Responsibilities: The Department of Food Science at the University of Tennessee seeks outstanding candidates for a 9-month, tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor to perform research in the growing area of microbial communities. The successful applicant will develop a high-impact, nationally recognized research and teaching program focusing on interactions between microbiomes/microbial communities of human foods, processing environments, fermentation products, and processes to improve food safety, quality, and human health. Successful candidates will develop courses related to identification, characterization, and functionality of food and human microbial communities to inform food fermentations, food processing, food safety interventions, and public health interventions.

The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) is the state’s flagship research institution, a campus of choice for outstanding undergraduates and a premier graduate institution. As a land-grant university, it is committed to excellence in scholarship, learning and service and aims to enrich and elevate society. 

Knoxville is situated in a valley between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cumberland Plateau, areas of great beauty and among the most bio-diverse in the USA. Knoxville is a city of about 200,000 people offering many amenities of urban life. Knoxville has a beautiful and walkable downtown, active neighborhoods, and eclectic cultural activities, restaurants, and shopping. Trip Advisor recently named Knoxville a Top Ten Destination on the Rise. Knoxville is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Atlanta, and Nashville.

The Department of Food Science resides within the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and adheres to the three-pronged mission of land grant universities by providing quality research, teaching, and extension. The Department offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees and currently has 13 full-time faculty members with expertise in diverse areas of food chemistry, food microbiology, food processing and engineering, and food sensory science. For more information about the Department, visit our web site at: http://foodscience.tennessee.edu/. 

Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Details are available at:  https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/.

Application: Use this link to apply for the position: http://apply.interfolio.com/118361

Questions about the position can be directed to:
Dr. David Golden, Search Chair
Phone: 865-974-9121
E-mail: dgolden@tennessee.edu

Required Qualifications: An earned doctorate in Food Science or closely related field with a concentration in food microbiology, microbiology, metagenomics, or a related field. Candidates should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. Candidates may be considered for the position at the rank of Associate Professor pending a record of research, scholarship, and professional accomplishments commensurate with that rank.

Desired Qualifications:

• Evidence of scholarship through scientific presentations and publications
• Experience in grant-writing
• Relevant research and teaching experience beyond the Ph.D. degree
• Knowledge of food production systems
• Evidence of the ability to collaborate with diverse audiences