Tenure Track Faculty Position

Assistant Professor of Food Science and Technology

Nutrition and Food Science

Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the 23-campus California State University system and among 12 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn- by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 28 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility, and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. In 2022, the campus launched the Black Thriving Initiative recognizing that Cal Poly Pomona’s future as a university is linked to the success of its Black community. More information about our campus initiatives and our Principles of Community can be found on the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s website. 

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.

 Student Population. Cal Poly Pomona is the number one polytechnic university in the nation for student diversity and economic mobility. Our caring and inclusive campus community is committed to helping anyone who dreams of success achieve it. In Fall 2023, Cal Poly Pomona served more than 24,000 students and close to 2,000 graduate students, mostly residents of California. Over half of Cal Poly Pomona students are first-generation college students, 70% receive financial aid, and 42% are low-income students. The university enrolls 56% percent of historically underrepresented students. Our diverse student body identifies as 53% Hispanic/Latinx, 22% Asian, 13% White, 4% two or more races, 3% unknown, 3% African American/Black, 2% International, less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Native American. Forty-three percent of students enroll in our STEM majors and our top five enrolled programs across the university are mechanical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, psychology, and finance, real estate, and law.  

Inclusive Excellence and Student Success. We aspire to be the model inclusive polytechnic university in the nation. We have a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and to educational experiences that leverage the diverse perspectives and experiences needed to succeed and thrive in a diverse society.

*As a part of the application for faculty positions, all candidates must submit a Student Success Statement that demonstrates their commitment and record of contributions to diversity and equity through their teaching, scholarship, or service by speaking to at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria below.

Candidates should explain how they have engaged in the criteria below in their pedagogy, scholarship, and/or service, as well as the level to which these efforts have been consistently incorporated into their work.

Inclusive Excellence Criteria:

• Incorporates the contributions and struggles of historic ethnic minority groups or other disadvantaged communities into their teaching, scholarly work, and/or service contributions;
• Adopts teaching strategies that support the learning and success of students from diverse student populations;
• Mentors and engages diverse student populations in discovery, scholarship, and creative activities;
• Engages students in problem-based projects and learning that address the needs of diverse communities;
• Possesses knowledge of challenges and barriers for underrepresented students and faculty within the discipline and uses it to inform their work in specific ways;
• Mentors and assists diverse student populations interested in pursuing graduate education;
• Engages in community-responsive action research or service with diverse student populations and communities;
• Has experience in or demonstrates a commitment to adopting experiential learning activities and pedagogy with diverse student populations and communities; and
• Has expertise in or demonstrated commitment to teaching, scholarship and/or service that contributes to access, diversity, and equal opportunity in higher education.

Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture:

The Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture offers a variety of applied science programs in Agricultural Science, Animal Health Science, Animal Science, Food Science & Technology, Nutrition Science and Dietetics, and Plant Science, as well as management and technology programs in Agribusiness & Food Industry Management and Apparel Merchandising & Management.  We are the legacy College of Cal Poly Pomona and a foundational aspect of the university’s identity and heritage.  Located in Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the nation with over 10 million people, and close to the second largest U.S. city (Los Angeles), we are committed to the development and support of urban agriculture and of sustainable food, agriculture and related systems in California. 

Our educational programs prepare our students for exciting careers in the food, agriculture, nutritional health, animal health, and apparel sectors as well as opportunities in federal and state agencies.  We are the primary provider of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in these disciplines in Southern California.  Our orchards, greenhouses, vineyards, large urban farm with organic certified acreage, animal units and laboratories, veterinary clinic, food science laboratories, experimental kitchens, and digital apparel design, production and retail laboratories, provide hands on experiences for our students under Cal Poly Pomona’s “learn by doing” philosophy. Our students engage with the campus and local community, gaining practical experiences working with faculty and staff in our AGRIscapes Center, the Discovery Farm, and the Farm Store, and with the extended community through industry internships, volunteer activities, and other interactions. Our faculty are engaged teacher-scholars with a strong commitment to student success, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Department of Nutrition and Food Science:

Established in 1965 under the name “Foods and Nutrition”, the department’s current name is Nutrition and Food Science (NFS). Our mission is to support a creative and innovative environment to prepare a diverse group of baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate students through a learn-by-doing approach for careers in the nutrition and food science professions for the benefit of society. Our vision is to be a nationally recognized center of excellence in producing nutrition and food science leaders as well as creating and disseminating knowledge in collaboration with alumni, community, government and industry.

