The Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor in Precision Nutrition and Food Microbiome Interfaces to begin September 1, 2026. The anticipated workload distribution is approximately 75% research, 20% teaching, and 5% service.

The successful candidate will develop a nationally competitive research program investigating how food composition, processing, and dietary bioactives influence gut microbiome dynamics, intestinal physiology, and human or animal health outcomes. Areas of emphasis include foods regulated by FDA/USDA (e.g., produce, meats, fermented foods, and ready-to-eat foods). The appointee will collaborate with departmental food microbiology faculty on pathogen control, validation, and regulatory compliance, and with food and meat science faculty on food composition and health evaluation.

Major functions

In line with Texas Tech’s strategic priorities to engage and empower a diverse student body, enable innovative research and creative activities, and transform lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship, applicants should have experience working with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within individual or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

As a faculty member in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, the successful candidate will be expected to:

• Conduct Research (75%)
  • Develop and maintain a high-impact, externally funded research program examining how food matrices, processing, and bioactive compounds modulate intestinal environments (microbiome, barrier integrity, postbiotics, immune signaling) and drive systemic health outcomes (metabolic, neurological, inflammatory, or infectious disease).
  • Apply omics and nutrigenomic approaches (such as metagenomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics) and model systems (animal, human, or ex vivo) to connect food microbiome interactions with health endpoints.
  • Integrate food safety perspectives into research by co-designing studies that assess both safety and health-promoting attributes, including pathogen reduction strategies.
  • Collaborate with food scientists, microbiologists, process engineers, and One Health cluster colleagues to incorporate validation, regulatory considerations, and translational relevance.
  • Lead or contribute to multi-PI proposals (NIH, USDA, FDA, NSF, and industry).
  • Disseminate research through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and engaged scholarship.
• Teach (20%)
  • Teach approximately two courses per year (or equivalent distribution), including undergraduate and/or graduate instruction aligned with departmental needs and areas of expertise.
  • Contribute to the development or enhancement of learning experiences in subject areas related to food–microbiome interactions, precision nutrition, omics applications, or functional food science, which may include modules, laboratory components, hybrid formats, or co-taught courses.
  • Support the department by teaching or assisting with core food science courses as needed (e.g., Food Analysis, Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology), depending on expertise and curricular demand.
  • Mentor and supervise MS and PhD students, serve on graduate committees, and direct thesis/dissertation research.
  • Participate in educational programming connected to the International Center for Food Industry Excellence (ICFIE) or other department-affiliated initiatives consistent with TTU’s teaching and educational mission.
• Serve (5%)
  • Provide service to the department, college, university, and profession.
  • Participate in regional and national professional organizations such as the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the American Society for Nutrition.
• Advise and Collaborate
  • Support integration of departmental food safety initiatives with the broader One Health cluster to build “food:safety:health” research pipelines.
  • Foster collaboration between the Institute for One Health Innovation and the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
  • Engage in cluster- and center-level initiatives such as seminar series, interdisciplinary workshops, collaborative proposals, and seed grant programs.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Food Science, Nutritional Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or a closely related field by the start date. Examples include defended dissertation, scheduled defense, or documented progress toward degree completion.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity relevant to microbiome science, precision nutrition, or food–health interactions. Examples include peer-reviewed articles (published, accepted, or submitted), dissertation chapters, or conference abstracts.
• Experience with molecular/omics tools (e.g., metagenomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics) and/or intestinal physiology systems. Evidence may include dissertation methodologies, coursework, workshops, or collaborative training.
• A proven capacity or a record indicative of the ability of securing extramural funding, demonstrated by contributions to grant proposals, competitive fellowships, scholarships, or clearly articulated plans in application materials.
• Ability to teach and mentor students, demonstrated through TA experience, guest lectures, undergraduate mentorship, pedagogical training, or teaching evaluations (if available).
• Commitment to working with a breadth of student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, demonstrated through mentorship, outreach participation, student organization involvement, or training in comprehensive teaching.

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Postdoctoral or equivalent research training experiences
• Experience working with FDA/USDA-regulated food systems, such as produce, meats, fermented foods, or ready-to-eat foods. Examples include internships, industry collaborations, or regulatory short courses.
• Experience in human or animal experimental systems, including familiarity with the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) processes, sample collection, or coordination of clinical or translational studies.
• Experience contributing to interdisciplinary teams, particularly in data science, microbiology, food safety, nutrition, or biomedical areas.
• Evidence of translational or industry-facing engagement, such as pilot-scale trials, product development, stakeholder workshops, or extension-adjacent activities.
• Experience supporting or leading components of multi-PI or center-level proposals, including drafting sections, generating preliminary data, or managing a project component.
• Record of mentoring, such as supervising undergraduate researchers, interns, or junior lab members, and supporting experiential learning opportunities.

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