Closing Date: 02/29/2024

Job Address:

1 Shields Ave 
Davis, CA
95616

Description: 

Assistant Professor of Wine Chemistry
Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis

As part of UC Davis’ commitment to hire leading research faculty with an outstanding commitment to teaching, research and service that will promote the success of historically underrepresented and marginalized student communities and address the needs of our increasingly diverse state and student population, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California announces an Assistant Professor faculty position (9-month) in the Department of Viticulture and Enology. Applications are encouraged from candidates with a strong background in any current or emerging area that will fit within our department’s disciplinary focus in the general area of Wine Chemistry.

As one of the country’s leading R1 institutions, UC Davis seeks candidates with exceptional potential for research, teaching, and inclusive excellence. In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the barriers preventing full participation of members from historically underrepresented and marginalized student communities in higher education, such as (but not limited to) women, underrepresented minorities, individuals self-identifying as LGBTQIA+, veterans, individuals with disabilities, economically disadvantaged groups, first-generation, undocumented students, or students with any intersections in between. Successful candidates will help advance UC Davis’ strategic goal of improving access and building an inclusive community for all marginalized populations.

The successful candidate also will have an accomplished track record (calibrated to career stage) of teaching, research, or service activities addressing the needs of underrepresented minorities, and a clearly articulated vision of how their work at UC Davis will continue to contribute to the University’s mission of serving the needs of our diverse state and student population. Applicants’ track record of engagement and activity related to diversity, equal opportunity, and inclusion as well as their plans for future engagement will be a significant part of the overall evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications for a faculty appointment.

This is an academic year (9-month), Assistant Professor tenure-track position with teaching, research, outreach/engagement and service responsibilities and includes the expectation that the appointee will conduct mission-oriented research and outreach/engagement of relevance to the California Agricultural Experiment Station (https://caes.ucdavis.edu/research/aes).

Responsibilities:

The Department of Viticulture and Enology is seeking applicants that focus on employing analytical techniques for the measurement of flavor compounds. This will involve study of chemical reactions underlying transformations that occur in wine with a focus on the origin and/or modification of compounds throughout the wine making process. The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program to address critical or emerging issues in wine flavor chemistry, including important compounds that are likely to vary with a changing climate, such as those responding to increasing temperatures during ripening. The appointee will be responsible for teaching undergraduate, as well as a graduate level, courses in wine chemistry and winemaking (a total of three per year, which can include a lab course); example courses in the curriculum include VEN 123 (Analysis of Musts & Wines) and 123L (Analysis of Musts & Wines Lab), VEN 126 (Wine Stability) and 126L (Wine Stability Lab), and the graduate courses VEN 219, 213 and 223. Participation in and development of public outreach and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is expected.

This position is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, partners in allied industries or other appropriate public stakeholders.

Qualifications:

•  Basic qualification: Ph.D. or equivalent in a field of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Organic Chemistry, Agricultural & Environmental Chemistry, or related field at the time of appointment
• Post-doctoral experience preferred
• Evidence of leadership and organizational skills relevant to the development of a successful research, teaching and outreach program
• Evidence of scholarship during graduate and post-graduate activities
• Demonstrated ability or potential to obtain extramural support for research activities
• Interest, understanding, and commitment to contributing to diversity. Demonstrated ability to contribute to diversity and inclusion of groups that are underrepresented in the academy through extension education, research, and/or service would be a plus
• Demonstrated ability or potential to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses and to present information to scientific audiences
• Willingness and interest to advise undergraduates
• Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students
• Evidence of communication skills and collegiality consistent with effective departmental, campus and professional citizenship
• Interest, understanding, and commitment to the objectives of a land-grant university and the Agricultural Experiment Station including mission-oriented research and a substantive outreach engagement programming

Salary:

The salary range for this position is $97,500 – $120,100. “Off-scale salaries” and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience.

To Apply:

Application materials must be submitted via the following website: https://apptrkr.com/4704556. The position will remain open until filled. To ensure consideration, applications should be received by November 15, 2023.

Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests and the Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review.

Required application materials include: 1) curriculum vitae including publication list, 2) up to three publications, 3) transcripts if the applicant is within five years of Ph.D. degree, 4) statement of teaching accomplishments and philosophy, 5) statement of research accomplishments and of future research plans relevant to Wine Chemistry, 6) Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and 7) the names, addresses, including e-mail, of four professional references and 8) an https://aadocs.ucdavis.edu/your-resources/forms-and-checklists/forms/ARF.pdf. Additional inquiries should be directed to Dr. Ron Runnebaum (rcrunnebaum@ucdavis.edu).

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, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment, UC Davis conducts a reference check on all first-choice candidates for Academic Senate Assistant Professor or Lecturer with Potential for Security of Employment, Steps 4, 5, or 6, or Acting Professor of Law positions. The reference check involves contacting the administration of the applicant’s previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search for assistant professor to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists considered for Academic Senate Assistant Professor or Lecturer with Potential for Security of Employment, Steps 4, 5, or 6, or Acting Professor of Law positions will be subject to reference checks.

UC Davis is an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity employer and is dedicated to recruiting a diverse faculty community. We welcome all qualified applicants to apply, including women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.