Professor of Nutritional Sciences

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POSITION SPECIFICS

Professor of Nutritional Sciences

Position Description:

The Department of Nutritional Sciences ( and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences ( at The Pennsylvania State (Penn State) University, a Land-grant University, seeks a tenure-eligible Professor whose work centers on the biological underpinnings of nutrition, food choice, and/or nutrition-related health outcomes. This position will also come with a prestigious 5-year appointment as the Dorothy Foehr Huck Endowed Chair in Nutrition, with possibility for renewal. The Dorothy Foehr Chair is expected to further scholarly excellence through contributions to instruction, research, and public service. Penn State consistently ranks among the nation's top 25 public research universities, with fiscal year 2025 research expenditures exceeding $1.4 billion. The Department of Nutritional Sciences is one of the most research-active in the College of Health and Human Development with a long tradition of impactful scholarship. The start-up package will be highly competitive, and the endowed chairship can provide ongoing discretionary research support. Salary is based on 36-weeks of service annually, which can be supplemented with additional salary up to a total of 48 weeks. The University offers an excellent package of benefits LINK/WEBSITE.

Successful candidates are expected to have an established track record of successful extramural funding, published results from multidisciplinary research projects, and evidence of leadership of multidisciplinary scientific teams. The candidate will complement the research of existing faculty within the Department, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, College of Health and Human Development, and other academic units across the University. Areas of interest prioritize the biological underpinnings of nutrition and food choice across the translational spectrum.


Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate, through prior achievements, intentional and actioned commitment to academic excellence. In addition to establishing a rigorous externally funded research program at Penn State, duties also include:

• Promote a culture of excellence in interdisciplinary nutritional sciences research, teaching, and outreach across the Penn State system.
• Promote Penn State as a global leader in interdisciplinary nutrition research through novel collaborations that integrate existing strengths.
• Contribute to leading the growth of nutritional sciences at Penn State through strategic initiatives and development of collaborative, interdisciplinary research teams and development of center, program, and training grants.
• Support the training of next generation of nutritional sciences researchers via classroom and experiential learning opportunities.
• Participate in strategic planning to contribute to the impact of the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Huck Institute of Life Sciences.
• Actively engage in mentorship of early career faculty.
• Support community development and engagement at the student, staff, postdoctoral and faculty levels.

This position is located at the University Park campus of Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, a picturesque locale in the heart of the Commonwealth known as Happy Valley. As a vibrant college town, State College hosts year-round festivals and activities and is near countless miles of hiking trails and state parks. State College is not only centrally located in Pennsylvania, but also the Mid-Atlantic region. Major metropolitan areas including Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg are just a short drive away.

The preferred start date for the position is Fall 2026.

Position Requirements for a successful candidate include:

• Having earned a doctoral degree in any nutrition-related field (PhD, MD and/or equivalent)
• A demonstrated record of research accomplishments befitting the rank of full professor
• Currently maintaining an innovative and successful research program
• Demonstrating excellence in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and mentoring students.
• Either have demonstrated a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all individuals, or describing one or more ways they would envision doing so, given the opportunity.

About the Department of Nutritional Sciences

The National Research Council ranked Penn State's Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences among the nation's best. More information is available at: ( The Department has 29 full-time faculty. Current student enrollments are approximately 200 undergraduate students, 64 master's students, and 28 PhD students. The Department provides a supportive, collaborative environment that facilitates and encourages interdisciplinary translational research. Collaborative opportunities abound in the Department of Nutritional Sciences; in other departments in the College of Health and Human Development; in other Penn State Colleges (e.g., Agriculture, Engineering, Medicine, Science, Liberal Arts and Sciences); and in Centers and Institutes across campus, including but not limited to the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences Research Institute, Penn State Clinical and Translational Institute (CTSI), Penn State Cancer Institute, and Cooperative Extension. Faculty within the department have a high success rate of extramural funding. The Department is invested in the success of the faculty, staff, and students, and has developed a mentoring program for faculty.

The Department of Nutritional Sciences is located within the College of Health and Human Development (HHD) at University Park. HHD enrolls approximately 4,200 undergraduates and 350 full-time graduate students. The College includes eight academic units and research centers and service units including the Prevention Research Center, the Center for Children's Health Research, the Center for Health Aging, the Diet Assessment Laboratory, the Biomarker Core, and the Clinical Research Center. For more information about HHD visit:


About the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences is one of 8 interdisciplinary institutes at Penn State. The mission of the Huck is to catalyze interdisciplinary research excellence. Huck works across the University to support and connect research teams addressing the greatest challenges facing humanity (for Huck strategic research priorities, see: ). The Huck supports seed grant programs, 6 intercollege graduate degree programs, cross-university Centers and Institutes, and 11 shared and core facilities, which include: the Biomolecular Interactions Facility, Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, Flow Cytometry Facility, Genomics Core Facility, Metabolomics Core Facility, Microscopy Facility, Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Core Facility and more (


Application & Inquiries

To apply, interested candidates should complete an on-line application (WEBSITE) and upload:

Cover letter Personal statement addressing interests and vision (future goals and plans) in a) research and b) teaching; A statement related to the Penn State Values as part of the application materials (e.g., Please share how you would contribute to creating/maintaining an inclusive and respectful environment [for all students within classrooms and/or all employees within your work unit]). A curriculum vitae Names, titles, and complete contact information for three professional references who may be contacted should also be uploaded.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission.

Please address materials to the Professor of Nutritional Sciences Search Committee and direct questions or informal inquiries to the search committee chair, Greg Shearer View email address on click.appcast.io. Please indicate " Nutritional Sciences Professor" in the subject line of email correspondence and cc: the message to Julie Brenneman (View email address on click.appcast.io).


Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional wellbeing. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission.

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