Professor & Chair

University of Maryland•College Park, MD

1d•$149,000 - $252,289

About The Position

The Department of Nutrition and Food Science (NFSC) in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park, invites applications and nominations for a tenure track position as Professor and Chair. The University of Maryland, College Park is one of the nation’s top 20 public research universities with a world-class reputation for academics, research, and community involvement. It is a Land Grant institution and Flagship University within the University System of Maryland, with over 2,500 faculty members. Current enrollment is approximately 27,000 undergraduate and 11,000 graduate students. The 1,300-acre campus is located in the Baltimore- Washington, D.C. corridor. The campus has metro rail access to excellent research libraries, national and international research institutions, government, international organizations, national archives, non-profit agencies, and significant cultural landmarks. The College Park campus is in suburban Maryland approximately eight miles northeast of Washington D. C. with National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Agricultural Library in close proximity. The Department of Nutrition and Food Science is at the forefront of the college’s internationally recognized work around food safety and quality, food and nutritional security, and regularly strives to inform policy based on sound research. The Department offers three areas of undergraduate study: Dietetics, Food Science, and Nutritional Science with 112 undergraduate (65 for dietetics, 21 for nutritional science and 26 for food science) and 29 graduate students in Fall 2025. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) – one of the state’s flagship Extension programs that strives to improve quality of life for limited-income families and youth - is housed in the department. Additionally, the department has administrative responsibilities for an interdepartmental graduate program in Nutrition and Food Science. Principal areas of research expertise include but are not limited to the following: food science, bioactive foods, food safety, obesity, nutrition in chronic diseases, epidemiology, fermentation science, and international and community nutrition. The Chair oversees a budget of $4.5 million with extramural funding of $4.9 million. Details of the department’s personnel, programs and facilities can be found at: http://www.nfsc.umd.edu

Requirements

The successful candidate must have a PhD in nutrition, food science, or closely related field, be internationally recognized for accomplishments in research, instruction and/or extension, and be qualified to be tenured at the rank of professor at UMD.
Additionally, the candidate must have significant administrative/managerial experience, possess outstanding communication skills, have a demonstrated ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, administration, industry and/or other clientele, demonstrated ability in attracting extramural funding, prior fundraising success, a deep understanding of the fields of Nutrition, Food Science, and Dietetics and a strong desire to contribute to the Land Grant mission.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated ability to foster strong collaborations among internal and external research and academic partners in support of the department’s mission as a part of a Land Grant institution.
Leadership style that seeks consensus and inclusion in support of the shared governance model as designed and outlined by the Department, College, and University.
Skill and ability to deal effectively with the human resources, fiscal constraints, and physical needs of a large, multi-faceted department housed at several locations.
Experience in promoting and marketing of teaching, research, and/or extension to diverse national and international communities.
Demonstrated success in obtaining external funding opportunities in support of teaching, research and/or extension activities.

Responsibilities

The Chair will provide vision and leadership to all Department personnel and programs
effectively administer the finances, policies and facilities of the Department
work productively and effectively with department faculty, staff, students, and the Dean and other University personnel
provide proactive liaison with leaders of industry, government, other academic institutions, the public and professional societies
facilitate Departmental excellence by the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff and students, and foster the professional and scholarly growth of these individuals
contribute directly to scholarly activities of the Department
The Chair is responsible for all aspects of the Department operations including faculty, staff, student, budget and facilities.
The Chair represents the Department to all constituencies, both internal and external of the University of Maryland.
The Chair reports directly to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources as the leader of one of six academic departments in the College.
It is a priority for the Chair to expand the portfolio of external grants and actively develop new sources of support for research and educational programs including, but not limited to, donor cultivation and stewardship and entrepreneurial activities.
The Chair promotes and provides linkage between the department and the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems (CFS3) and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN).