University of Connecticut, Allied Health Sciences
*** this position has been closed and new applications are no longer accepted. ***
Position Description
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Allied Health Sciences, part of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut invites applications for a tenure-track faculty member (50% research, 50% teaching) at the rank of Assistant Professor to be based at the Waterbury regional campus. This is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track appointment with an expected start date of August 23, 2024.
Located in the heart of Waterbury’s revitalized downtown, UConn Waterbury offers its 1500+ undergraduate students the individual attention of a small college along with the benefits of a national public top research university. The urban setting allows for a variety of experiential learning opportunities and partnerships with a vast network of area health partners. Combining academic excellence and extensive community involvement, UConn Waterbury strives to promote the personal growth of students of all ages and economic circumstances through intellectual achievement, enhanced leadership skills, and workforce development.
Allied Health Sciences is a large, vibrant, multidisciplinary department dedicated to advancing knowledge through research, teaching, advising, and community engagement. With 30 faculty, over 900 undergraduates (40% of whom are non-white), 30 post-baccalaureate students, and 30 graduate students, we actively engage in educating and training the next generation of health professionals. The Department offers an undergraduate major in Allied Health Sciences with multiple concentrations; three nationally accredited professional programs; four post-baccalaureate programs, two master’s programs; and a Ph.D. program in Health Promotion Sciences.
Diversity is one of UConn’s core values, and our Department strives for inclusive excellence in attracting, retaining, and valuing talented people from all backgrounds.
The Department of Allied Health Sciences is situated within the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR), which has developed and implemented a Strategic Vision to guide the development and focus of our teaching, research, and Extension programs in the years 2020-2025. An essential component of that Strategic Vision is a commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching, research, and extension and addressing structural racism by broadening participation and integrating culturally-sustaining approaches in all College activities. Faculty hired for this position will be expected to make significant contributions in their area of expertise, contributing to the advancement of one or more of the CAHNR’s five strategic priorities.
- Ensuring a vibrant agricultural industry and sustainable food supply;
- Enhancing health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally;
- Fostering sustainable landscapes across urban-rural interfaces;
- Advancing resilience and adaptation in a changing climate; and
- Dismantling structural racism and fostering environments that advance racial equity, inclusion, and belonging by advocating for anti-racist policies, practices, and norms.
The CAHNR Strategic Vision (https://cahnr.uconn.edu/visionandvalues/) provides additional information on the strategic initiatives and their related areas of emphasis.
We invite candidates from a broad range of academic disciplines and research areas to apply. The successful candidate will have a research focus that may involve any one or combination of areas: community health systems, social determinants of health, global health, digital health/eHealth, behavioral interventions, implementation science, health services research, cancer prevention, and/or community-engaged research. We especially encourage candidates with research interests that address disparities in health outcomes for any group who has historically experienced barriers to achieving health and well-being due to characteristics linked to discrimination or exclusion.
Candidates should have the potential to collaborate with current departmental and University faculty in research that examines a broad range of issues in health promotion, prevention, and treatment nationally and globally (e.g., food insecurity, weight management, HIV prevention, mental health, and substance use prevention).
UConn also sponsors institutes and centers conducting research on health or its inequities affecting minority and other underserved populations that can offer exceptional opportunities to establish interdisciplinary collaborations, including the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Interventions, and Policy; the Health Disparities Institute; the Africana Studies Institute; El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies; Asian and Asian American Studies Institute; the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health.
The Waterbury location allows for engagement with local health partners to conduct community-based and patient-oriented research to address pressing community health needs, including but not limited to access to primary care and health literacy.
Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The successful candidate will be based at the Waterbury regional campus as a full faculty member in the Department of Allied Health Sciences (AHS). This position is the fourth faculty hire who will reside on the Waterbury campus, working under the advisement of department leadership based in Storrs. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the research, teaching, and outreach mission of the University. The successful candidate will also be expected to engage a broad range of students in their work, including members of underrepresented groups. The successful candidate will function effectively as a team member with faculty and staff in AHS and other departments at Waterbury and with AHS faculty and staff in Storrs. The position will require periodic travel to the Storrs campus (e.g., monthly department meetings). The successful candidate will be expected to work relatively independently and collaboratively in a work environment that is supportive but also involves deadlines and fluctuating demands in the schedule.
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
- Develop a high-quality, externally funded program of research that addresses health concerns relevant to Waterbury and the surrounding communities
- Teach the equivalent of three, 3-credit courses each year, including existing and new courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate level
- Provide research mentoring for graduate students and research experiences for undergraduate Allied Health Sciences majors, helping expose them to experiential learning
- Disseminate research findings through both scholarly and community-engaged communication channels
- Assist in the Department’s recruitment and orientation of new students
- Participate in professional development consistent with personal and professional goals
- Serve on campus, department, College, and/or University committees
- Other duties as assigned
The successful candidate will also be expected to support the Department’s efforts to:
- Recruit and retain students from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups
- Demonstrate through teaching and/or public engagement the richness of diversity in the learning experience
- Help develop student competency in addressing socioeconomic, cultural, structural/systemic, and environmental factors that influence health
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- A doctoral degree in a relevant discipline, including (but not limited to) social sciences, behavioral science, public health, health services, social work, public policy, or health sciences.
- A track record of scholarly activity as evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and/or international conferences and/or workshops.
- Evidence of promise as an independent investigator through a proven track record, or excellent potential for, securing extramural research funding.
- Experience or evidence of promise in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level in areas of expertise.
- Potential to supervise and mentor undergraduate and graduate student research.
- Potential for collaborations with multiple departmental faculty.
- Demonstrated excellent skills in oral and written communication and strong interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity through teaching and research.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Postdoctoral training in a health-related field.
- Demonstrated successful partnerships and/or engagement with healthcare or community-based institutions or agencies.
- Record of conducting applied research on topics relevant to community health in an urban setting.
- Potential for collaborations with researchers in one or more disciplines external to their own.
- Demonstrated success in engaging with diverse communities, including first-generation college students and underrepresented populations.
- Experience in understanding and contributing to cultures of inclusive excellence, including working with those who have historically experienced barriers to achieving health and well-being.
APPOINTMENT TERMS
This is a 9-month, tenure-track appointment with an expected start date of August 23, 2024. The successful candidate’s primary academic appointment will be at the Waterbury campus, with periodic travel to the Storrs campus as required. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.
TO APPLY
Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26862 and submit the following application materials:
- A cover letter,
- Curriculum vitae,
- Research statement (innovative concepts that will form the basis of academic career, experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students, etc.);
- Teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective learning, concepts for new course development, etc.);
- Commitment to diversity statement (including broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of diverse learning styles, etc.);
- Three letters of reference.
The cover letter and research and teaching statements should explicitly explain how the candidate’s work will contribute to the advancement of one or more of the CAHNR’s strategic priorities.
Only applications submitted via Academic Jobs Online will be accepted. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received no later than January 17, 2024. Inquiries should be sent to the search committee chair, Dr. Pablo K. Valente (pablo.valente@uconn.edu).
At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.
This position will be filled subject the budgetary approval.
All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.
All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.
The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce. The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner. This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO Employer.
Application Materials Required:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research statement
- Teaching statement
- Commitment to Diversity Statement
- Three reference letters (to be submitted online by the reference writers on this site )
Further Info:
Department of Allied Health Sciences
College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
358 Mansfield Road, Unit 1101
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-1101