"Alvermann Professorship of Social Change"

Job Details

Position Summary

The Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia is pleased to announce the Donna Alvermann Professorship for Social Change at the rank of Full Professor beginning August 2026 (or date to be negotiated with candidate). Successful candidates may draw upon a range of methodologies and theories rooted in restorative, transformative, culturally sustaining, humanizing, critical, participatory, historical, psychoanalytic, philosophical, post-structural, and/or related traditions. Research that centers individuals and/or groups that have experienced particularized effects from P-12 schooling in the United States is of special interest especially as this work relates to the understanding and addressing of social problems.

The successful candidate will conduct high-impact and collaborative research and provide intellectual leadership in the Mary Frances Early College of Education and beyond. We seek an established scholar who has a proven and ambitious research agenda, including developing proposals for external funding, overseeing project implementation, sharing research through scholarly writing and presentations, mentoring graduate students, contributing to the preparation of teachers and other educational professionals, and collaborating with faculty on research activities related to the mission of the Department of Language and Literacy Education and the MFECOE.

The candidate will hold tenure in the Department of Language and Literacy Education in the Mary Frances Early College of Education while the position itself will foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the College.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicants should submit:

• Letter of application
• Curriculum Vitae
• Five recent publications, combined and uploaded as one pdf
• Contact information for five references. References will not be contacted until the candidate, if a finalist, has been notified.

Applications received by Friday, October 17, 2025, will be assured full consideration, but this position is open until filled. Address questions to the search committee chair, Dr. Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos (oscar.jimenezcastellanos@uga.edu).

Posting Details

Posting Number: F2426P

Working Title: Alvermann Professorship of Social Change

Department: COE-Language & Literacy Educ

About the University of Georgia: Since our founding in 1785, the University of Georgia has operated as Georgia’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 235 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly formed School of Medicine.

About the College/Unit/Department: The Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE) is committed to promoting diversity in education and society through its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, through its research and teaching missions, and through collaborative work with community residents and organizations. It consistently ranks nationally in the top ten Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction programs. The excellence of the faculty has enabled the MFE COE to recruit doctoral students nationally and internationally and place them in a variety of prestigious positions following graduation, further enhancing the College’s outstanding reputation around the globe.

As the 4th largest public college of education in the country and the 3rd largest college at UGA, the Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE) improves the lives of residents of Georgia and beyond through our instruction, research, and service. The MFE COE is a comprehensive college with disciplines focused on teacher preparation, counseling and human development, communication sciences, human movement sciences, career development, student affairs, and educational administration and policy. We place significant emphasis on graduate education with approximately 40% of our students at the graduate level, making us the second largest college at UGA with respect to graduate education.

The Department of Language and Literacy Education has contributed to this stature locally, nationally, and internationally. Many faculty collaborate with other MFE COE departments in program development, research partnerships, and other associations. The department has developed programs that meet the University of Georgia’s mission to expand students’ Experiential Learning through service-learning projects, community inquiry programs, summer programs designed to serve the local community, and related initiatives. The faculty have long held leadership roles in national and international organizations dedicated to language and literacy education. Departmental faculty have also developed international collaborations with educators in Russia, Mexico, Columbia, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Chile, Cyprus, and other locations. The Donna Alvermann Endowed Professor for Social Change will find the department to be a dynamic and stimulating environment for advancing the field’s understanding of literacy research and pedagogy.

College/Unit/Department website: https://coe.uga.edu/directory/language-and-literacy-education

Posting Type: External

Retirement Plan: TRS or ORP

Employment Type: Employee

Benefits Eligibility: Benefits Eligible

Advertised Salary: Commensurate with Experience

Anticipated Start Date: 08/01/2026

Job Posting Date: 07/14/2025

Job Closing Date: Open until filled

Location of Vacancy: Athens Area

EEO Statement: The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

Position Details

Position Information

Classification Title: Professor

Faculty Rank: Professor

Contract Type: Academic (9 mo.)

Tenure Status: Tenured

Minimum Qualifications: Earned doctorate in education or related field.

Additional Requirements:

• Established program of research related to the relationship between education and social change
• Record of externally funded research
• Demonstrated commitment to social change in research, teaching, and service
• Consistent evidence of collaborative, inclusive and interdisciplinary work across the career
• Eligibility for tenure and appointment at the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education

Please review the Department of Language and Literacy Education’s promotion and tenure guidelines for more information on requirements for tenure and the rank of Professor. Any request for tenure must be approved before hiring.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies: For this endowed position, we seek an individual with outstanding accomplishments in research that centers the positive social change that culturally and socially responsive education can bring to people, communities, and institutions.

Duties/Responsibilities: To teach graduate and undergraduate courses. To provide intellectual leadership in the Department of Language and Literacy Education and beyond and will conduct high-impact research in early reading/literacy development. To maintain/develop a research agenda, including developing proposals for external funding, overseeing project implementation, sharing research through scholarly writing and presentations, mentoring graduate students, contributing to the preparation of teachers for effective reading instruction, and collaborating with faculty on research activities related to the mission of the department.

Percentage Of Time: 100

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover Letter
3. Sample Publications
4. List of References with Contact Information

Optional Documents

1. Unofficial Letters of Recommendation