Assistant Professor, Intelligent Food Systems

Position Details
Position Information
Department
Food Science and Techno (AFS)
Position Title
Assistant Professor
Job Title
Assistant Professor, Intelligent Food Systems
Appointment Type
Academic Faculty
Job Location
Corvallis
Benefits Eligible
Full-Time, benefits eligible
Job Summary
The Department of Food Science and Technology invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 9-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Intelligent Food Systems Engineering.
This position will be jointly appointed in FST and BEE and supported in pursuing a portfolio of research, teaching, and service activities that build collaboration between FST, BEE and other college units and across campus. The incumbent will be welcome to advise graduate students in both programs. The tenure home and primary supervisor for this hire will be in the Dept. of Food Science & Technology.
Food system resilience is critical to meeting present and future needs for sustained provision of food supplies in the face of growing populations, changing climate, and increasingly integrated systems of production and manufacturing. Improving food system resilience requires integrating advanced engineering know-how into smarter operations without ignoring the quality and safety. This position is one of seven new positions related to Resilient Food Systems in the FST and BEE departments including Sustainable Food Packaging (FST), Sustainable Food and Beverage Manufacturing (FST), Food Chemistry (FST), Waste to Resource Engineer (BEE/FST), Sustainable Seafood Manufacturing, and Seafood Safety at the OSU Seafood Research Center in Astoria. We seek individuals who can blend engineering theory with sustainable food production and consumption to meet the challenges of the future.
The incumbent for the Intelligent Food Systems Engineer position may apply intelligent systems engineering principles to Food Systems. Applications to smart food manufacturing and/or food production include optimization of operations, real-time adaptive control of unit processes, artificial intelligence, automation, machine learning, and similar operations engineering applications. The incumbent may use modeling and/or data science approaches to provide decision support, identify trade-offs in complex systems, and optimize operations of smart Food Systems. The combined use of mechanistic modeling and machine learning to inform multi-objective decision making and model diagnostics for engineering problems are of particular interest. Areas of focus may include sensor design and development, process automation, optimization of system operations, and/or decision making and optimization.
Oregon State University's commitment to student success includes hiring, retaining, and developing diverse faculty to mentor and educate our undergraduate and graduate students from entry through graduation. Our Strategic Plan articulates the strategies we believe are critical to advancing and equalizing learner success. The College of Agricultural Sciences is likewise committed to the success of all learners accessed through its extension and outreach programs.
College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) faculty are committed to enhancing student success by engaging students in quality academic, teaching, research, internships, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities. There is an expectation that, as part of your role in the college, you embody and advance the principles and practices conveyed in the CAS CARE Commitment document.
Why OSU?
Working for Oregon State University is so much more than a job!
Oregon State University is a dynamic community of dreamers, doers, problem-solvers and change-makers. We don't wait for challenges to present themselves - we seek them out and take them on. We welcome students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective into a community where everyone feels seen and heard. We have deep-rooted mindfulness for the natural world and all who depend on it, and together, we apply knowledge, tools and skills to build a better future for all.
FACTS:
• Top 1.4% university in the world
• More research funding than all public universities in Oregon combined
• 1 of 3 land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S.
• 2 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, and Extension programs in all 36 counties
• 7 cultural resource centers that offer education, celebration and belonging for everyone
• 100+ undergraduate degree programs, 80+ graduate degrees plus hundreds of minor options and certificates
• 35k+ students including more than 2.3k international students and 10k students of color
• 217k+ alumni worldwide
• For more interesting facts about OSU visit: https://oregonstate.edu/about
Locations:
Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport.
Oregon State's beautiful, historic and state-of-the-art main campus is located in one of America's best college towns. Corvallis is located close to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountains and Oregon wine country. Nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this beautiful city offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and an eclectic downtown featuring local cuisine, popular events and performances.
Total Rewards Package:
Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
• Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
• Retirement savings paid by the university.
• A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
• Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
• Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.
Key Responsibilities
60% Research and Scholarly Activities
Establish nationally and internationally recognized, externally funded research program in Intelligent Food Systems Engineering. Expectations include:

• Generate scholarly outputs in the form of peer-review journal articles and other accepted forms of scholarship reflecting research activities;
• Secure competitive external funding to support the research program;
• Supervise and advise and mentor graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, research technicians, undergraduate students, and others involved in the research program;
• Serve as an investigator on a USDA-NIFA Hatch collaborative or Hatch multistate project.
• Serve as an investigator on research grants and/or projects, e.g., USDA NIFA, NSF, DOE, NIH, and/or industrially-funded.
• Interdisciplinary work and multi-level systems approach that integrate basic sciences and translation to solutions for the benefit of the broader food industry.

