Job Title
Assistant Professor (Sustainable Packaging Systems)

Posting Number
P1363F

Position Summary Information

Job Description Summary

The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences ( SFWS ) at Auburn University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level in Sustainable Packaging Systems. This full time appointment is 60% research, 35% teaching, and 5% service and has an anticipated start date of August 1, 2019, subject to negotiation.

Packaging, forest biomaterials, and products combined is one of the top industries in the state of Alabama and important to the region. In response to this demand, and in the spirit of the land grant mission, the SFWS has recently developed a new undergraduate curriculum called Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging (https://sfws.auburn.edu/sustainable-biomaterials-packaging/). This new 120-credit B.S. degree is an interdisciplinary effort between the Colleges of Architecture Design and Construction, Engineering, Business, Agriculture, and SFWS . In an effort to teach this new curriculum, the SFWS needs someone with a strong packaging design and manufacturing background to train the 21st century student.

The interdisciplinary research in biomaterials and packaging across the Auburn campus is also distinct. The Forest Products Development Center and/in SFWS has been working across campus to develop an interdisciplinary pipeline that will provide natural resource based feedstock's, plant based chemical building blocks, and sustainable polymers to this packaging research program. To achieve this endeavor, the FPDC works closely with other units and Centers including: School of Industrial and Graphic Design, Departments of Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, and the Centers for Polymer and Advanced Composites, Bioenergy and Bioproducts, and the Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering. Examples of ongoing research collaborations that the incumbent could collaborate with includes: product design, lignin based hydrogels for dye removal, nanocellulose for polymers and films, wood extraction of sugars for sustainable films, lignin containing nanocellulose, and thermal conversion of lignin/wood into building blocks for epoxy, isocyanate, and phenolic polymers.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will develop 3 courses (2 undergraduate in packaging systems and 1 graduate level in area of research expertise) . The successful candidate will advance a research program in the area of advanced packaging using industrial design, pulp & paper, materials science, engineering, chemistry, and/or sustainability principals (or other relevant STEM based areas). The research area of the candidate should be such that they can secure resources, such as competitive external grants and industrial funding, to develop a portfolio of funding streams that results in superior scholarship, graduate students, and peer reviewed publications.

Rank and Salary: Tenure track, full time, 9-month appointment. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

A doctoral degree in Packaging, Agricultural, Natural Resources, Forestry, Pulp and Paper, Wood Science, Engineering, Industrial Design, or a closely related field at the time employment begins.

Desired Qualifications

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicants must complete the online application at this link: http://aufacultypositions.peopleadmin.com/postings/3283 to include 1) a cover letter addressing the candidates experience pertinent to the responsibilities of the position, including relevant industry experience 2) curriculum vita 3) statement of research 4) statement of teaching potential and philosophy 5) copies of all graduate level academic transcripts and 6) the names and contact information of three or more references. Review of applications will begin 2/1/2019; the search will remain open until a candidate accepts appointment.

For additional information, contact Dr. Brian Via, Chair, Search Committee, phone 334-844-1088 or email brianvia@auburn.edu or bkv0003@auburn.edu.



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