.

About the Community:

The University is in College Station, Texas which combined with its twin city of Bryan, forms a metropolitan community of approximately 287,000 people with high-quality amenities and a low cost of living. In addition to excellent health, education, and recreational services, the community affords a rich variety of cultural activities typical of a major university environment, including sports, museums, music, art, and theater. The College Station-Bryan area is also centrally located between Texas' major metro areas including Houston, Dallas-Ft Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.

Professional Environment:

The Department of Food Science & Technology was established in 2020 as part of a strategic restructuring of expertise to facilitate programmatic growth in key areas within the University. Information on the Department and its programs can be found at https://foodscience.tamu.edu. Texas A&M University serves as the flagship for 12 universities in the TAMU system. Several Centers, Institutes, and large interdisciplinary programs provide specialized core facilities and access to clinical populations. These resources include the National Center for Electron Beam Research, Rosenthal Meat Processing Center, NIEHS Center for Environmental Health Research, Texas A&M Institute for Genome Sciences and Society, Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine, Center for Biological Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Mass Spectrometry Collaborative Core, Texas A&M Institute for Data Sciences, Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing Center, among others.

Qualifications

Requirements include a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology, Dairy Science, or closely related field. The potential for research productivity, teaching, and grantsmanship should be apparent in the application. Preference will be given to individuals with demonstrated expertise and a desire to participate in multidisciplinary research programs.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following documents: 1) cover letter, 2) a detailed curriculum vitae, 3) personal statement to include philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service, as applicable, 4) contact information for (three) professional references including names, phone numbers and email addresses.

Applications will only be accepted through Interfolio at: apply.interfolio.com/183695.

The review of applications will begin on July 1, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.

The University is aware that attracting and retaining exceptional faculty often depends on meeting the needs of two careers and therefore has a Dual Career Program.