Overview
Project Description:
NutraMaize is seeking a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) fellow to participate in an educational
research opportunity funded through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology
Transfer Research (STTR) Grant. The aim of this project is to develop more nutritious Orange Corn for
large scale commercial application in the US. Most of the work will be performed at Purdue University
facilities including Lilly Hall, the attached greenhouses, and the Agronomy Center for Research and
Education (ACRE) farm.
Company Description:
NutraMaize is on a mission to transform the United States’ largest staple crop – corn – into a platform
for delivering better nutrition on a population-wide scale. NutraMaize’s innovation is a set of unique
varieties of non-GMO Orange Corn. The vibrant orange color comes from significantly higher levels of
carotenoids (2-4x more than yellow corn), the same natural antioxidant pigments that give carrots their
color and health-benefiting reputation. NutraMaize’s Co-Founder Dr. Torbert Rocheford of Purdue
University originally participated in the development of Orange Corn as part of the humanitarian effort
called HarvestPlus to help address malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is currently grown in
more than 10 countries. Now, NutraMaize is bringing the nutritional benefits of Orange Corn to
Americans whose eye health stands to benefit from increased carotenoid intake. To date, NutraMaize
has made Orange Corn available in the U.S. through a line of premium milled products marketed under
the brand “Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn” which pays homage to company’s cofounder and his
lifelong dedication to improving the world through science and agriculture. For more information on the
story behind orange corn visit nutramaize.com and professortorberts.com.
Qualifications:
• K-12 science or agriculture educator or community college faculty
• Desire to participate in scientific research
• Comfortable working in an outdoor, agricultural setting
• Desire to learn scientific lab work
• Desire to contribute to academic research
• Detail-oriented and strong organizational skills
• Excellent, team-oriented communication skills
Core Responsibilities:
- Assist NutraMaize employees, Purdue collaborators and undergraduate interns in the performance of:
- Plant breeding activities (such as organizing seed and conducting controlled pollinations in the field) [roughly 30% of the time]
- Animal research activities (such as collecting eggs or welfare quality assessments for poultry) [roughly 30% of the time]
- Experiments and lab-based analyses (such as preparing samples and analyzing results) [roughly 30% of the time]
- Create an academic poster to be presented at a College of Agriculture Networking event showcasing the experience from plant breeding to animal production to lab-based analysis.
Work Hours and Payment:
The fellowship will run May 2026 – August 2026. During the summer of 2026 the fellowship will be
roughly 200 hours. The selected candidates will be paid on an hourly basis at a rate of $40 per hour.
Application:
Please submit this RET Webform Application (https://forms.office.com/r/vBNx4hhKAb). Applications will
be considered on a rolling basis until three suitable candidates are identified