Department Head, Department of Human Nutrition

General Information

The Department of Human Nutrition at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, invites nominations and applications for Department Head.  Full-time, 12 month, tenured position. Partial Agricultural Experiment Station or Cooperative Extension Service appointment available.  Position available July 1, 2012.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in nutrition or related area.
• Qualifications consistent with rank of Full Professor.
• Established record of progressive leadership, research and extramural funding, instructional activity, and scholarly productivity.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication, and managerial skills.
• Can articulate a vision for the Department that incorporates the missions of research, instruction, and extension in a top land-grant institution.

Responsibilities

• Provide departmental leadership for planning and implementing the department’s vision and mission.
• Promote excellence in research, instruction and extension.
• Work cooperatively with administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and the public.
• Recruit and evaluate personnel.
• Provide leadership for funding initiatives.
• Manage departmental budget and facilities.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with relevant industries, agencies, professional societies, consumer groups, and university units.
• Be actively involved in instruction, extension, and/or research.

The Department

The Department of Human Nutrition is one of four academic units in the College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. It offers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with a current enrollment of 360 undergraduate and 43 graduate students. Undergraduate programs include: nutritional science (pre-medicine), nutrition and kinesiology (dual degree), athletic training, and public health nutrition.  The department currently is staffed by 15 faculty members who have expertise in the areas of nutrition and physical activity, athletic training, chronic disease prevention and management, nutritional sciences, functional foods, sensory analysis and consumer behavior, and public health nutrition. Extension faculty provide practical, scientifically-based nutrition information to Kansas residents to improve the quality of lives and communities. The department provides coursework in support of the two CADE-accredited dietetics programs in the Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics.

Nutrition research laboratories are equipped for physical and biochemical analyses and nutrition assessment.  The department contains a small AALAC accredited animal facility. The Sensory Analysis Center supports research and contract analyses, and food product development and research laboratories. The department offers extensive online course offerings to support distance education through the Division of Continuing Education.  The department is a major contributor to the interdepartmental graduate programs in Food Science and Public Health.  Collaborating units include the Departments of Biochemistry, Kinesiology, and Plant Pathology; Division of Biology; Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture; Grain Marketing Research Laboratory; and the American Institute of Baking.

The College

The College of Human Ecology has more than 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students, making it one of the largest colleges of its kind in the nation.  It consists of three academic departments: Apparel, Textiles and Interior Design; Hospitality Management and Dietetics; and Human Nutrition; and one school, Family Studies and Human Services.  The College of Human Ecology is also the home base for the Center for Aging, Institute of Personal Financial Planning, the K-State Family Center, Institute for Academic Alliances, Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs, and Institute for the Health and Security of Military Families.

The programs of the College of Human Ecology are central to the University’s historic and present missions.  The College remains committed to the advancement, application, and dissemination of knowledge about human needs, especially those related to the physical, psychological, economic, and social well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

The University and the City

Kansas State University was founded in 1863 as one of the first land-grant institutions.  The university offers excellent academic programs, a lively intellectual and cultural atmosphere, and a friendly campus to its community of more than 23,000 students.   The main campus is located in Manhattan, KS  (population: 52,836) 120 miles west of Kansas City in the rolling Flint Hills of northeast Kansas.  The “Little Apple” is a classic college town with a zoo, a mall, 21 parks and a recreation trail that circles the city. Kansas State University also has campuses in Salina and in the Kansas City metro at Olathe.

Application Instructions

Email submissions with attachments are preferred.  Please send, in PDF format, a cover letter highlighting how the candidate fits the position, curriculum vitae, and names, addresses and telephone numbers of three references to Debby Hiett at hiett@ksu.edu (Subject line: HN Dept Head Application).  Written application materials may be directed to:  Debby Hiett, College of Human Ecology, 119 Justin Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506.  FAX 785-532-5504.

Inquiries and nominations are welcomed and should be directed to Dr. Kathy Grunewald, Search Committee Chair, at grunew@ksu.edu, 785-532-0171.

Screening of applications begins January 17, 2012 and continues until the position is filled. 

Kansas State University is an equal opportunity employer.  Background check required.  Kansas State University actively seeks diversity among its employees.