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Job Title:Assistant/Associate Professor of Microbiome Studies
Department:FAES | Animal Sciences
See attached job description.Position Overview
- Distribution of Effort: 60% Research/ 30% Teaching/ 10% Service/ 0% Extension
- Position Track: Tenure Track
Position Location
Columbus, Ohio
Position Description
Our goal is to recruit, support, and retain a scholar in a 9-month tenure-track position with a primary focus on microbiome studies in ruminants. The ideal candidate will establish or expand a research program that builds upon departmental strengths and employs interdisciplinary, collaborative, and innovative approaches to unlock the potential of livestock microbiomes (ruminant focused) to improve livestock production, health, and environmental sustainability, and address challenges facing sustainable food production and security. Among the areas of interest are, but are not limited to, 1) microbiome-host interactions influencing feed efficiency, methane emissions, and nutrient utilization through various in vitro and in vivo approaches; 2) inter-kingdom microbial interactions that shape microbiome structure, functions, and microbial products benefiting the host; 3) microbiome-informed metabolic modeling using machine-learning and artificial intelligence technologies; and 4) microbiome signatures guiding interventions to improve ruminant livestock health and productivity. A background and vision to integrate multi-omics technologies and artificial intelligence to develop effective solutions for sustainable livestock production are desired.
Ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in nutrition, microbiology, or physiology would be favorable, and the successful candidate will be expected to train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. The successful candidate will collaborate in interdisciplinary teams and is expected to establish a nationally and internationally recognized extramurally funded research program. Faculty members have a shared responsibility to support and sustain the CFAES Principles of Community, convey good citizenship, and interact collegially. We strongly encourage applications from individuals with diverse life experiences and whose scholarship demonstrates successful collaborative efforts and interactions with industry, academic, government, and non-government organizations. All faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas of the Land Grant Institution (Research, Teaching and Extension) regardless of distribution of efforts.
Performance Objectives
- Contribute to the Department's academic mission through teaching 6 credit hours per year,
- Demonstrate an ability to cultivate learning environments that are equitable and inclusive of students with diverse social identities and backgrounds, and a commitment to enhancing Animal Sciences and related professions.
- Develop and/or expand a productive, collaborative, interdisciplinary research program in microbiome studies, including seeking extramural funding, presenting research findings at national and international meetings, and publishing high-impact research.
- Mentor graduate and undergraduate students in research and advise undergraduate students in academic planning.
- Work collaboratively with university faculty, staff, and relevant Ohio industries to advance the land grant missions of the college and university.
- Serve the department, college, university, and professional communities through committee work and other appropriate faculty responsibilities and activities.
Education and Experience Requirements
Required:
- Ph.D. in animal sciences, microbiology, or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated expertise and a deep interest in exploring and conducting microbiome research in the complex interactions between microbes and animal systems using state-of-the-art multi-omics technologies.
- Evidence of potential for excellence in teaching and research.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a willingness and ability to work closely with diverse groups of academic (e.g., students, staff, faculty) and industry audiences.
- Demonstrated interest in and/or experience with teaching, recruiting, mentoring, and advising students.
Desired:
- Documented evidence of individual and/or collaborative research and teaching efforts and outcomes relevant to the position.
- Experience using machine learning, and AI in research with large and complex biological datasets
• Experience developing or working in interdisciplinary research teams.
How to Apply
To be considered, please submit your application electronically via Workday https://hr.osu.edu/careers/ Requisition R162301.
Application materials must include:
Required:
- Describe your qualifications, areas of expertise, career goals, and alignment with desired qualifications and preferred qualifications where applicable
- Statement of Education (including teaching and mentoring capability) that includes innovative approaches to delivering education in classroom settings and to various stakeholders (two-page limit)
- Statement of Research that addresses direction and vision for establishing or expanding a collaborative research program that has potential for impacting the industry and advancing microbiome science (two-page limit)
- Names and contact information (email and phone number) of three references.
Initial consideration will be given to applications received by January 15th, 2027. We welcome informal inquiries, which can be made by contacting Search Committee Chair, Dr. Chanhee Lee at [redacted].
Additional Information:Department/School Information
The Department of Animal Sciences is based on two campuses in Ohio: one in Columbus and the other in Wooster. There are 38 faculty and 60 staff that deliver the research, teaching, and extension programs of the department. Approximately 530 undergraduate students and 55 graduate students are enrolled. Undergraduate students can choose from seven Animal Sciences minors and three major degree specializations including Animal Biosciences, Animal Industries, and Veterinary Technology. The Department also collaborates in offering an interdisciplinary undergraduate Nutrition Program alongside Human Nutrition and has a strong, recognized graduate program that awards MS and PhD degrees, including the OSU Interdisciplinary PhD in Nutrition (OSUN). The Department aims to increase the economic profitability of agricultural animals and the quality of their products through the department's priority areas that include: 1) Nutrition and the Microbiomes, 2) Growth and Development, 3) Health and Disease, and 4) Welfare and Human-Animal Interactions. The Department maintains herds and flocks of major food-producing animals across both campuses and statewide for teaching, research, and extension engagement (https://cfaes.osu.edu/research/stations-and-sites). Excellent opportunities are available for collaboration with food, veterinary, medical, animal and plant scientists on the Columbus and Wooster campuses.
The university offers extensive infrastructure and resources for microbiome research, including the Infectious Diseases Institute Genomics and Microbiology Solutions (IDI-GEMS) Laboratory, state-of-the-art platforms for diverse omics technologies, and high-throughput computing (Ohio SuperComputer Center). It also brings together internationally recognized microbiome researchers and scientists across disciplines, with the Center of Microbiome Science comprising more than 130 faculty members and offering extensive resources, curriculum, and services to support faculty and trainees in cutting-edge microbiome research and training including expanding culturomics capa
