Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics

Position Title:

Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics

Compensation:

$70,000 - $80,000

Department:

Dept of Nutrition & Health Science

Start Date:

08/16/2027

About this opportunity:

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS

As the College of Health celebrates a decade of academic achievements within Ball State University, Nutrition and Health Science, its youngest department, seeks dynamic new faculty to help shape the future of healthcare, through teaching, research and service. Ball State University is one of just 11 institutions in the country, and the only one in Indiana to hold Carnegie’s “Triple Crown of classifications, i.e., named an Opportunity College and University, designated a Doctoral University with High Research Activity (R2), and earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. Together, these recognitions reflect the University’s commitment to student success, academic excellence, and real-world impact.

We invite applications for Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics in the Department of Nutrition and Health Science to join us in preparing today’s nutrition workforce, conducting interdisciplinary research to address important health problems, and provide service to the university, community, state, and profession.

The salary range for this opportunity is $70,000 - $80,000.

Employer will consider sponsorship.

POSITION DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFICATIONS:

We seek faculty candidates with a doctorate in nutrition, nutrition science, applied medicine, or nutrition-focused disciplines for a tenure line position. Candidates should have good interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work cooperatively and congenially. Research areas of interest include but are not limited to nutrition and chronic diseases, especially diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic disorders, hypertension; vitamins and minerals, precision nutrition, cancer, genetics. Other research areas that are also desirable include nutrition in maternal/child health. Candidates should be interested in developing research programs that will include opportunities for undergraduate students and plan to seek external funding to support their research. Postdoctoral experience or relevant research work experience is desirable but not required.

Candidates should have at least one semester of university teaching or other relevant teaching assistant or equivalent experience. Successful candidates should be able to teach courses to undergraduate department majors and to other students in courses that are part of the university core curriculum, and/or teach courses in our Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics program. Familiarity with Canvas learning management system is helpful. Responsibilities include developing a research program, involving undergraduate students in research, seeking external funding, and teaching majors and non-majors in our department courses. Other duties may include service to the university, community, and profession, and contributions to department student recruitment activities.

Rank will be Assistant Professor. Faculty are expected to be regularly present on campus to engage with students, colleagues, and the community.
Position begins August 16, 2027. Classes begin Monday, August 23, 2027.

THE DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION AND HEALTH SCIENCES
The Department houses accredited undergraduate majors in dietetics, public health, respiratory therapy and radiography, minors in public health, nutrition, and workplace wellness; graduate programs in Nutrition and Dietetics, and Health Science with a track in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. The department also operates an accredited Dietetic Internship. Our programs serve 300 degree-seeking students and are supported by 44 full- and part-time faculty. Additionally, the Department developed and offers classes in a Health Data Analytics concentration in the Data Analytics undergraduate major in the College of Sciences and Humanities. The Department also offers popular courses on health and nutrition issues that extend our reach well beyond majors and drive total students instructed to among the top three departments at the university. We embrace this extraordinary opportunity to educate and improve health of all Ball State University undergraduates. Our undergraduate dietetics program includes training in state-of- the-art simulation facilities, located throughout two floors of the Health Professions Building and skill building facilities, including various laboratories in the Health Professions Building and Clinic.

Our undergraduate public health program provides a unique opportunity for students to fully engage in the regional community and beyond as they intern at a public health agency full time during their final semester. These and other activities help us contribute to the greater university goal 1, undergraduate excellence and innovation, strategic priorities D, Our core curriculum incorporates innovative pedagogy, transdisciplinary approaches to learning and problem-solving, and the development of cultural competencies, global awareness, and transferable skills so that our graduates are prepared for a fulfilling career and a meaningful life in the 21st century; goal 3D, We collaborate with external partners to implement a regional plan to improve population health and wellbeing in the university strategic plan (Destination 2040, Our Flight Path), and align with the state’s Health First Indiana initiative which seeks improvement in health and seeks statewide key performance outcomes in areas such as Chronic Disease (especially stroke, obesity, and diabetes), Maternal and Child Health.

Faculty and student mentees also have access to research laboratories in both the Health Clinics and the Health Professions building with space devoted to assessment, sample collection, processing, storage and analytics. The department has a designated demonstration kitchen with attached classroom. The department office suite houses a small tech hub for faculty and student teams to collect data and analyze using NDSR, NVivo, Cardiovascular Suite, and also includes statistical analysis and data visualization software. The Welcome Home Suite, available for all faculty projects in the College of Health, is equipped with food preparation facilities, and feeding, resting and sample collection spaces. Faculty facilitate interprofessional education through collaborations with the College of Health Healthy Lifestyle Center and Simulation and Skills Laboratories.

THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH
A vital resource for Indiana to prepare health professionals, the College of Health offers 32 academic programs in 7 units: Departments of Counseling Psychology, Social Psychology, and Counseling; Military Science; Nutrition and Health Science; Speech Pathology and Audiology; and Social Work and the Schools of Nursing and Kinesiology. More than 200 faculty and staff serve 3,100 student majors. We partner with regional communities for immersive learning and research. Our Health Professions Building, which opened in 2019, is LEED Gold certified and houses state-of-the-art Simulation and Skills Laboratories.

We are committed to serving the community through student training, health services and research. Over the past year, our Interprofessional Community Clinics offered a range of health, speech-language pathology, audiology, and mental health services delivered by over 390 student clinicians supervised by 40 faculty practitioners to more than 2400 community members, with more than 16,800 patient visits. In addition, students attended, hosted or sponsored more than 466 community outreach events delivering health education and screenings to an estimated 2668 people of all ages through the Clinics and the Healthy Lifestyle Center.

Our faculty and students contribute to the evidence base for their respective disciplines. As of the start of this academic year (FY27), the college has 38 active grant awards, totaling over $7.8M. Our research footprint includes the academic departments and our centers and labs, including the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Center for Substance Use Research and Community Initiatives, Human Performance Lab, the Biomechanics Lab, the Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health and Obesity Lab and BEACH Lab, and other research labs. Faculty also hold leadership roles within national professional organizations. We are committed to excellence in all we do and aspire to contribute to an increasingly diverse health professional workforce to help decrease health care disparities.

THE COMMUNITY
BSU enjoys a close relationship with the City of Muncie that bridges the town-gown divide often present in many college towns. Our employees extol the virtues of living in this Midwestern town of 70,000 people, including the friendliness of residents; variation and affordability of neighborhoods; and, ease of commute. Ball State enjoys a pivotal relationship with the Muncie Community Schools. The university is also home to the Burris Laboratory School and the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities. Muncie offers vibrant cultural events through the Minnetrista Center and BSU’s facilities in art, music, theater and dance. The Village, a district adjacent to campus, is being revitalized with an ambitious plan featuring a new performing arts center and hotel along with retail and dining options to capitalize on campus arts amenities. Other cultural and housing opportunities are also found in nearby Indianapolis, the 12th largest U.S. city and home to 860,000 people, as well as suburban communities including Fishers and Noblesville on the I-69 corridor. Relocation information is available here.

ABOUT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes our goals for our second century:
• We pledge to provide a premier educational experience for every student.
• We pledge to partner with the community to improve the lives of our neighbors.
• We are dedicated to having a lifelong presence in the lives of our alumni.

When we complement these promises with our commitment to our enduring values, we define that which makes our University and its culture distinctive. Our faculty are collegial, collaborative, innovative, inclusive, and adaptive, both within and beyond one’s home unit. These attributes include commitments to collaborative discourse, interdisciplinary inquiry, and enterprising learning practices.

Our faculty are expected to be innovative, adaptive, engaging teachers across modalities; producers of impactful scholarly work; and, leaders in meaningful service activities to communities. We seek faculty members who are strategic thinkers, engaging our dynamic communities. We are committed to student and faculty success, impact, and access, within an environment that prioritizes inclusive excellence. We inspire each other to be critical thinkers and responsible citizens, so that we can pursue fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.

Ball State University lives the values of Beneficence. We invite you to be part of our community. Approximately 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students enroll in 1 of 8 academic colleges that offer 270+ undergraduate and graduate programs. Many of our master’s, doctoral, certificate, and specialist degrees rank among the best in the nation. We engage students in educational, research, and creative endeavors that empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives enriched by lifelong learning and service, while we enhance the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our community, our state, and our world.

What you'll do and what you will bring:

Duties and responsibilities: 

• Develop and deliver undergraduate and graduate level courses.

• Participate in curriculum development.

• Mentor and advise students in academic and professional development.

• Develop and maintain an active research program, providing opportunities for student researchers in your program, and publish findings in peer-reviewed journals.

