Careers at Virginia Tech

The Packaging Systems & Design program, housed in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech, invites applications for a Collegiate Assistant/Associate Professor in Packaging Systems and Design position. This position is a long-term full-time, nine-month, non-tenure track position with a renewable three-year contract and the opportunity for promotion (for more information on the Collegiate Professor ranks, see https://faculty.vt.edu/faculty-handbook/chapter05.html). The candidate will advance the instructional mission of the department by teaching courses, engaging in curricular development and course transformations, adopting innovative and inclusive pedagogical practices, and enhancing undergraduate research and/or outreach opportunities.
We seek a dynamic candidate with expertise in packaging science or packaging engineering who will teach introductory as well as advanced-level undergraduate packaging courses. Successful candidates will be qualified to teach courses related to Computer-Aided Design in Packaging, Introduction to Packaging, and courses in one or more of the following areas including but not limited to packaging manufacturing and automation, specialty packaging including military, pharmaceutical, medical, food, consumer package goods, packaging development, business, and marketing.

The responsibilities also include a scholarly component, which may involve scholarship and/or packaging-related research by undergraduates. Advising and mentoring both graduate and undergraduate students is possible but not expected. The candidate will be expected to serve on departmental, college, or university committees as a contributing member of the department and the broader university community.

The Department of Sustainable Biomaterials values diversity and continually strives to maintain and promote an inclusive learning and research environment that embraces all students, faculty, and staff. We welcome applications from persons identifying with groups underrepresented within our discipline, including but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, people of color, first generation, and underrepresented genders.

The Department of Sustainable Biomaterials is committed to creating an inclusive environment that promotes the success of a diverse student body and is actively engaged in efforts to build inclusive educational practices within the curriculum. The Department of Sustainable Biomaterials is also an active participant in Virginia Tech’s cross-campus, multi-year Inclusive Excellence grant program, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (see more at: https://ie.vt.edu). Accordingly, candidates with experience teaching, mentoring, and/or advising students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Master’s degree or equivalent in packaging science or relevant areas

Ability to develop and teach university-level lectures, laboratories, and hands-on experiential learning courses in packaging

Demonstrated teaching or training experience

Demonstrated teaching effectiveness in packaging areas described above at the university level

Multiple years of teaching experience

Demonstrated record of teaching, advising, mentoring, and/or working with individuals from under-represented communities, including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, immigrants, and those that identify as LGBTQ+

Industrial experience in relevant packaging fields is strongly preferred

Restricted

April 6, 2023

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Application Process

Application materials should include the following information:

• a one-page cover letter including a statement of interest in the position
• a curriculum vitae
• a one-page teaching philosophy statement
• a one-page diversity statement
• Names, titles, and complete contact information for three references

All application materials must be submitted electronically, using the online system at www.jobs.vt.edu, referring to posting 524343. Review of candidate files will begin on March 6, 2023, and continue until a suitable candidate is identified.  University transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) may be requested after the initial review of applications. 

More information about the position can be found at: www.sbio.vt.edu. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Laszlo Horvath, Chair, Search Committee: Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Virginia Tech, 1650 Research Center Dr, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Phone: 540-231-7673 or email:lhorvat@vt.edu.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.