Virginia Tech invites applications for the Winston and Marilyn Samuels Endowed Chair in Animal Nutrition, a distinguished faculty position created to advance transformative research and graduate education in animal nutrition, metabolism, and livestock health. This prestigious appointment offers a unique opportunity for an accomplished scholar to shape the future of animal nutrition research at a leading land-grant university.
The Samuels Chair will serve as both a scientific leader and program architect, building an internationally recognized research program that addresses critical challenges in livestock nutrition, animal health, and sustainable food production. The successful candidate will also play a central role in advancing a university-wide initiative in nutrition and metabolic biology, fostering collaboration across disciplines including animal science, veterinary medicine, engineering, data science, and the life sciences.
Through this position, Virginia Tech seeks to recruit a visionary scholar whose work drives discovery at the interface of biology, technology, and sustainability—generating innovative solutions that enhance livestock production systems and improve the nutritional quality of animal-derived foods with downstream impacts on human health.
Key Responsibilities
The Samuels Chair will:
Lead a globally recognized research program in animal nutrition and metabolism, integrating fundamental biological discovery with translational applications that improve animal health, productivity, and sustainability.
Secure and sustain extramural funding to support a high-impact, innovative research portfolio.
Mentor graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career faculty, fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment.
Contribute to graduate education, including teaching a graduate-level course aligned with their expertise and providing intellectual leadership in curriculum and program development.
Build interdisciplinary collaborations across Virginia Tech and with external partners in academia, industry, and government.
Advance institutional research initiatives in animal nutrition and metabolic biology, helping position Virginia Tech as a global leader in this space.
Areas of Research Focus
Relevant research areas may include, but are not limited to:
Nutritional regulation of growth, reproduction, lactation, and metabolic efficiency
Nutritional biochemistry and metabolic physiology
Gut health and microbiome–host interactions (particularly in monogastric species)
Precision nutrition and systems-based approaches to nutrient utilization
Nutrition-based strategies aligned with “food-as-medicine” concepts
Sustainable nutrition solutions that enhance environmental stewardship in livestock systems
This is a research appointment, with expectations for high-impact scholarship and sustained productivity.
Research Environment
Virginia Tech offers an exceptional and collaborative environment for animal nutrition and metabolic biology research, including:
Extensive livestock research herds and modern experimental facilities on the Blacksburg campus
Access to additional infrastructure through Agricultural Research and Extension Centers across Virginia
Advanced analytical platforms supporting metabolomics, systems biology, and molecular physiology
Strong interdisciplinary partnerships across engineering, veterinary medicine, agriculture, and biomedical sciences
A vibrant and engaged community of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars
The Samuels Chair will have a significant opportunity to shape new research directions and build strategic collaborations that strengthen Virginia Tech’s leadership in animal agriculture and food systems. This is a full-time, 9-month academic appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor in the School of Animal Sciences. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Virginia Tech offers a comprehensive benefits package.