Assistant Professor of Food Science at Ohio State FAQ
- What is the percent teaching, research and extension ?
- The posting is very broad, what specialization do you seek ?
- What is salary ? What about start up funds ?
- Where is the office and laboratory ?
- How much paid vacation is there ? How many holidays? What about independent consultation work ?
- Is a Ph.D., post-doc, or other experience required ?
- What is the likely starting date ?
- What help is there for a new faculty member ?
- My employer need not know of my interest, can this be confidential?
- Not finding the answer here ?
What is the percent teaching, research and extension ?
F
aculty
members are accountable to a job description, not a percent salary appointment.
Our department Pattern of
Administration specifies that percent T/R/E (teaching/research/extension) is
transparent. We do not change salary lines when someone teaches more or
less, nor when they end or start a grant or workshop. For this particular
position, there is 70% general fund and 30% experiment station funding.
These percentages have no impact on job responsibilities.
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The posting is quite broad, what specialization do you seek ?
We seek a Food Scientist who will advance Ohio State's stature as a premier
food science program. We are intentional in not restricting our search to
microbiology, engineering,
chemistry, sensory, functional foods, nutrition, processing, etc. A person
with innovative ideas and impressive credentials in any of these areas qualifies
for this job. You may note our current faculty has expertise in all these
areas. This person will help us build a critical mass of expertise to move
an Ohio State food specialization to the forefront of the discipline.
Instruction of fst401, the first course required of our food science majors, is part of this job. You can visit the current web site to learn about the current course. However, we expect this course will evolve to suit the interests and expertise of the person who fills this faculty position.
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What is the salary ? What about start up funds ?
Annual compensation is generally commensurate to qualifications and
experience. Our college has established a salary level for entry level
assistant professors of $65,000 per year on a 12 month basis. This is
considered a maximum and is generous relative to several peer Universities.
A nine month basis, where summer salary is sought from grants, may be possible
but the annual compensation will be proportionately lower.
Start up funding is negotiated. This negotiation often takes place after a verbal offer of employment is made and prior to your written acceptance of the position. It may be reasonable to seek support of a graduate student until tenure occurs, usually six years. Purchase of major capital equipment is easier to justify if other OSU faculty members are convinced of its value to shared programs. Our labs are generally well stocked but some cash is needed to get a research program up and running.
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Where is the office and laboratory ?
OSU Food Science has spaces assigned in the Parker Building, Howlett Hall,
and Vivian Hall. Most faculty members have offices in the new Parker
Building that we occupied in 2001. Pictures of the
offices and
labs are on this web site. The office on the second floor of Parker is
likely assigned to this position.
The facilities committee will assign a dedicated laboratory to this position. This will depend upon the specialization hired, as some labs are better suited for chemistry, engineering, or microbiology, etc. Space is available that results from the resignation or retirement of Drs. Courtney, Bomser, Chism and Mangino. There are biosafety level 2 labs in Howlett Hall and a BSL 3 facility within a mile of our building that may be requested on an as-needed basis. We share several facilities and equipment as listed on this web site.
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How much paid vacation is there ? How many holidays? What about benefits and consulting ?
Vacation is one month or 22 days per year.
There are ten state holidays per year. We have an
on-line leave form on our site to simplify paperwork. Faculty may
consult one day per week or 20%. All OSU benefits and policies are on
site. Here is the policy on
paid faculty leaves.
The Ohio State University offers a
comprehensive benefit package designed to provide a variety of choices to
best fit your needs and the needs of your family.
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Is a Ph.D., post-doc, or other experience required ?
A Ph.D. degree in food science or related discipline is a minimum requirement. This is not negotiable. Other mandatory requirements include proficiency in written and spoken English and a record of peer review publications in respected scientific journals.
Post doctoral or other experience helps prepare people for an academic job, but it is not mandatory. Industrial experience also helps strengthen an application but many candidates are considered without such experience.
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What is the likely starting date?
We suggest application by September 15, 2005 for full consideration. We
will continue to accept applications until the position is filled. A start
date could be as early as 2005, but more realistically it is at the start of the
fiscal year in July 06. This faculty has waited patiently before but
enthusiasm is hard to maintain if the wait is more than a year. In short, we are
flexible depending upon candidate circumstances.
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What help is there for a new faculty member?
New
faculty member workshops occur in the Fall quarter each year. There is one
run by the Office of the Provost and another by our college. You can also
sign up for a Roads Tour, where new employees tour Ohio industries and the
branch campuses of this college. I put up a web page of
useful links for new
arrivals. Interacting with colleagues will likely be most helpful.
We have friendly supportive environment with no shortage of good advice.
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My employer need not know of my application, can this be confidential?
Yes,
only the search committee will know the identities of candidates. If your
cover letter requests confidentiality, we will respect that request. Open
records laws do not apply to search files. The committee will narrow the
list of qualified candidates that will be contacted by telephone. After
this conversation, a list of candidates recommended for a campus interview will
advance to the food science faculty. Once the campus interview takes
place, confidentiality can no longer be maintained.
Letters of recommendation remain confidential. Applications will be shredded within one year of the closing of the search.
Not finding the answer here?
- Check the many links on the original posting.
- Click every link on the fst.osu.edu web site.
- Send your question to any member of the search committee.
Really
good questions could end up in this FAQ. Really bad questions will not
disqualify you from consideration in this search, so go ahead and ask silly
stuff. You will automatically be entered in a random double blind drawing
for a free Parker Dairy Store ice cream cone!
The Ohio State University Food Science and Technology Search Committee accumulates acute anticipatory hysteria as it awaits your compelling interrogatives. Professor Ken Lee, Professor Sheryl Barringer, Assistant Professor VM Balasubramaniam, Assistant Professor Yael Vodovotz and Human Resources Staff Member Julie Townsend look forward to your application.
