"Assistant/Associate Professor Tenure-Track, Public Health"

The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor position in the Department of Public Health to be part of a cluster hire that will strengthen our ability to address health inequities, particularly those experienced by our local communities. Faculty hired as part of this cluster will work closely with Cherokee Health Systems (CHS), a nationally known, federally qualified health center that is based in East Tennessee and participates as a Healthcare Provider Organization program partner in the NIH All of Us Research Program (allofus.nih.gov). UTK has recently established an organizational memorandum of understanding with CHS, and this cluster hire will assist in establishing collaborative research and academic programming between the two institutions. The candidate will collaborate with two additional recently hired faculty within the cluster, with one based in the Department of Nutrition and the other based in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sports Studies, to create a team within CEHHS whose work will target health inequities through a multi-level approach.

We seek an established scholar whose work targets the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, particularly in populations who are low-resourced. The candidate should have familiarity with multi-level interventions, apply health-relevant theoretical frameworks in research, have strong quantitative or mixed methods research skills, be experienced with working with populations that are low-resourced, and have experience with interdisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will: (a) lead research programming that complements cluster, departmental, CEHHS, and CHS research initiatives; (b) participate in related collaborative research programs; (c) provide teaching in the Department of Public Health's educational programs; and (d) mentor MPH/PhD students.

This 9-month, fulltime (1.0 FTE), position begins August 1, 2026. Starting salary is commensurate with experience. UTK has a competitive benefits package, and 9-month tenure-track faculty are eligible for summer salary.

Candidates must have earned their doctorate in public health, a related social or behavioral science field or have a doctorate in another field with a history of research or work experience with direct application to public health.

Candidates for the Assistant Professor rank should: have a doctorate degree OR be in the final stages of their doctoral studies and anticipate degree completion before the commencement of employment. demonstrate a clear research trajectory, as evidenced by scholarly publications or work toward publications. have high potential of successful extramural funding.

Candidates for the Associate Professor rank should: demonstrate an established research agenda and record of scholarly activity. have experience with successfully acquiring extramural funding.

The successful candidate must meet the qualifications for being an assistant or associate professor within the department. Candidates will have a research focus in one or more of the following areas: health services research (outpatient health delivery and patient support, health systems planning, electronic health records/patient portals), chronic disease prevention, behavioral health/medicine, and/or dissemination and implementation science. Candidate must have demonstrated experience in productive interdisciplinary collaborations with nutrition and physical activity researchers and interest in community engaged work.

Review of applications will begin on August 1, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Individuals interested in applying for this position should submit electronically a letter of application, curriculum vita, and list of three references who can address the applicant’s leadership capabilities with complete addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Questions can be directed to Dr. Angela Pfammatter, search committee chair, at angela@utk.edu.