Master's Graduate Research Assistantship in Food and Animal Sciences (Chemical Safety, Meat Quality, Sensory Science) at Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University is offering two Graduate Research Assistantship opportunities for a two-year Master's program in the Department of Food and Animal Sciences, starting Fall 2026. The research will be supervised by Prof. Siyuan "Steven" Sheng, Ph.D., and will focus on key topics including chemical safety (analysis of chemical contaminants in meat products), meat quality (improvement of fresh and processed meat quality traits), sensory science (consumer sensory evaluation and analysis of meat products), and industry application (labor development, automation, and meat science extension education). Research activities will initially take place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Meat Processing Lab, with a transfer to the new Food and Animal Sciences building at Tennessee State University upon its completion in December 2026. The assistantship offers a competitive stipend of $2,400/month for two years, health insurance, mentoring and internship support, national and international conference support, in-state tuition fee coverage, and a possible one-semester extension with stipend support. Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Agricultural Sciences, Food Science, Animal Science, Biological Science, or related fields. Prior experience in instrumental analysis (HPLC, GC, MALDI, etc.) is required. Application materials include an official academic transcript, GRE test score, and TOEFL/IELTS score for international students. Interested candidates should apply online and contact Prof. Sheng at [email protected] with 'Prospective Graduate Student' in the subject line before submitting their application. This opportunity is ideal for students interested in food science, animal science, chemical safety, and related agricultural and biological research areas. The program provides strong academic and professional development support, including mentoring, internships, and conference participation.