"Associate Professor, Health & Kinesiology (Chair)"

Job Details

Salary: DOE

Location: Beaumont, TX

Job Type: Full-Time Faculty

Job Number: 202500355

Home Org: Health and Kinesiology

FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary

The Department of Health and Kinesiology at Lamar University invites applications for the position of Department Chair, beginning August 2026. We seek a visionary and collaborative leader to advance academic excellence, faculty development, research productivity, and student success. Candidates should demonstrate disciplinary expertise in areas such as exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor control, strength and conditioning, public health, or related fields, and be prepared to teach in both face-to-face and online modalities.

The Department Chair of Health and Kinesiology provides strategic leadership, academic oversight, and administrative management. The Chair oversees undergraduate and graduate programs in Exercise Science, Public Health, Kinesiology, and Sport and Recreation Management, ensuring curricular excellence, accreditation compliance, and alignment with institutional and state standards. This role includes supervising faculty and staff; guiding recruitment, retention, and evaluation; and supporting faculty development, scholarship, collaboration, and student success within the department.

The Chair leads program assessment and continuous improvement efforts, manages departmental budgets and resources, coordinates class scheduling and workload, and represents the department within the College of Nursing and Health Professions and across the university. In addition, the Chair develops community partnerships, supports experiential learning opportunities, and advances the department's mission to promote health, human performance, and well-being. Through vision, advocacy, and effective leadership, the Department Chair positions Health and Kinesiology as an innovative and impactful academic unit serving both the university and the broader region.

Essential Job Functions

Service:

• Provide strategic leadership for the Department of Health and Kinesiology, ensuring alignment with the mission, goals, and strategic priorities of the College of Nursing and Health Professions and Lamar University.
• Oversee departmental governance, facilitating effective communication, shared decision-making, and consensus building among faculty and staff.
• Represent the department on college- and university-level committees, task forces, and councils; advocate for departmental needs and initiatives.
• Lead and coordinate program assessment, accreditation reporting, annual program reviews, and continuous improvement processes.
• Foster community, clinical, and industry partnerships to enhance experiential learning, internships, research collaborations, and regional impact.
• Support student success initiatives, including recruitment, retention, and progression efforts, in collaboration with academic advising and student support offices.
• Promote a professional and respectful departmental environment that emphasizes collaboration, fairness, and collegiality.
• Engage in professional service at regional, national, or international levels, representing the department's disciplines within professional organizations.
• Serve as a resource for students facing academic or professional challenges, referring them to appropriate campus support services when needed.

Research and Grant Writing:

• Maintain an active program of scholarly work that contributes to the advancement of kinesiology, health, public health, or related fields.
• Support and mentor faculty in developing research agendas, disseminating scholarship, and increasing research productivity.
• Identify external funding opportunities and coordinate or lead grant applications that support departmental research, equipment acquisition, community initiatives, or student engagement.
• Cultivate interdisciplinary collaborations across the college and university to strengthen research capacity and visibility.

Teaching:

• Teach undergraduate or graduate courses in areas aligned with disciplinary expertise using both face-to-face and online modalities.
• Develop, review, and revise curriculum to ensure academic rigor, relevance, and alignment with accreditation and workforce standards.

Minimum and Desired Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctorate in kinesiology, exercise science, public health or related field.
• Successful college/university teaching experience
• Demonstrated administrative, leadership, or program coordination experience
• Evidence of scholarly achievement commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor
• Ability to teach with both face-to-face and online course delivery methods
• proven ability to work effectively with colleagues and students in a collaborative environment; potential for securing external funding for research projects; and professional affiliation and certification(s) within field of expertise.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with online teaching, curriculum development, and new program initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus through shared governance
• Experience supervising full-time faculty and staff
• Record of meaningful service and leadership in academic or professional settings
• Experience with external funding, grants, or sponsored projects
• Experience with accreditation processes, annual reporting, and continuous improvement systems
• Demonstrated success working with varied student and faculty populations

Supplemental Information

Key Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and diplomatic skills
• Proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities
• Effective delegation, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Commitment to faculty advocacy, student success, and program excellence
• Ability to foster an inviting, respectful, and collegial environment
• Capacity to adapt to changing institutional needs and strategic priorities
• Ability to collaborate effectively with administration and external stakeholders.

Physical Requirements: Ability to lift at least 40 pounds as needed.

Job Conditions: Office, classroom, laboratory, field experience.

The Department of Health and Kinesiology currently has 8 full-time faculty, 4 tenured faculty, 3 tenure track faculty, 1 non-tenure track instructional faculty, 1 staff member, and nearly 500 students. The department offers undergraduate programs in Exercise Science, Physical Education Teacher Education, Sport and Recreation Management and Public Health. Graduate programs include master's degrees in Kinesiology and a master's in public health. The Department is home to the Integrative Physiology and Biochemistry Research Laboratories, which is comprised of two well-equipped, collaborative laboratories capable of supporting a wide array of research in exercise physiology, biomechanics, body composition, and strength and conditioning.

Lamar University is An Equal Opportunity Employer

To apply, please visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/lamar/jobs/5172236/associate-professor-health-kinesiology-chair