The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, at the University of Saskatchewan is pleased to invite applications for a Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Endowed Chair in Bioprocess Engineering. The Saskatchewan agri-food processing industry is expanding and continued growth requires focused research to develop new technologies and products that meet processor requirements and consumer demand. Targeted research and development in bioprocess engineering will help create new bio-products (food, feed and industrial) and processes that increase the application, use and value of Saskatchewan commodities and ingredients. The chair will be appointed as a tenure-track faculty member at the Associate Professor or Assistant Professor level, with the primary appointment (75%) in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in the College of Engineering and the secondary appointment (25%) in the Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The primary goal of the Bioprocess Engineering Chair is to maximize returns to Saskatchewan’s agri-food and bioproducts industries by increasing the total value derived from crop production, with a focus on generating new, commercially viable products from grains and under-utilized residual biomaterials. The chair will initiate and lead a productive research program in the general field of Bioprocess Engineering, with a specific focus on: the development of new bioprocessing techniques; equipment and control mechanisms; modeling and optimization of bioprocessing operations; development and assessment of new techniques for food storage and preservation; extraction of high-value products from or for Saskatchewan-based products; and conduct engineering research in response to emerging needs as identified by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, other researchers and the Saskatchewan bioprocessing industry. The chair is expected to enhance the development of Saskatchewan’s bioeconomy by fostering partnerships with businesses within the agricultural, food, bioproduct, and manufacturing sectors. Teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels will be required (albeit at a reduced rate), especially in the new Bioprocess Engineering option and certificate(s) that are being developed in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. As a major research-intensive academic body for more than 100 years, the College of Engineering is poised for unprecedented growth and transformation. With large and modern research laboratories housed in the Engineering Building, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering promotes collegiality and has four major research themes: Biotechnology and Biomaterial processing, Energy and Renewable Resources, Environment, and Mineral Processing. The department is home to a dynamic community of scholars dedicated to challenging old notions and creating new ideas to share with their students and community. The Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences (FABS), located adjacent to the Engineering Building in the College of Agriculture, supports the agri-food and bioresources industries with innovative research solutions and highly-trained graduates for exploiting existing and emerging opportunities for the province’s agriculture sector. With a strong interdisciplinary theme, FABS provides students and stakeholders with advanced knowledge and understanding of agricultural outputs and co- and by-products (proteins, carbohydrates/fibre and lipids), processing, genetic engineering and microbial biotechnology that can be then tailored to the areas of food science and technology, biomaterials and bioproducts, biotechnology, bio-energy and nutrigenomics. The University of Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s top 15 research-intensive universities with a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to a student population of over 24,000. Its main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. The University of Saskatchewan is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River known for its quality of life, diverse and thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities.
Minimum Qualifications The successful candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in Agricultural/Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, or another closely-related field, and be qualified to successfully pursue professional registration status with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan as a P.Eng. or an Engineering Licensee. Candidates must demonstrate outstanding, emerging, world-class research capabilities in Bioprocess Engineering and/or relevant fields as indicated above. They should have demonstrated research impact through: quality publications in peer-reviewed venues or equivalent (e.g., patents, etc.); evidence of ability to propose an original, innovative research program of the highest quality in Bioprocess Engineering; prospects of attracting external funding; and the ability to recruit and develop excellent trainees, students and future researchers in a field relevant to the focus of the Chair position. A minimum of 3 years of post-Ph.D. research or industrial experience in the relevant field is required.
Ideal Qualifications The ideal candidate will have a PhD degree in a field directly relevant to Bioprocess Engineering and an undergraduate degree in engineering. The candidate will be currently registered as a professional engineer or engineer in training in Canada. A strong candidate will provide evidence of a competitive research program in Bioprocess Engineering and/or relevant fields with robust graduate student involvement and strong prospects for financial support. Experience in building collaborative teams across multiple research groups and across institutions will enhance success in this new role. Demonstrated capability in teaching of undergraduate and/or graduate university courses, development of new courses, and formal professional development and/or certification in teaching and/or pedagogy will be assets.
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Additional Salary Information: Salary bands for this position are as follows: Associate Professor: $112,109 to $130,925; and Assistant Professor $93,209 to $112,109, with the possibility of merit-based additions.
About University of Saskatchewan
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, at the University of Saskatchewan is pleased to invite applications for a Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Endowed Chair in Bioprocess Engineering. The Saskatchewan agri-food processing industry is expanding and continued growth requires focused research to develop new technologies and products that meet processor requirements and consumer demand. Targeted research and development in bioprocess engineering will help create new bio-products (food, feed and industrial) and processes that increase the application, use and value of Saskatchewan commodities and ingredients.
