Assistant/Associate Professor in Food and Nutritional Sciences

Universities of Wisconsin•Madison, WI

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative aims to address significant global challenges through strategic faculty hiring, research infrastructure enhancement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and increased educational opportunities. RISE-THRIVE focuses on healthspan research, particularly immunology and the science of aging, while RISE-EARTH addresses environmental challenges. This position, within the Department of Food and Nutritional Science (FSN) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is part of the RISE initiative and seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor or Associate Professor with expertise in the processing or characterization of functional components in milk or dairy foods. The role involves research into bioactive metabolites, personalized nutrition applications, and improving the environmental or economic sustainability of dairy processing. The ideal candidate will conduct high-impact research applicable to the dairy industry, demonstrate a commitment to public engagement and outreach, and contribute to interdisciplinary research and teaching in a world-class academic setting. The position is designed to complement existing programs within the department, the Dairy Innovation Hub, CALS, and the broader campus community.

Requirements

Training or experience demonstrating potential for excellence in conducting frontier research, providing innovative teaching, and actively engaging in outreach.
Demonstrated research capacities in areas such as milk characterization, cheese technology, identification and quantification of metabolites and bioactives, clinical studies, and advanced processing technologies.
Demonstrated skills may include AI, data analysis, techno-economic analysis, molecular identification, large datasets, and complex problem-solving.
A record of, or potential for, securing competitive external funding such as through USDA, NSF, NIH, and so forth.
Demonstrated commitment to public engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and stakeholder engagement.
Demonstrated commitment to or potential for instructional excellence and pedagogical scholarship for instruction and mentorship.
Strong communication and collaboration skills.
For Associate Professor rank: qualifications must be sufficient to meet the requirements for tenure in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by the position start date.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in the processing, or characterization of functional components in milk or dairy foods like cheese.
Expertise in approaches to improve the environmental or economic sustainability of dairy processing.
Identification and characterization of functional dairy components.
Identification and characterization of bioactive metabolites generated through fermentation, processing, and digestion processes of cheese and fermented dairy products.
Discovery and creation of products containing dairy ingredients targeted towards personalized nutrition applications.
Research that provides value to consumer health and dairy product development.
Research that provides value to economical and environmental sustainability of dairy.
Leveraging world-class facilities such as in Babcock Hall.

Responsibilities

Develop a nationally competitive, extramurally funded research program focused on functional dairy products to enhance their consumption, sustainability, nutritional value, and health impact, aligning with RISE-THRIVE and EARTH initiatives.
Generate compelling evidence of dairy's health benefits, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches that connect fundamental science to economically meaningful outcomes.
Integrate basic and translational research, advancing discoveries toward commercialization, and collaborating with departmental strengths in nutritional research.
Secure extramural funding and publish research in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.
Foster research collaborations with faculty within the department and across the university.
Teach graduate and undergraduate students, commensurate with college expectations and departmental teaching loads.
Mentor students and promote their development and success in a collaborative environment.
Contribute to outreach and service functions of the department, college, university, and professional societies.
Contribute to programs aimed at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the department, college, and university.
Promote an inclusive and diverse climate within the campus and associated communities.