Postdoctoral Research Associate

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seeks a qualified applicant for the position of a full-time, 12 month Postdoctoral Research Associate. This position works closely with faculty to develop an agent-based model to simulate school meal environments in an effort to identify appropriate strategies to reduce food waste and improve fruit and vegetable consumption in the National School Lunch Program. This position is currently funded for 2 years with the possibility of extension.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit https://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Organizational Relationship:
Dean College of ACES
Department Head, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Assistant Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Postdoctoral Research Associate

Specific Duties and responsibilities:

· Collaborate with faculty and staff from other disciplines, including public health nutrition and behavioral economics researchers
· Leverage multiple existing data sets to develop, adapt, and customize an agent-based model to simulate child behavior in school cafeteria settings
· Contribute to manuscript writing as well as dissemination of research findings to key stakeholders and scientific audiences.
· Adhere to research protocol standards (including Institutional Review Board applications) and lab data management policies.
· Mentor graduate and undergraduate students.

Minimum qualifications:

Education:

Required:

· Doctoral degree in Computer Science, Applied Economics, Computational Social Sciences, or relevant field.

Experience:

Required:

· Experience building agent-based models and using software such as NetLogo, Anylogic, etc. and/or languages such as Python or Java

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

Required:

· Experience using NetLogo, Anylogic, and/or languages such as Python or Java
· Excellent oral and written communication skills.
· Ability to work well in a team environment.
· Demonstrated ability to work independently with limited guidance.
· Experience with data visualization or a desire to become proficient in this area.

Preferred:

· Demonstrated writing skills, such as peer-reviewed publications or other published professional writing

Environmental demands:

None

Salary:

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Proposed Starting Date:

September 16, 2020.

Application Process:

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter, resume/CV and names and contact information for three references. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by August 7, 2020. Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decisions will be made until after that date. To apply, please create your candidate profile and upload all required materials at https://go.illinois.edu/FSHNPostdocResAssoc. Only applicants with complete profiles will be considered. Individuals from underrepresented populations are especially welcome to apply. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to Ms. Audra Martin, Office Manager (mart@illinois.edu) and the position to Brenna Ellison, Associate Professor, Search Committee Chair (brennae@illinois.edu).

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