Since its inception the department has offered a Bachelor of Science degree in Foods and Nutrition - now called Nutrition, currently with options in Dietetics; Nutrition and Health and Nutrition Science. Since 1999, the department has been offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Technology (FST), currently with a Science and Technology option, a Culinology^® option and a general option with emphasis in Plant Based Foods and Nutrition, Business and Pre-professional.

The NFS department also offers a Master of Science in Agriculture under the Nutrition and Food Science option and a post-baccalaureate Dietetic Internship Program.

Combined enrollments in all the programs account for over 600 students, with over 150 students enrolled in the FST major. NFS department also offers minors in: Plant Based Foods and Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, Food Safety, Culinology^® and Nutrition, as well as several General Education courses open to all majors.

NFS department distinguishes itself amongst other departments as being part of a select group with nationally accredited programs. Our Science and Technology and Culinology^® options under the FST program are approved by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Research Chefs Association (RCA), respectively. Our Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and our Dietetic Internship Program are both accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Our undergraduate programs prepare students for challenging and rewarding careers in the private sector as well as government agencies. Our programs also provide a strong academic background for graduate study and research.

Position description:

Teaching: The new faculty member will be expected to teach and develop a selection of undergraduate and graduate level courses within the Food Science & Technology (FST) curriculum, including but not limited to: Undergraduate lecture and laboratory courses such as Food Process Engineering, Unit Operations in Food Processing, Food Packaging, and Food Product Development. Graduate courses such as Advanced Topics in Food Science; and other courses that may be developed by the new faculty member within their expertise.

Research/Scholarship: The new faculty member will be expected to produce and develop a record of research/scholarly activities, defined as securing internal and external funding, authoring publications and contributions, commensurate with their area of expertise related to Food Processing with Innovative Technologies. The new faculty member will be expected to supervise undergraduate and graduate research projects. Collaborations in projects with the local food industry are also expected.

Service: The new faculty member will be expected to participate in undergraduate student advising. Committee service to the Department, College and University levels will also be expected. The new faculty member will participate in departmental service including curriculum development, program assessment and development, service to the college and university, as well as active participation in Food Science professional societies.

The workload is based primarily on teaching; however, faculty are also expected to seek external funding to secure assigned (release) time for research/scholarly activities. Assigned (release) time will be provided during the first two years of the appointment towards class preparation and development of research/scholarly agenda.

Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and evidence of a commitment to diversity in higher education are encouraged to apply.

Minimum requirements include:

• An earned doctorate in Food Science & Technology or Food Engineering, or a closely related field from an accredited university awarded (Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position).
• Research or industrial experience specifically in the areas of Food Processing with Innovative Technologies.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusivity and equity. Evidence should be provided in a Student Success Statement that responds to the prompt above - “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success”

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

• University Teaching experience
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching
• Experience supervising undergraduate and graduate research
• Engineering degree at any level
• Post-doctoral experience
• Active involvement in professional societies related to Food Science and Technology, such as Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

Conditions of Employment:

The person offered this position is required to pass a background check.

Application Process:

A completed application will consist of

• Cover letter in which you describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications;
• A Student Success Statement (up to 2 pages, single-spaced) that responds to the prompt above - “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success” and addresses at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria listed (please indicate the criteria numbers in your Statement).
• Curriculum vitae;
• Teaching Philosophy statement (2 pages max);
• Research Statement (2 pages max);
• Three (3) recent letters of recommendation (letters greater than 2 years old are not acceptable) addressing the candidate’s strengths relevant to this position;
• The names and contact information for at least five individuals that can serve as references;
• Unofficial transcripts (undergraduate and graduate; official transcripts will be required for finalists).

Finalists for the position will:

• Be required to provide official transcripts for highest degree before the on-campus interview;
• Final candidates being interviewed are expected to make a presentation of their research work and a teaching demonstration to faculty, students, and administrators. 

The position is open until filled. First consideration will be given to completed applications received no later than January 17, 2025.

Please direct inquiries to  fstsearch2024@cpp.edu.

Applications accepted only via PageUp—online application portal—for University hires.

Salary Range for academic year, nine-month appointment: $84,000-$89,800.

Equal Opportunity Employer

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The university seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing. Cal Poly Pomona subscribes to all state and federal regulations and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, medical condition, and covered veteran status. The university hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. As required by the Clery Disclosure Act, the university prepares a public annual security report.