"Betsey R. Bush Endowed Professor in Behavioral Health-Social Work-Fall 2026"

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) College of Social Work is seeking a highly regarded scholar to fill the position of the Betsey R. Bush Endowed Professor in Behavioral Health. This endowed professorship offers an outstanding opportunity for an experienced behavioral health researcher to pursue their program of research, with significant potential for collaboration with creative colleagues and doctoral students. The ideal candidate will bring an interprofessional lens to community-engaged research and education; a strong record of scholarly activity; experience as a mentor to graduate students, post-docs, and pre-tenure faculty; and the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the access and engagement goals of the University. They also will meet the requirements for appointment at the appropriate rank for the University of Tennessee. To this end, the candidate should have an established record of substantial extramural funding (for professor level) or intramural and some extramural funding and indication of future potential for a sustained record of extramural funding (for associate level). The successful candidate will help the CSW move forward our vision and mission.

Candidates for this position must have earned their Ph.D. in social work or related field. Successful candidates would need to meet the qualifications in order to be eligible to pursue tenure upon initial appoinment. The position is located on the Nashville campus. This is a 9-month position.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in social work or other related field
• An established, active program of research related to behavioral health care
• Evidence of a commitment to social work values in alignment with CSWE accreditation standards in their practice and research
• Evidence of high-quality teaching at the graduate level, across modalities
• Evidence of commitment to mentoring graduate students, pre-tenure faculty, and/or post-doctoral fellows who are developing programs of externally-funded research
• Evidence of commitment to creating positive classroom and research settings where all people can thrive
• Candidates for Associate Professor should have preliminary evidence of external funding and clear potential for sustained external funding.
• Candidates for Full Professor should have evidence of successful, sustained external funding and experience leading research teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in social work
• Commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaboration
• Experience leading team-based research groups

Interested individuals should provide: (1) a cover letter addressing research, teaching, and practice experience as well as experience relevant to each required and preferred qualification, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) three sample publications, and (4) contact information for three professional references. In your letter, pay specific attention to your experiences that are not easily found on your CV. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by October 1, 2025 though review may continue until an appointment is made. Materials should be submitted electronically https://apply.interfolio.com/173370. Inquiries may be addressed to the search committee chair, Dr. Bridget Freisthler at bfreisth@utk.edu.