Assistant Professor in Sensory and Consumer Science

Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis

The Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is recruiting an Assistant Professor specializing in sensory and/or consumer science with a PhD in sensory science, consumer science, food science, neurophysiology & behavior, psychology, behavioral nutrition, behavioral economics, marketing or a related field. The appointee will be expected to develop a research program on basic and applied aspects of sensory perception and consumer (eating and drinking) behavior with relevance to public health, agriculture, and the food and beverage industries. Areas of research interest may include, but are not limited to sensory perception, sensory physiology and/or genetics, sensory determinants of food intake, consumer (eating and/or drinking) behavior, behavioral nutrition, behavioral economics, sensory analysis of foods and beverages, consumer-driven innovation. This is an academic year (9-month) tenure track Assistant Professor position. This position includes an appointment in the Agriculture Experiment Station that carries the expectation that the appointee conduct mission-oriented research and outreach of relevance to California stakeholders. (https://aes.ucdavis.edu)

The appointee will be responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate coursework in food sensory and/or consumer science (e.g., sensory evaluation of foods, sensory perception, physiology and genetics, eating and drinking behavior, consumer science, consumer-driven innovation), with a typical teaching load of two courses per year. At the undergraduate level, the candidate will be expected to teach the department’s required statistics course FST 117 – Design and Analysis for Sensory Food Science. In addition, the candidate would be expected to teach or participate in a required or elective course in sensory evaluation, consumer science or food product innovation, such as FST 127 – Sensory Evaluation of Foods or FST 159 – New Product Food Ideas, FST 160 – Food Product Development or an elective graduate course in their area of specialization. Additional contributions to Department of Food Science and Technology courses and Food Science graduate education is expected, with additional teaching opportunities in lifelong learning through UC Davis Extension. Mentoring of graduate students in Food Science and other graduate groups, undergraduate student advising, participation in and development of outreach programs, curricular development, and performance of departmental and university service are expected. The research, teaching and outreach mission of the Department of Food Science and Technology (http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu) focuses on the creation, development and distribution of basic and applied knowledge related to the production of foods, with a scope extending from the fundamental molecular level to the process and consumption scale.

The department is associated with the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at UC Davis and is internationally recognized as a center of excellence for food research.

Besides their own laboratory in the Robert Mondavi Institute Sensory Building, the appointee will have access to wide-ranging infrastructure resources and many collaborative opportunities in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and other colleges and schools across campus.

The UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is the leading academic agricultural research institution in the US. The community of Davis is located in the California Central Valley, next to the State Capital Sacramento and close to the Bay Area, the Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe.

Qualifications: PhD or equivalent degree at the time of appointment in sensory science, consumer science, food science, neurophysiology & behavior, psychology, behavioral nutrition, behavioral economics, marketing or a related field. Postdoctoral experience is desired and evidence of research excellence is expected. Evidence of leadership and organizational skills relevant to the development of a successful research, teaching and outreach program in a sensory and/or consumer science field is required. The candidate should have demonstrated ability or potential to obtain extramural support for research activities as well as the capacity to develop and instruct undergraduate, graduate and lifelong learning courses and the ability to develop and conduct extramurally funded research in food sensory and/or consumer science.

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Applications: Application materials must be submitted via the following website: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/. Required application materials include: 1) cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae with publications list, 3) up to five full publications, 4) transcripts if the applicant is within 5 years of the PhD degree, 5) statement of future research plans including relevance to food industries, 6) statement of teaching philosophy and projected teaching roles in the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, 7) the names, addresses, including email, of at least four professional references, and 8) a statement of contributions to diversity. The position will remain open until filled. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by February 1, 2019.

Additional inquiries should be directed to Professor Jean-Xavier Guinard, Search Committee Chair, Department of Food Science and Technology, 1 Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, PH: 530-754-8659; email: jxguinard@ucdavis.edu.

UC Davis is an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity employer and is dedicated to recruiting a diverse faculty community. We welcome all qualified applicants to apply, including women, minorities, veterans, and individual with disabilities.

Category