Assistant, Associate or Full Professor, Tenure Track

Human Nutrition and Health

Division of Nutritional Sciences

Cornell University

The Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS) at Cornell University invites applications for two positions in human nutrition and health. Both positions are for 9-month, full-salaried, tenure-track faculty members. We seek experienced candidates with research excellence in human nutrition and health, with a track record of high impact research in the US and/or internationally that is commensurate with rank.

Research excellence should be demonstrated by an active, externally funded research program, as well as by a substantial record of publication in recognized peer-reviewed journals that is commensurate with rank. We seek candidates with disciplinary expertise in nutrition, epidemiology, public health, medicine, translational research, or nutritional biochemistry. Candidates working at the intersection of related fields, for example leveraging the use of big data and bioinformatics to address challenges in human nutrition and health, are encouraged to apply. The successful candidates will be expected to teach at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

The Division of Nutritional Sciences

The Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University is among the largest academic units in the United States devoted to human nutrition and is distinguished by its multi-disciplinary faculty. The mission of DNS is to advance discovery in basic disciplines and to promote the health and well-being of populations in the U.S. and globally. The scholarly activities in DNS include research, education, translation, and extension and outreach. These activities integrate knowledge across the physical, biological, and social sciences to address important questions related to nutrition and health, food systems, and social and institutional environments and governmental policies related to nutrition and human health. The multidisciplinary environment supports faculty who work across the Division’s 4 programmatic foci of Precision Nutrition, Lifecycle Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Systems, and Social and Behavioral Nutrition. The annual external research expenditures in DNS averages 6.1 million dollars and DNS faculty collectively publish over 180 papers annually in high-impact journals.

In 2022, a new Cornell Center for Precision Nutrition and Health was established by the College of Human Ecology, with its leadership based in the Division of Nutritional Sciences. The Division also houses a 3,800 sq. foot Human Metabolic Research Unit housing a DXA, a clinical chemistry laboratory, and a metabolic kitchen. The College of Human Ecology also houses a 3,000 sq ft state-of-the-art MRI facility that supports human research.

DNS is the administrative home for the Cornell Graduate Field of Nutrition and the Graduate Field of Epidemiology and currently has three NIH-sponsored training grants in Artificial Intelligence and Precision Nutrition, Maternal and Child Health and Translational Research to support pre- and post-doctoral trainees. DNS faculty currently support about 60 graduate students currently enrolled and DNS faculty support about 20 postdoctoral trainees. The DNS undergraduate program consists of four majors (over 700 students) and a university-wide minor in Global Health. The Nutritional Sciences and Global and Public Health Sciences majors are offered in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and in the College of Human Ecology (CHE), the Human Biology, Health and Society major is offered in CHE, and the concentration in Nutrition in the Biological Sciences Major is offered in CALS and the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Division is home to the Food and Nutrition Education in Communities program, which leads the New York State Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (NYS EFNEP) delivered through the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) system. DNS is the only nutrition-focused World Health Organization | Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Centre in the US and is an Affiliate Center in the Cochrane US Network. DNS also is home to the Program in International Nutrition, the longest running program of its kind with an alumni base of over 300 graduates.

Academic Environment at Cornell University

Cornell is a major Land Grant research and teaching institution established in 1865 with both endowed and state-assisted units. The student population on the Ithaca campus is approximately 8,400 graduate/professional students and more than 15,000 undergraduates. Cornell offers a strong, interdisciplinary research environment, and has ongoing campus-wide investments in Radical Collaborations that seek to leverage our uniquely collaborative environment to advance the areas of social sciences, sustainability, data science, digital agriculture, genome biology, humanities and arts, infection biology, nanoscale science and molecular engineering. Other Cornell programs and initiatives include Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Cornell Center for Health Equity, the Cornell Center for the Study of Inequality, the Global Cornell Initiative, the Engaged Cornell Initiative, and the Academic Integration Initiative that seeks to strengthen linkages among Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Tech and Cornell’s main campus in Ithaca, NY.

Qualifications:

The candidate is expected to have:

• A doctoral degree (e.g., PhD, ScD, DrPH, MD/PhD) in nutrition, epidemiology, public health, medicine, or a related field
• Demonstrated research excellence in DNS’ strategic focus areas including maternal and child nutrition, precision nutrition, obesity and chronic disease prevention, nutrition and infectious disease and biological systems and networks linked to nutrition-related phenotypes.
• Commensurate with rank, potential for or demonstrated research excellence supported by a record of publication in the field and a strong externally funded research program.
• An interest in building academic linkages within DNS program areas, and with other departments and centers throughout the University.
• Interest in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level

Responsibilities:

The candidate is expected to:

• Maintain a vigorous, externally funded research program focused on human nutrition and health.
• Maintain a high level of scholarly activity.
• Mentor graduate students
• Forge professional relationships within the Division of Nutritional Sciences and other academic units on campus.
• Participate in the Division of Nutritional Sciences’ undergraduate and graduate teaching programs.

Academic Rank and Compensation:

The two positions, which are part of this hire, are 9-month appointments, with the expectation of tenure. The Assistant and the open rank position are designated as 60% effort in research, 40% in teaching/instruction. Salary level will depend on experience and expertise and will be competitive with comparable positions at peer universities.

Applicants must apply through Academic Jobs Online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26196 and upload a cover letter, CV, research statement, a teaching statement, a mentoring statement, and a description of approaches to working in a diverse community (stand alone or embedded in other application materials). We ask applicants for all faculty positions to share their experiences and/or approaches (past, current, or future) to fostering learning, research, service, and/or outreach in a diverse community. Applicants may choose to submit a stand-alone statement or embed the information in other parts of their application materials. Applicants must also arrange for three confidential letters of recommendation to be submitted through Academic Jobs Online.

Review of applications will begin in mid-November 2023 and will continue until these positions have been filled.  

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.