Washington State University’s School of Food Science is searching for its next director to lead research, teaching, and Extension outreach for a healthier, more innovative food system.
Part of the university’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), the school seeks a distinguished faculty leader in the food sciences to start July 1, 2022, stepping in as the current interim director Girish Ganjyal returns to faculty after two and a half years at the helm.
“The director is at the heart of the School of Food Science’s land-grant mission,” said Vicki McCracken, Associate Dean and Director of WSU Extension in CAHNRS. “We’re eager to meet candidates who value the sense of discovery that drives our food system, who excel as teachers and administrators, and who want to be a part of the future of food security at Washington state.”
Established in the 1960s, the School of Food Science improves food safety locally, nationally, and globally by developing value-added foods, advancing fundamental approaches to enhance food quality and safety, and creating innovative food processing technologies. Faculty, Extension experts, and graduates help the food industry be economically sound, sustainable, and competitive.
The school’s internationally recognized faculty use funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and industry and commodity commissions to support collaborations across the nation. SFS scientists operate pilot plants and small-scale facilities for production of value-added food products, as well as laboratories for food chemistry, microbiology, and engineering.
The school’s Extension team is nationally and internationally recognized for programs that assist growers and processors of all types and sizes in food safety, value-added food product development, process development, and scale-up of technologies. The school trains roughly 2,000 industry professionals and assists more than 350 companies annually.
On the Pullman campus, the WSU Creamery and Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe are beacons for the school, providing opportunities for students to gain practical work experience in food production. Sales of popular Cougar Gold cheese generates significant income for the school and its parent college. SFS students and staff create award-winning ice cream flavors and make the famous cheese along with many other products.
This spring, the school will host its first Industry Expo in partnership with the Cascadia section of the Institute of Food Technologists.
“Washington is home to many multinational food companies who are also our stakeholders,” Ganjyal said. “We have strong working relationships with apple, wheat, pulse, and dairy industries, as well as other commodity groups, and have built strong ties with the regional food industry, which is very much committed in supporting our program and WSU students.”
“The School of Food Science is well positioned to grow its programs in food safety and processing, supporting the vast number of crops grown in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest,” McCracken added.
Application screenings begin April 11, 2022. To learn more about the School of Food Science, visit http://sfs.wsu.edu.