1855 Professor-Tenure System

Position Summary

The Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) at Michigan State University invite applications for a full‐time, 9-month tenure system Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor with a 50% research, 30% teaching (two courses per academic year), 15% outreach, and 5% service assignment. The start date for this position is anticipated to be 8/16/2025. The successful candidate is expected to gain international recognition through peer-reviewed scholarly publications, pursue external funding to support their research, teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and advise graduate students.

This position is part of the 1855 Professorships program, which is an Office of the Provost initiative to enhance the academic experience and student success by elevating the academic quality and reputation at MSU.  Faculty hired through this thematic hiring initiative will be scholars whose teaching, research, creative activities, outreach, engagement, or leadership addresses systemic barriers or inequities and part of the second cohort of 1855 Professors at MSU.

Applications are encouraged from scholars who conduct interdisciplinary research on the intersections of domestic/global food security, diet-related health disparities, and public policy. This includes community-based participatory research to develop and evaluate interventions that address societal issues in these areas. Topics would include the study of the availability (e.g., food production), access (e.g., neighborhood food environments), utilization (e.g., consumer choices and dietary quality/adequacy), stability and sustainability (e.g., the long-term viability and policy environment surrounding food systems) of nutritious foods, as well as research on the relationships to disparate health outcomes.

In addition to the above, successful candidates are expected to:

• Develop and teach innovative courses that integrate topics such as food security, public health nutrition, and diet-related health equity and associated salient topics in health economics, human nutrition and health, and related policy issues. The faculty member will also mentor students on these topics. In both cases, the goal is to assist with fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment that encompasses a holistic understanding of food and health from seed to table and beyond.
• Collaborate with community and governmental (state and federal) organizations to evaluate programs that address food insecurity and diet-related health inequities. Provide expert guidance to policymakers and advocate for evidence-based solutions to reduce diet-related health disparities.
• The professorship is inherently interdisciplinary and cross-departmental, involving collaboration between the AFRE and FSHN departments. Further, the faculty member is expected to engage with other relevant MSU departments. For example: those found in the Colleges of Social Science, Nursing, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Human or Osteopathic Medicine (e.g. build on existing partnerships at the MSU Flint Campus and the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health) as appropriate.
• Publish in high-quality journals.
• Secure competitive grants.
• Participate as a collaborative colleague with responsibilities in the functioning of the AFRE and FSHN governance and inclusive culture.

Provide leadership and service at departmental, college and university levels as warranted as well as in professional associations.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Agricultural economics, economics, or a related field, or a Ph.D. in food science, human nutrition, or a related field.

Minimum Requirements

Candidates are expected to have a Ph.D. in agricultural economics, economics, or a related field, or a Ph.D. in food science, human nutrition, or a related field. Candidates should have training/experience sufficient to teach core undergraduate and graduate classes in a broad range of areas in both the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Required Application Materials

a) letter of interest that includes a) letter of interest that includes qualifications for the position and a statement highlighting how your experiences align with the position; b) current curriculum vitae; c) a description of how you will contribute to our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals; and d) and three professional letters of recommendation. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Special Instructions

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on January, 6th 2025 and continue until a suitable candidate is selected. Rank will be based on the successful applicant's experience.

Questions regarding this position can be addressed to the Search Committee Chair: Dr. Craig Carpenter, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.

Review of Applications Begins On

01/06/2025

Department Statement

The Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics:  Michigan State University is the pioneer Land Grant University, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is a national leader in agricultural education, research, and extension programming.  The Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, one of the leading applied economics departments in the U.S., is made up of approximately 45 faculty (36 located in East Lansing), 62 graduate students, and 400 undergraduate students. We address societal policy questions and solve practical problems for producers, consumers, and the environment. Our undergraduate and graduate programs prepare the next generation of economists and managers to meet the needs of the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems in Michigan and around the world. AFRE Community Norms are listed at: www.canr.msu.edu/afre/about/community-norms. For more information on the department, see: www.afre.msu.edu.

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition: The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition offers undergraduate degrees in Dietetics, Food Science and Nutritional Sciences as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Food Science, Human Nutrition, and an online M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. The FSHN department is comprised by 35 faculty and approximately 60 graduate and 425 undergraduate students.  The department’s Institute for Food Laws and Regulations offers graduate certificates in U.S. Food Law and Regulations and International Food Law and will offer an online M.S. in Food Regulatory Affairs starting in 2025. Faculty in FSHN conduct fundamental and applied research on food quality, food safety and toxicology, community/clinical nutrition, and biochemical/molecular nutrition. For more information on the department, see: https://www.canr.msu.edu/fshn/index.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.