The Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health invites applications for an Open-Rank faculty member at the assistant, associate, or full professor level with a focus on food and nutrition, and public health.
We are seeking a dedicated individual with a strong research background and a passion for advancing knowledge in how to improve the food system and nutritional status to reduce health inequities. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the school’s mission through high-impact, transdisciplinary research, quality teaching, and service to the academic and public health communities. In addition, they will have the opportunity to direct the interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Food Studies, and actively engage in UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center and Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies.
We are interested in scholars who are knowledgeable about the science of food and nutrition and its relationship to wellbeing, have expertise in examining the impact of food and nutrition policies and programs with an interdisciplinary lens, and are experienced in engaging communities in research. Additionally, candidates should know how to engage in public health research, practice, and teaching, with an equity-oriented lens and the goal of having population impact through programs and policies. Opportunities in teaching include leading core course instruction, as well as teaching courses in nutrition; food policy, systems and sustainability; social determinants of health with an emphasis on nutrition; and public health.
Strong applicants will have a demonstrated history (or demonstrated potential) of developing research focused on food and nutrition and community/population health and engaging in or leading interdisciplinary research involving partners from multiple sectors. Applicants would draw from these experiences to teach public health graduate and undergraduate courses with emphasis on nutrition, community, policy, and/or programmatic-level intervention and evaluation. Priority content areas for this faculty position include but are not limited to Behavioral Nutrition, Food Environments, Food Security, Food Systems and Sustainability, Food Policy, Maternal and Child Nutrition, Geriatric Nutrition and Global Nutrition. Leadership and/or experience working with underserved communities, including people with disabilities, women, or people from minoritized groups, and having a working knowledge of implementation science are plusses.
Our multidisciplinary faculty has a strong history of ongoing public health programming in both domestic and global contexts, as well as multiple graduate education programs (MPH, MSPH, PhD programs) and two new undergraduate majors in Public Health BA and Public Health BS.
Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in public health, social and behavioral sciences, or related disciplines (e.g., PhD, ScD, MD, DrPH or equivalent) by the time of appointment. They must also demonstrate: (1) independent research and peer-reviewed publications in areas central to food and nutrition; (2) documented (or potential for) success in obtaining extramural funding; (3) interdisciplinary research collaborations; and (4) a commitment to excellence in teaching and mentorship.
The posted UC Salary Scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. The salary range for this position is $78,200-$205,400, negotiable based on experience. Salaries must be approved by the Chancellor. Consistent with recent hires, and based on experience, it is expected that this base amount will be supplemented by an additional 50-55% off-scale rate, equal to a maximum off-scale range of $121,200 to $318,400. This salary does not include other components of pay raised through extramural funds, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range.
To be considered for this position, applicants must submit the following documents no later than November 17, 2024:
• Curriculum Vitae (C.V.): Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter: Letter addressed to the search committee, which highlights your interest in, qualifications for, and fit with this position.
• Statement of Research: A research statement highlighting scholarly contributions of recent research and plans for the near future.
• Statement of Teaching: Teaching statement outlining your teaching philosophy, classroom and/or mentorship experience, and description of courses you would like to teach at UCLA. You may also choose to include previous teaching evaluations.
• Statement of Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Statement addressing past, current, and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service. To learn more about how UCLA thinks about contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please review our EDI Statement FAQ document.
• References: Contact information for at least three professional references. Please complete and upload the Reference Check Authorization Release Form. We will solicit letters of recommendation at later stages of the search process.
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, bullying and other demeaning behavior, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment as well as a commitment to addressing all forms of academic misconduct, UCLA conducts targeted employment reference checks for finalists to whom departments or other hiring units would like to extend formal offers of appointment into Academic Senate faculty positions. The targeted employment reference checks involve contacting the finalists’ current and prior places of employment to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UCLA requires all applicants for Academic Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into RECRUIT as part of their application. If the applicant does not include the signed authorization to release information with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete. As with any incomplete application, the application will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists (i.e., those to whom the department or other hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer) considered for Academic Senate faculty positions will be subject to targeted employment reference checks.