The College of Health Human Sciences (CHHS) at Northern Illinois University (NIU) is inviting applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure track promotable faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Nutrition and Dietetics and Health Sciences programs. We seek a faculty member with expertise in Medical Nutrition Therapy who can teach within the accredited ACEND Didactic Program in Dietetics as well as undergraduate courses in health sciences. We anticipate the person’s primary service responsibilities would be within Nutrition and Dietetics, along with expectations for some collaboration and engagement in Health Sciences including supporting the development of natural synergies between the two programs.

CHHS is home to five academic schools. The Nutrition and Dietetics Program is part of the School of Health Studies and offers a B.S. and an M.S. in Nutrition, Dietetics and Wellness. The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) track within the bachelor’s degree is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). At the graduate level, a Certificate of Graduate Study in Eating Disorders and Obesity and a Certificate of Graduate Study in Sports Nutrition are offered. The Health Sciences Program is part of the School of Interdisciplinary Health Professions and offers a B.S. and an M.S. in Health Sciences as well as a Certificate of Graduate Study in Health Professions Education. A college-wide interdisciplinary and interprofessional PhD in Health Sciences engages faculty from across the college. For more information visit https://www.niu.edu/work-at-niu/chhs/index.shtml

NIU faculty members’ responsibilities encompass three core areas of fostering students’ professional and intellectual growth, producing research and artistry that advances their field and serves the public good, and engaging in service that benefits the institution, region, state, nation, and world. On the tenure track, faculty develop a robust program of research and scholarship, teach courses and provide mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students, and positively contribute to committee service within the program, school/college, university, community, and profession. We seek faculty who embrace NIU’s mission of providing opportunity to a diverse student body by providing them with access to high quality education and hands-on involvement in research and community engagement as well as supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access across collaborations and interactions with faculty, staff, and others throughout the university and external community.

NIU is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-High Research Activity located in DeKalb, IL. The main campus is in DeKalb, which is a diverse and growing community, 65 miles west of Chicago’s “Loop” and 40 miles southeast of Rockford with education centers in Rockford and Naperville. DeKalb county, with a population of about 100,000, is a modern paradox, a rural/urban community. It is simultaneously recognized for its manufacturing and rich farmlands, as evidenced by it being the site of the first manufacturing of barbed wire and the development of hybrid seed corn. NIU faculty and students live in communities throughout Northern Illinois, including the western Chicago suburbs, city of Rockford, and small towns within driving distance from the university. The recently revitalized downtown city of DeKalb offers shops, restaurants, and other amenities. Business investment is evident in DeKalb’s ChicagoWest Business Center, whose residents include companies such as Facebook/Meta, Ferrara Candy, and Kraft/Heinz.

Position Summary

The Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics and Health Sciences holds a joint appointment in the Nutrition and Dietetics program and the Health Sciences program. The position teaches within the accredited ACEND Didactic Program in Dietetics as well as undergraduate courses in health sciences. The primary service responsibilities would be within Nutrition and Dietetics, along with expectations for some collaboration and engagement in Health Sciences including supporting the development of natural synergies between the two programs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Teach academic coursework in their appointed programs,
• Establish an active and innovative research/scholarly agenda that directly engages local, national, and international nutrition, dietetics, and health sciences research communities through research publications, presentations, and grants;
• Provide student mentoring and support student research;
• Contribute to curriculum development and program advancement;
• Collaborate within the campus and community to promote the advancement of the programs and the mission, vision, values, and goals of the School, College, and University;
• Positively contribute to professional service within the university (program, school, college, university levels), community, and profession;

Minimum/Basic Required Qualifications

• Earned PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics, Nutritional Science, or related field with expertise in Medical Nutrition Therapy as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) by the time of hire;
• Evidence of an active and innovative research/scholarly agenda;
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting inclusive work and learning environments that foster diversity, creativity, and innovation.

Additional Requirements

• Ability and willingness to contribute to meeting the programs’ instructional needs;
• Ability to teach students a range of skills, including within simulated clinical and lab activities as well as didactic lecture and discussion;
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues in research and scholarly projects;
• Experience and/or commitment to mentoring students in research;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Demonstrated knowledge in evidence-based practice;
• Ability to communicate effectively and interact in a positive manner with diverse faculty, staff, and students, as well as with people of varying economic and cultural backgrounds;
• Effective interpersonal and conflict management skills;
• Commitment to contributing to promoting a collegial environment in which faculty support each other and their students.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive record of scholarly publications;
• Experience with programmatic and/or research grant writing and management;
• Experience in effective teaching in higher education;
• History of engagement and service to their profession at the local, state, and/or national level;
• Multiple years of experience and practice in Nutrition and Dietetics;
• Knowledge and application of ACEND accreditation standards.