30% Teaching

• Contribute to undergraduate/graduate student teaching in the FST program by teaching and/or co-teaching 1-3 undergraduate classes annually and 1 graduate class every other year. Participate in graduate or undergraduate level seminars, workshops, guest lectures, and/or discussion groups. Along with all graduate faculty participate in rotational teaching of writing intensive course and graduate seminar. In addition to formal coursework, provide mentorship to graduate students in their advanced degree programs and undergraduate students in experiential learning projects. Demonstrate a commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), including efforts in promoting equitable outcomes among learners of diverse and underrepresented identity groups. Modality may include a combination of in-person, hybrid, or ECampus delivery of instruction.

10% Service

• Faculty are expected to be collegial members of their units, and to perform appropriate service that contributes to the effectiveness, diversity and inclusiveness of their departments, colleges, the university, and their professions. Participate in DEI training annually.
• University service includes contributing to the governance and affairs of faculty and students at departmental, college, and/or University levels. Professional service includes, but is not limited to, reviewing manuscripts for journals and proposals for national funding agencies, and involvement in- and leadership of professional organizations.

What You Will Need

• Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Food Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, or in a closely related field of engineering, food science, or agricultural science.
• Demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
What We Would Like You to Have

• Experience in conducting research in smart manufacturing and knowledge of emerging technologies and trends in Food Systems, such as automation, artificial intelligence, and Industry 4.0.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing including a record of publishing peer-reviewed documents and presenting scientific findings commensurate with career level;
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and cooperatively within a team; and work and communicate with audiences including colleagues, stakeholders, academics, and/or students.
• Experience in developing multidisciplinary approaches or collaborations, for instance with food and beverage manufacturing companies or organizations, demonstrating practical knowledge of industry trends, challenges, and solutions.
• Demonstrated experience in formal or informal education, including classroom instruction, outreach and engagement, or other education delivery methods, and student mentoring.
• Experience working with sustainability assessment tools such as life cycle analysis, technoeconomic analysis, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to secure competitive funding to support a research program.
• Record of/commitment to work with underrepresented/underserved students or other audiences.
• Life experience, education, and/or training that broaden capacity to equalize learner success or impact underserved audiences.

Working Conditions / Work Schedule
Office and Lab environment. Travel for field research and presentations. Work may take place in varying field conditions and environments. Evening and/or weekend work may be required for conference travel and research work in the field and laboratory.
Pay Method
Salary
Pay Period
1st through the last day of the month
Pay Date
Last working day of the month
Recommended Full-Time Salary Range
$85,000-$95,000
Link to Position Description
https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/position_descriptions/146808
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number
P07545UF
Number of Vacancies
1
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date
09/16/2024
Anticipated Appointment End Date
Posting Date
11/27/2023
Full Consideration Date
01/14/2024
Closing Date
04/30/2024
Indicate how you intend to recruit for this search
Competitive / External - open to ALL qualified applicants
Special Instructions to Applicants
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by January 14, 2024. Applications will continue to be accepted after the full consideration date, until a sufficient applicant pool has been achieved or the position is filled. The closing date is subject to change without notice to applicants.
When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:
1) A Curriculum Vitae; and
2) A Cover Letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position and what interests you about coming to Oregon State University.
3) A Teaching Statement - summarize your teaching experience and your philosophy of teaching. (2 page limit, upload as Statement of Teaching)
4) A Research Statement - summarize or outline your proposed research program and how it aligns with a robust resilient Food Systems/manufacturing research enterprise. (2 page limit, upload as Statement of Research)
5) A Diversity/Inclusion Statement - describe how your experience(s), education, and/or training might help us build a more inclusive, collaborative, and diverse community. Are there examples you can provide of working with underrepresented/underserved students or other audiences? (2 page limit, upload as Diversity Statement)
Please visit the following webpages for more information on our commitment to inclusive excellence:
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