• Present research findings at prominent academic conferences.

• Collaborate with faculty and other professionals on interdisciplinary projects

• Seek and secure funding through grants and research proposals.

• Provide service to the university and profession.

• Stay updated with advancements and integrate new knowledge into teaching.

• Work on campus to engage with students, colleagues and community.

Minimum qualifications

• Candidates should hold a doctorate by the time of employment in any of the following areas:  nutrition, nutrition science, applied medicine, nutrition-related disciplines, or ABD with all degree requirements completed by the time of appointment.

• Evidence of developing scholarship, including publication record in relevant, peer reviewed journals.

• Interest in teaching undergraduate and/or graduate students and one semester of teaching or experience as a teaching assistant or equivalent experience, either gained concurrently or at any time.

• Effective oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to promote collegiality in the professional setting.

 

Preferred qualifications

• Conduct research in area related to chronic diseases, especially diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic disorders, hypertension; nutrition, vitamins and minerals, precision nutrition, cancer, genetics. Other research areas that are also desirable should relate to maternal/child health.

• Strong interest in interdisciplinary research.

• Evidence of ability to mentor or experience mentoring students from a variety of abilities in academic or research settings.

• Interest in and ability to teach undergraduate and/or graduate students through two semesters or more of university teaching or experience as a teaching assistant or equivalent experience.
• Experience submitting proposals for external funding or, existing external funding, managing research grants.

• Postdoctoral experience or work experience in a related research area.
• Active membership and participation in professional organizations in the discipline.

How to apply:

Please contact Dr. Alyce Fly, Professor and Department Chair, adfly@bsu.edu, with questions about this opportunity.

The following documents are required in this application:

• A detailed CV
• Cover letter describing: your qualifications and how they fit this position,
• Statement about your research accomplishments and future research plans
• Statement on teaching philosophy.

The application will request the contact information for professional references. Please submit at least 4. We will not contact them without notifying you.

For best consideration, submit applications by December 15, 2026. 

(Applications will continue to be accepted after the full consideration date, until a sufficient applicant pool has been achieved or the position is filled. The closing date is subject to change without notice to applicants.)

What we offer:

At Ball State University, we understand the importance of balancing professional responsibilities with personal well-being. That's why we offer 12 paid sick days and 10 holidays a year. Plus, our paid parental leave (6 weeks) is there for life's most significant moments. We offer affordable health and dental insurance, robust long-term disability and life insurance plans, as well a range of retirement benefits to provide financial security to you and your family. These benefits ensure that you can focus on your work and personal growth without worrying about the unexpected.

When you work for us, you are family. And to show our support of your family, we will cover 90 percent of your child's (or children's) undergraduate college tuition at Ball State. This offer is good from the very first day you start. It's just one way we do our part to uplift you.

Let's fly together toward a secure and prosperous tomorrow.

Curious about our excellent benefits package?

We have developed a calculator that shows you the value of our core benefits.

Select the Total Compensation Calculator - Faculty and download our calculator spreadsheet.

Relocation Program: MakeMyMove

 

Looking for a place where your career, community, and quality of life can grow together? Muncie and Delaware County offer the advantages of a university community with the accessibility and affordability of a mid-sized city—short commutes, local arts and culture, parks and trails, educational opportunities, healthcare, athletics, and a strong sense of connection.

Through the City of Muncie’s MakeMyMove program, eligible new residents may access relocation incentives, university-related benefits, co-working options, and community-building opportunities designed to help them get settled and connected.

Current benefits for eligible participants may include:

• Up to $5,000 cash for relocation

• Co-working space courtesy of The Innovation Connector
• Access to the Ball State University Library
• One-semester Rec Fit pass at Ball State University
• Discounted Ball State Athletics tickets
• Help desk for connecting to local resources
• Opportunity for board participation
• Six-month YMCA membership

Relocation programs on MakeMyMove have specific eligibility requirements, and benefits may vary by program. Applicants should review the current MakeMyMove page to confirm eligibility, available benefits, and program status.

Ball State’s support for relocation resources and community partnerships aligns with Destination 2040: Our Flight Path, the University’s strategic plan. The plan calls our University to work with community partners to promote talent attraction and retention, foster economic growth in East Central Indiana, and strengthen the economic and social vitality of the communities we serve.

Explore the program and check your eligibility through MakeMyMove.