Director, Division of Animal Sciences
 University of Missouri-Columbia | |
 United States, Missouri, Columbia | |
| 801 Conley Avenue (Show on map) | |
 Mar 03, 2026 | |
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58879
Location
Columbia
Full/Part Time
Full-Time
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The University of Missouri's Division of Animal Sciences, one of the nation's preeminent academic divisions, seeks a dynamic Division Director to join the talented faculty, staff, students, and partners that contribute to its cherished land-grant mission. Among the largest of the academic divisions in Mizzou's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), the Division invites nominations and applications for the position of Professor and Director, where the person selected will have the honor of driving distinctive impacts across research and scholarship, teaching and student success, as well as Extension and engagement. Reporting directly to the CAFNR Dean and Vice Chancellor for Agriculture, the Director will lead a nationally and internationally recognized program at the forefront of livestock sustainability, animal nutrition and health, reproduction, meat science, genetics, and more. The Director will advance excellence across research, teaching, and Extension while strengthening partnerships with Missouri's agricultural community and expanding the Division's national and global impact. This is a twelve-month tenured position and awaits a dynamic communicator, accomplished scholar and principled and engaged leader to succeed Dr. Bryon Wiegand, who has recently been appointed to serve as the inaugural director for the Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory. ABOUT THE DIVISION The Division of Animal Sciences is among the largest and most prominent of the six divisions within CAFNR. Formed through the merger of long-standing dairy, animal, and poultry husbandry programs, the Division has grown into an internationally recognized center of excellence in applied and basic animal science research. Faculty expertise spans reproductive and environmental physiology, ruminant and monogastric nutrition, genetics and genomics, meat science, and livestock production. Work occurs across major species including beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry, horses, goats, sheep, as well as companion animals. With more than 400 undergraduate students, nationally competitive M.S. and Ph.D. programs, and access to best-in-class research farms and facilities, the Division of Animal Sciences provides comprehensive experiential learning opportunities. Students gain hands-on training across the full spectrum of animal sciences, from molecular research laboratories to farms, barns, and meat processing facilities. The Division is ranked #1 in the nation for bench-to-barnyard research support and is home to globally recognized researchers whose expertise spans genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and meat science. Faculty lead innovative research programs that address animal health, food safety, livestock sustainability, and global food production challenges. With active funding from a spectrum of resources such as USDA, NIH, NSF, the FDA, and many others, the research pedigree and momentum of the division stands atop many peer land-grant animal science programs. ABOUT THE COLLEGE The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri is a national leader in agricultural research, student success, and impactful Extension programming. CAFNR offers more than 55 degree programs, minors, and certificates and reports a 97% career outcomes rate for its graduates. The college is a campus leader in research, and Mizzou ranks #2 in the US for total federal agricultural expenditures. CAFNR's research enterprise spans plant and animal sciences, food and natural resources, human health, agricultural economics, and environmental systems. Identified Programs of Distinction provide highlights of established expertise and impact where CAFNR scholarship is working to solve the challenges of society today. Faculty, staff and students collaborate across six divisions and work across 14,000 acres of research farms and centers throughout Missouri. CAFNR's mission centers on cultivating a healthy world by addressing critical challenges in agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and community vitality. Having recently completed the College's six-year strategic plan, Drive to Distinction, collective impacts have been generated that exceed the rich history of CAFNR's aspirational contributions. To achieve these impacts, the college proudly partners extensively with industry, commodity groups, state and federal agencies, local communities, and global collaborators to ensure that scientific discoveries translate into real-world outcomes. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES As mentioned, the Division Director will have the opportunity to lead one of the nation's premier animal science programs at a pivotal time in agriculture and animal systems innovation. Positioned to advance livestock sustainability, animal health, meat science, and genetics and genomics, the Division offers nationally recognized research strengths and emerging technologies that support bold, interdisciplinary collaboration. This role calls for a confident, authentic leader who thrives in a high-performing academic environment and collaborates effectively with faculty, staff, college and campus leadership, as well as critically important external partners. The leader will provide steady, transparent guidance across the Division, grounded in respect, clarity, and integrity to further advance the Division's national and global prominence. The Director will guide the modernization of research farms and laboratory facilities to support next-generation science. Many of the Division's research units present developing opportunities for strategic upgrades, expansion of capacity, and integration of new technologies. These improvements will enable faculty, staff and students to conduct cutting-edge research and elevate the Division's ability to compete for major federal and industry funding. The challenge will be prioritizing investments, cultivating donor relationships, and securing resources while ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing research and teaching operations. Continuing to strengthen partnerships with commodity groups, agricultural industries, and producers across Missouri represents a significant opportunity for the next Division Director to deepen impact, expand collaboration, and advance the Division's statewide engagement. Missouri's livestock sector depends on innovation, science-driven decision-making, and Extension support, and the division at Mizzou is currently considered to be a strong partner. That said, the Division Director will play a central role in expanding outreach initiatives, developing new collaborations with producer organizations, and amplifying the Division's visibility and impact statewide. This skill requires both strategic engagement and the ability to translate scientific discoveries into practical solutions that improve farm efficiency, profitability, and animal well-being. The Division's strong student demand creates exciting avenues for sustaining enrollment, particularly in pre-veterinary, equine science, and research-intensive pathways. The Director can champion curriculum alignments, expand experiential learning programs, and strengthen high-quality student recruitment pipelines from high schools, community colleges, and youth agricultural programs. A key challenge will be ensuring that faculty capacity, advising structures, and hands-on learning facilities scale appropriately to support growing student interest while maintaining academic quality. Finally, the Director will have the opportunity to advance the Division's, the College's and the University's Extension mission. MU's land-grant identity mandates that the Division deliver science-based programming that impacts livestock producers, rural communities, and the broader agricultural ecosystem. The Director will help elevate programming in areas such as animal nutrition, reproductive management, emerging livestock technologies, and meat quality. An important priority in this space will be sustaining timely, high-quality Extension programming while continuing to balance faculty contributions across other mission areas. Tremendous institutional partners across both MU's collection of Extension and Engagement experts stand ready and able to amplify collaborations with the Director, the Division and the College. Key Responsibilities
