Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Health Behavior and Health Education with a focus on Latino/a Health Disparities, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin

Description

The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Kinesiology & Health Education is seeking to hire a faculty member in Health Behavior and Health Education with specialization in Latino/a /Latin American Health Disparities at the Assistant Professor level. We are particularly interested in a scholar with expertise in prevention science, including but not limited to implementation science, randomized controlled trial designs, and observational study designs, focused on improving and/or understanding behavioral health outcomes among Latina/o/Latin American populations. This search will build on emerging faculty strengths in this area and is responsive to our strategic efforts to build expertise in Latina/o health and form national and international research partnerships in this area. This position is part of a college cluster hire of three Tenure–Track assistant professors to work with our world-class community of scholars to address research and academic programs focused on reducing education and/or health disparities among Latino/a children, families, and communities (see below for more details).

The mission of the Health Behavior and Health Education program is to improve health across diverse populations with a focus on eliminating health disparities. Collaborations exist within the area and with faculty in medicine, psychology, social work, nutrition, public health, and physiology. The Department of Kinesiology and Health Education has a robust undergraduate and graduate program and is committed to an intellectually diverse and inclusive working and learning environment and are seeking candidates whose research, teaching, and service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity, inclusivity and excellence. Through the College of Education’s Reimagine Education initiative, our signature impacts guide our research, teaching, and service: https://education.utexas.edu/about/office-dean/reimagine-education  

The College of Education promotes the shared values of equity, excellence, innovation, empowerment, community-focus, and endeavors to bridge research and practice. We view inclusiveness and excellence as interconnected in the work of our faculty. The College of Education is particularly interested in and values candidates who have experience working with diverse and underserved populations, and address the interactions among our diverse identities. Candidates should show a demonstrated commitment or future potential to improving access and conditions in community, school, and other settings for children, adults, families, schools, and communities.

As a leading College of Education in Texas and beyond, we are agents of change committed to transforming education and health research, practice, and policy to ensure the thriving of children, families, schools, and communities. In our efforts to align our college to address the most pressing challenges in the fields of education and health, we have launched a new strategic vision known as Reimagine Education (see https://education.utexas.edu/about/office-dean/reimagine-education). In advancing this effort, we have organized our academic and research aspirations around three Signature Impact Areas: Advancing Equity and Eliminating Disparities in Health and Education, Attending to Place and Context, and Thriving through Transitions.

The University of Texas at Austin is the flagship institution in the University of Texas System. It values and supports interdisciplinary research and with the Dell Medical School, it provides outstanding access to opportunities for collaboration with world-renowned medical faculty. As a venue for research, Texas is one of the most diverse states in the country with an increasingly culturally pluralistic population, with students in the K-12 system and in general. Austin, Texas is an exciting, welcoming, and inclusive city with the reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World.

The position is supported by a competitive start-up package, compensation appropriate to rank and experience, expansive laboratory space, and access to state-of-the-art core facilities. Hiring is contingent upon funding.

Cluster Hire of Three Tenure Track Positions in Latino/a Education and/or Health Disparities Across the College of Education, University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin, College of Education, is recruiting a cluster of three Tenure–Track assistant professors to work with our world-class community of scholars to address research and academic programs focused on reducing education and/or health disparities among Latino/a children, families, and communities. 

Latinos have quickly become the largest racial/ethnic minority subgroup in the U.S. The growth among Latino populations has led to increased cultural pluralism and demographic shifts throughout the country, including in Texas, where more than 40% of all state residents and where 53% of K12 student population identify as Latina/o. The growth of the Latina/o population also underscores the many sources of variability within the community in terms of language, nativity, place of origin, generational history, and socio-historical context which contribute to health and wellbeing of children, adults, and families.  

The College of Education promotes the shared values of equity, excellence, innovation, empowerment, community-focus, and endeavors to bridge research and practice. We view inclusiveness and excellence as interconnected in the work of our faculty. The College of Education is particularly interested in and values candidates who have experience working with diverse and underserved populations, and address the interactions among our diverse identities. Candidates should show a demonstrated commitment or future potential to improving access and conditions in community, school, and other settings for children, adults, families, schools, and communities.

Successful candidates for the three tenure-track, assistant professor positions within this cluster hire program will join senior faculty colleagues who are identifying sources of systemic inequities and leveraging culturally specific assets and strengths to combat education and health disparities that impact Latina/o communities in Texas, across the U.S., and in international contexts throughout Latin America. The hires will be positioned in one of three academic departments in the college, and will contribute to the college’s bold strategic vision to reimagine education through interdisciplinary research and teaching, and deep collaboration with communities.

Application Instructions

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

To ensure full consideration, please provide all requested materials by October 10, 2022. Review of applications continue until the position is filled.

Applicants should upload the following items to the Interfolio system:

• Cover Letter with contact information
• Full C.V.
• Research Statement that includes research accomplishments and future research direction
• Teaching Statement
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) statement detailing how your teaching, service, and/or scholarship has or will help to address education and health disparities.
• Up to 3 representative publications
• A list of 3 references with contact information

UT Austin is an equal opportunity institution that is committed to recruiting, supporting, and fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students. We encourage qualified applicants from underrepresented communities to apply.

For additional information about the department, see https://education.utexas.edu/departments/kinesiology-health-education .

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Shannon LaFevers at slafevers@austin.utexas.edu . Questions about the positions can be directed to the chair of the search committee: Dr. Keryn Pasch at kpasch@austin.utexas.edu.

Applications will be submitted via the University of Texas’ Interfolio By Committee web portal.  If you do not have a Dossier account with Interfolio, you will be prompted to create one prior to applying for the position.  If you have questions about using Interfolio, please email help@interfolio.com or call (877) 997-8807.