INTRODUCTION

The Department of Allied Health Sciences 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, 2022. 

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, health equity and the social determinants of health, global health, digital health/eHealth, 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, including race or ethnicity, or sexual or gender minority status.     

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 (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.

Allied Health Sciences is a large, vibrant, multidisciplinary department dedicated to advancing knowledge through research, teaching, advising, and community engagement. With 30 faculty, over 750 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 PhD 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.

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 top national public 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. 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 third 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 as well as 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 cultural, structural/systemic, and environmental factors that influence health

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. A doctoral degree in a relevant discipline, including (but not limited to) social sciences, behavioral science, public health, social work, public policy, or health sciences
2. 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
3. Evidence of promise as an independent investigator through proven track record or excellent potential for securing extramural research funding
4. Experience or evidence of promise in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level in areas of expertise
5. Potential for collaborations with multiple departmental faculty
6. Demonstrated excellent skills in oral and written communication and strong interpersonal skills
7. Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity through teaching and research

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Postdoctoral training in a health-related field
2. Demonstrated successful partnerships and/or engagement with healthcare or community-based institutions or agencies
3. Record of conducting applied research on topics relevant to community health in an urban setting
4. Potential for collaborations with researchers in one or more disciplines external to their own
5. Potential to supervise graduate and/or undergraduate student research 
6. Demonstrated success in engaging with diverse communities, including first-generation college students and underrepresented populations
7. 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, 2022.  The successful candidate’s primary academic appointment will be at the Waterbury campus. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment at the University of Connecticut is contingent upon the successful candidate’s compliance with the University’s Mandatory Workforce COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.  This Policy states that all workforce members are required to have or obtain a Covid-19 vaccination as a term and condition of employment at UConn, unless an exemption or deferral has been approved. 

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/20233 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.);
• Sample journal articles or books
• Three letters of reference.

The cover letter and research and teaching statement 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 December 6, 2021. Evaluation of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries should be sent to the search committee chair, Dr. Caitlin Caspi (caitlin.caspi@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 to 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.

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.