Working/Functional Title

Bovine Health Management-HP or TS

Position Summary

Michigan State University Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (LCS) invites applications for a full-time faculty position focused on bovine health management. This position is available at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in the Health Programs (HP) or Tenure Track system, depending on the candidate's qualifications and interests.

Position Description:

The Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (LCS) at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), Michigan State University, invites applications for a full-time faculty position focused on bovine health management. This position is available at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in either a Tenure Track or the Health Programs track, depending on the candidate's qualifications and interests.

The successful candidate will join the LCS faculty, a dedicated team of professionals committed to advancing the department’s teaching, clinical service, research, and extension missions. This position is essential to support Michigan’s strong dairy and beef industries and to equip veterinary students to serve the livestock community.  The successful candidate is expected to collaborate with faculty within CVM and Animal Sciences and foster the department’s long-standing relationships with agricultural communities in Michigan.

The development of cutting-edge applied research and extension programs to meet the needs of our vibrant cattle producers provides an outstanding opportunity to impact animal agriculture. The primary teaching responsibility of the successful candidate will be to provide clinical rotations to students participating in introductory and advanced food animal clerkships. 

Position Responsibilities:

The candidate will have an approximately 35% commitment to teaching within the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum and approximately 25% extension, with the remainder of the appointment distributed between clinical service and research based on the candidate’s expertise and preferences.

The teaching responsibility for this position will include joining a team of faculty who deliver the required food animal medicine and surgery clinical rotation and oversight of an additional elective food animal clinical rotation, as well as some preclinical teaching. Required teaching duties will include predominantly field service, clinical rotation in cattle health and production medicine, curriculum review and development for food animals, mentoring veterinary students, and contributing to developing clinical rotations that prepare our students for outstanding careers.  A commitment to providing high-quality clinical experiences for students is essential.

Extension responsibilities will involve collaboration with Animal Science faculty, Extension program staff and Michigan producers to develop cutting-edge educational programming to improve herd health and production practices regionally, nationally, and internationally. The successful candidate will collaborate with the appropriate Extension Work Teams to service the needs of the dairy community in Michigan. This is consistent with the mission of MSU as a land grant institution. Specifically, the position will be support understanding the needs of the industry, developing educational materials to address those needs, while involved in educational activities for clientele.  The position will also determine the impacts of educational programs they are involved with.

The remainder of the appointment may be distributed between clinical service, research, or additional effort in teaching/outreach based on the candidate’s expertise and preferences. All faculty members have a minimum of 5% service to the institution.

Appointment and Salary:

This position is a full-time annual appointment in the health programs or tenure stream system. Salary and rank (assistant or associate professor) are dependent on qualifications and experience. Faculty benefits, including comprehensive medical and dental packages are available.

Tenure system appointments require a greater percentage of time dedicated to both independent and collaborative, externally funded research. More information about the Tenure System is available at Tenure System Hiring Information (msu.edu). Health Programs (HP) appointments emphasize clinical service and teaching, although these positions are flexible to allow ample time for research or creative activities. A complete description of the Michigan State University HP system is available at Health Programs Faculty Appointment System Handbook (msu.edu).

Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (LCS)

Our diverse faculty focuses on areas ranging from dairy, food animal, and specialized equine services to intensive research and student training. These faculty work closely with students pursuing DVM degrees, veterinarians in internship and residency programs, and MS and PhD students. Learning to better understand, diagnose, prevent and treat disease takes place in some of the most advanced facilities and laboratories and on commercial farms.

LCS educational facilities include the Large Animal Clinic in the VMC, where faculty members and students provide routine and emergency care services for horses, cattle, small ruminants, as well as other animals including camelids and pet pigs. Clinical rotations for food animals primarily occur on commercial and campus farms.  MSU has livestock and dairy farms that are located nearby and are available for research and clinical teaching.  A new state-of-the-art dairy farm milking approximately 600 cows will open in late 2025. These farms provide an outstanding opportunity to collaborate with faculty in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Research in LCS is focused on several cores of research excellence: preharvest food safety, inflammation and metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, antimicrobial usage and resistance and equine sports medicine and rehabilitation. Interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged and builds on strengths of the college and university. The College of Veterinary Medicine has a mentorship program for development of junior faculty and resources to support researchers at all stages of their careers. Additional information on some of MSU’s research resources can be found at the CVM Research Resources web page (https://cvm.msu.edu/research) and the MSU Research Technology Support Facility (https://rtsf.natsci.msu.edu/).

CVM Mission, Vision, and Values:

Mission

To be inclusive as we learn, discover, heal, and protect.

Vision

To be recognized and celebrated as a leader to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the local, regional, national, and international levels.

Values

We, as a College, fulfill the pledges in our mission, intentionally and transparently, with vision, awareness, and resolution to identify, attract, and retain talented students, faculty, and staff reflective of the diversity of the populations in our state, the nation, and the world. Our academic, scholarly, and service roles, considered separately and collectively, form the foundation of an inclusive culture that is committed to respecting, nurturing, and advancing all individuals of diverse ancestral, social, cultural, and/or national backgrounds.

The College's vision is to be the destination for teaching, innovation, care, and service. Six goals, backed by specific strategies, guide our organization as we move forward. Read more at https://cvm.msu.edu/about/strategic-planning-2021-26/goals to learn about the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s goals, strategies, and progress.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Other -DVM/VMD or Equivalent

Minimum Requirements

• DVM/VMD (or equivalent).
• At least three years of experience in food animal clinical practice or internship/residency training.
• Evidence of teaching and communication skills, along with a collaborative work ethic.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree such as MS or PhD, equivalent years of specialized clinical practice or Board certification in a relevant field such as American College of Theriogenology, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, or American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
• Prior experience and passion for teaching veterinary students.
• Prior experience in developing a research program and/or outreach/extension experience.

Required Application Materials

Letter of Intent/Cover Letter

A letter of intent highlighting specific strengths related to this position, overall related qualifications, experience, accomplishments, commitment to inclusion, and career goals. For faculty interested in a tenured position, should include research interests, goals and funding history. Two (2) pages maximum.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume

Your most recently updated CV

References

Full names and contact information.

(phone/email) of three (3) individuals to serve as professional references.

Teaching Philosophy Statement

Please provide a teaching philosophy statement that describes your vision for teaching and learning, your approach to delivering effective and innovative instruction, provides examples of your methods, and evidence of their effectiveness.

Special Instructions

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on March 31, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Please visit https://careers.msu.edu/jobs/search to apply. Qualified applicants wishing more information are invited and encouraged to contact the Search Committee Chair, Pamela Ruegg (plruegg@msu.edu).

Review of Applications Begins On

03/31/2025

Summary of Physical Demands

• Work requiring lifting 50 pounds or more with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing 25 pounds or more.
• Potential exposure to animals or to specimens with zoonotic potential

Summary of Health Risks

• Work with animals and unfixed animal tissue.

Website

https://cvm.msu.edu/lcs

Department Statement

The Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (LCS) is educating the next generation of veterinary professionals, conducting research that improves the lives of animals and humans, and providing the finest clinical services available.

Our diverse faculty focuses on areas ranging from dairy, food animal, and specialized equine services to intensive research and student training. They work closely with students pursuing DVM degrees, veterinarians in internship and residency programs, and MS and PhD students. Learning to better understand, diagnose, and treat disease takes place in some of the most advanced facilities and laboratories. Faculty and students work together to find new solutions and put them into practice for a better world.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.