Assistant or Associate Professor of Animal and Food Sciences, Regular Title Series

Job Title
Assistant or Associate Professor of Animal and Food Sciences, Regular Title Series

Requisition Number
FE05074

Working Title
Assistant or Associate Professor of Swine Nutrition

Department Name
81070:ANIMAL AND FOOD SCIENCES

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Type of Position
Faculty

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Tenure Track Status
Tenure Track

Required Education

Ph.D. in Animal Science, or a closely allied field.

Required Related Experience

Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated potential for excellence in research, instruction, and grantsmanship. Applicants must possess a demonstrated record of peer-reviewed scientific publications, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a desire to collaborate with others in a collegial team environment. The ability to work in interdisciplinary and cross-functional environments is important.

Required License/Registration/Certification

N/A

Job Summary

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky invites applications for a tenure-eligible faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Swine Nutrition. The anticipated distribution of effort for this position is 85% research, 10% instruction and 5% service. The successful candidate will establish and maintain a nationally recognized, extramurally funded research program in swine nutrition while making strong contributions to undergraduate and graduate education.

Appointment rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Research addressing high-impact areas such as nutrient utilization and metabolism, precision nutrition, and/or intestinal physiology and health are desirable. Responsibilities include research, instruction, student training, and engaging with industry in support of critical issues facing the swine industry. Instructional responsibilities include the teaching of graduate and/or undergraduate courses depending on the candidate’s qualifications and departmental needs. Responsibilities also include collaboration with colleagues and extension educators in allied animal industries toward a common goal of fulfilling the college and department missions as well as mentoring undergraduate and graduate students and contributing to teaching initiatives.

Resources: Candidates will have access to new state-of-the-art facilities, including on-campus laboratories and animal research facilities (https://future.ca.uky.edu/projects/ag-research-building), as well as the C. Oran Little Research Center (https://research.ca.uky.edu/c-oran-little-research-center), the recently opened Meats & Foods Industry Advancement Center (https://future.ca.uky.edu/projects/industry-advancement-center) and the UK Research and Education Center at Princeton, KY (https://wkrec.ca.uky.edu). Opportunity to participate in the UK One Health Initiative (https://onehealth.mgcafe.uky.edu/) provides excellent cross-disciplinary opportunities. Additional departments that could provide opportunities for collaboration and resources include the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, the Gluck Equine Research Center, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, etc.

Salary and Benefits: Salary is negotiable and is commensurate with training and experience. Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with many rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: www.uky.edu/HR/benefits.

The Environment: The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) is fulfilling the land-grant promise of educational excellence, civic leadership, transformational research, and shared knowledge serving the common good. We serve the people of the Commonwealth and across the world through education, outreach, service, and research by finding solutions to improve lives today and create a sustainable future. We integrate teaching, research, and extension in our work. We recruit, retain, and graduate students who are competent, responsible, and workforce ready. For more than 130 years, M-G CAFE has provided research results to the community. From traditional labs and research farms to high-tech diagnostic and research centers, we offer science-based, practical solutions that affect the everyday lives of Kentuckians and people around the world. Our Cooperative Extension programs are engaged in Kentucky’s 120 counties, identifying and addressing needs not only in agriculture and natural resources, but also 4-H and youth development, family and consumer sciences, as well as community & economic development. We create a welcoming environment that allows our faculty, staff, and students to reach their highest potential.

Application: Applications should be submitted by December 15, 2026, for full consideration while the position will remain open until filled. The anticipated interview period is January to March 2027. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2027. Please use the University of Kentucky’s electronic application process to apply.

Application Materials are to include:

• Letter of interest summarizing qualifications, area of expertise, career goals, and a vision for an extramurally funded, innovative, and impactful research and teaching program that addresses existing and emerging issues necessary for sustainable growth of swine production. (upload under Cover Letter)
• Statement of research (2-page limit) detailing the direction and vision for establishing an extramurally funded research program with potential to positively impact the swine industry. This should include a section on student mentoring (undergraduate and graduate). (upload under Specific Request 1)
• Statement of teaching (2-page limit) detailing teaching experiences, philosophy including the instruction of courses and mentoring in undergraduate and graduate research. (upload under Specific Request 2).
• Current curriculum vitae with names and contact information (emails and phone numbers) of three professional references. References should be able to address, in their professional judgment, your performance in advancing your scholarly field, significance of publication venues, grants involvement, instructional accomplishments, and service contributions. Indicate your relationship with each reference.
• Academic Transcripts (unofficial transcripts acceptable)

Candidate questions may be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. David Harmon at David.Harmon@uky.edu

To apply for this position, click on the quicklink:https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/653146or copy and paste the URL into your browser

Click Apply for this Posting.

Follow the instructions on how to create an account.

Complete the Employment Application and upload the required documents.

If you need assistance with the electronic application process, contact HR/ Employment, phone (859) 257-9555, press 2, or email ukjobs@email.uky.edu

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
Yes

Preferred Education/Experience

Postdoctoral experience in animal science or in related fields is encouraged.

Deadline to Apply

Open Until Filled
Yes

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.