Education/Program Director, Asst/Assoc/Full Professor, Culinary Medicine/Community Learning Kitchen

As one of the oldest medical schools in the country, the UC College of Medicine has a reputation for training best-in-class health care professionals and developing cutting-edge procedures and research that improves the health and clinical care of patients. The Department of Family & Community Medicine has played a leading role in fellow, resident, and medical student education since 1974 and continues to focus on improving the health of members of our Cincinnati community and beyond, with a special focus on medically underserved patients. With faculty expertise in areas such as primary care research, palliative care, geriatrics, global health and integrative medicine, the department is advancing the college's commitment to cultivating learning environments, fostering research and scholarship, and providing innovative patient care.

The Osher Center is recruiting a full-time Culinary Medicine Education/Program Director to lead the culinary medicine educational and associated research programs, and oversee the operational, administrative, and strategic activities for the learning kitchen. The Culinary Medicine Education Director will work in partnership with leadership, physicians, and community stakeholders to develop evidence-based culinary and educational curricula and oversee activities designed to support the vision, mission, and values of the Osher Center, UC Health Integrative Medicine and the UC Cancer Center. This position will include a faculty appointment; academic rank commensurate with experience.

The Osher Center for Integrative Health Learning Kitchen will be located in the state-of-the-art UC Health Blood Cancer Healing Center and is slated to open early 2026. This facility will help patients, families, students, faculty/staff and community members learn skills to practice whole-food, predominantly plant-based eating and healthy living. The learning kitchen will be an integral component of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati to achieve improved health for all through clinical practice, advanced education, innovative research, and community engagement focused on integrative health and wellness, and specifically Food as Medicine.

For undergrad and graduate students: Interdisciplinary students participate via Integrative Gut Health course, the Fundamentals of Integrative Health and Medicine; the undergraduate Integrative Health Club; Journal Club, etc.

For medical students: Medical students participate via the Medical Student Scholars Program, the Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine elective, Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine for Everyon curriculum thread, M3 experience, and the Integrative Medicine SIG.

For residents: Residents in Integrative Health rotations participate via group medical visits co-led by faculty and the Culinary Medicine Director.

For faculty and staff: Faculty and staff participate via professional development offerings, workplace well-being experiences created and led by Culinary Medicine Director.

• Direct, develop, and manage a broad array of educational, research, operational, programmatic, and strategic activities to support growth of the UC Community Learning Kitchen managed by the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati.
• Design and implement evidence-based culinary medicine curricula including supplemental material and resources for a variety of participant populations, including but not limited to patients, families, students, staff, faculty, and community members.
• Develop credit-bearing, culinary medicine graduate and undergraduate courses at the UC College of Medicine.Oversee execution of courses once approved.
• Provide direct and/or indirect supervision and evaluation of learning kitchen staff (e.g., Sous Chef) and students to ensure activities are held to a high standard and safety protocols are met.
• Initiate evidence-based culinary medicine research:Submit at least one pilot research grant proposal per year,Serve as a reviewer for culinary-based pilot grants submitted to the Osher Center for consideration for funding,Collaborate with PIs interested in utilizing the learning kitchen or culinary medicine curricula for research projects.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external community to serve the mission of the Osher Center in the learning kitchen.
• Support and promote the learning kitchen's marketing and public relations efforts.
• Conduct periodic review of emerging culinary medicine trends and research.
• Develop synergistic projects and interface with international organizations (Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Osher Collaborative and others), collaborate on research and curricula development.Serve on at least one local and one national organization committee
• Develop, manage and modify educational activities and community events within the learning kitchen.
• In collaboration with the Center Director and Medical Director, establish and implement best practices/policies/procedures/standards for the learning kitchen and culinary medicine educational program.
• In collaboration with the Center Director and Education Director, identify, establish, and evaluate virtual learning resources.
• In collaboration with the Center Director and Business Manager, assist with budget planning and fundraising activities for the learning kitchen.
• Perform related duties based on the Center and learning kitchen needs.

• Bachelor's degree in culinary arts management, or relevant specialized training.
• Master's degree in nutrition, public health, food studies, or a related field, or relevant work experience in addition to the minimum experience stated below.

ServSafe Manager Certification.

Minimum 8 years of relevant work experience, including but not limited to:

• Previous professional culinary experience, particularly with a focus on plant-based or plant-forward cuisines as well as culinary medicine applications.
• Previous experience working with patients and/or clients with specific dietary needs.
• Previous supervisory experience in foodservice.
• Previous experience in education and developing culinary curricula.
• Previous experience conducting action-based research or other research methods.
• Previous experience in a teaching kitchen setting.

• Requires long periods of standing, walking, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Requires work in fluctuating temperatures between walk-in freezers, refrigerators, and higher temperatures around some cooking instruments.
• Requires dexterity with knife skills and other culinary preparations, as well as technological skills for tasks such as creating content and ordering supplies and equipment for learning kitchen.