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA CANDIDATES WILL BE EVALUATED ON:
The full position profile is available here: https://umurl.us/CAFNR_AS_DD Application Deadline
NOMINATIONS & APPLICATIONS The search committee will begin reviewing candidates immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to materials received by May 15, 2026. Applications should include a CV/resume and a letter of interest that addresses the opportunities described above. Professional References will be collected at a later point in the application process. Nominations and inquiries of interest may be sent in confidence to the Executive Recruitment Team at umhrexecutivesearch@umsystem.edu Tim McIntosh, Senior Director of Recruitment Marilyn Green, Senior Recruitment Consultant Other Information
The University of Missouri, founded in 1839, is both a major public land-grant institution with a statewide mandate to serve Missourians and the state's largest public Carnegie-designated R1 research university, with an annual budget of over $2.3 billion, over $500 million in annual research expenditures, and a $1.4 billion endowment. The university serves more than 31,000 students and employs almost 17,000 individuals, including more than 2,200 faculty members, making it the largest employer in the city of Columbia. It is home to 10 major research centers and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Finally, it also is one of only six public universities in the country with schools or colleges of engineering, medicine, health sciences, nursing, veterinary medicine, agriculture, arts and science, law, and a powerful research reactor all on one campus. The University of Missouri has served as an engine of social and economic mobility for citizens since its founding, and the leaders it has produced have sought and found creative solutions for some of the most intractable problems facing the state of Missouri, the nation and the world. It competes with the finest public research universities in the nation and is a comprehensive university that balances the missions of high-impact scholarship with the transformational power of education and access for talented students. University Leadership Mun Y. Choi, PhD, was named the 24th president of the University of Missouri System in March 2017. In July 2020, President Choi was also appointed Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Now serving in the dual role as chancellor and president, Choi serves as the four-campus UM System's chief executive and academic officer. He is responsible for an institution that provides centralized administration to four universities, a health care system, an extension program, and 10 research and technology parks. President Choi oversees all academic, public, business and financial affairs for the UM System that follows the policies and general supervision of the University of Missouri Board of Curators. Led by President Choi, the Mizzou leadership team is composed of a collaborative cabinet of proven leaders responsible for setting strategies toward fostering a premier educational environment. Committed to excellence in research, learning, engagement and economic development, a comprehensive strategic plan embodies the university's commitment to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community. Matthew P. Martens, PhD, was appointed executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of Missouri in June 2024 after briefly serving as the interim provost. Prior to his interim appointment, Martens served as senior vice provost and associate provost for academic programs. Provost Martens oversees all academic priorities, activities, and policies at the university. His office also manages Mizzou's colleges and numerous academic support units. Christopher R. Daubert, Ph.D., serves as the Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. He is also a Professor of Food Science and Engineering in the Division of Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. Daubert joined Mizzou from North Carolina State University, where he served as a professor and head of the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences; director of the Food Rheology Laboratory; and system co-chair of Food, Biochemical and Engineered Systems. Daubert has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Texture Studies and on the editorial board of the Journal of Food Process Engineering. He is a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and served as IFT President in 2024. Daubert also serves on the board of trustees for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) and was selected as chair for the academic heads section of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Daubert received his Ph.D. in agricultural engineering and food science at Michigan State University, and has been recognized with distinguished alumnus awards from both Pennsylvania State University and Michigan State University. The University of Missouri System is governed by its Board of Curators. The board consists of nine members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Missouri Senate. Curators serve six-year terms with three positions expiring every two years. The board is constitutionally comprised and carefully balanced in partisan terms. No more than five curators can be from the same political party, with at least one, but no more than two from each of Missouri's eight congressional districts. Other Information
Columbia, Missouri, has been consistently rated as one of the most desirable places to live and work in the U.S. This college city of 128,000-plus residents has the best of both worlds - small-town convenience and warmth with urban sophistication and amenities. Located halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia boasts affordable housing, moderate cost of living, broad cultural and economic opportunities, award-winning public schools, and a regional airport that is expanding its offerings. Popular cultural events include the annual True/False documentary film festival, the monthly First Fridays Art Walk and the spring Unbound Book Festival. As a SEC institution, college athletics plays a major role in Columbia's social scene, with ample opportunities to attend Mizzou sporting events. Mizzou's campus is adjacent to downtown Columbia, within walking distance of restaurants, clothing stores, ice cream shops, and music venues. Downtown's shopping corridor is packed with designer boutiques, jewelers, florists, and bookstores. Finally, Columbia is known for having an outstanding array of year-round outdoor activities. It boasts multiple city parks and an outstanding state park, Rock Bridge State Park. The region's caves, forests, streams and cliffs offer endless exploration for outdoor adventurers. The popular MKT Trail takes cyclists and hikers all through Columbia and links to the 225-mile Katy Trail, which stretches across the state. Benefit Eligibility
This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits. Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer. | |