The Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut welcomes applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor with expertise in ethnic and racial health disparities. The position will be based on our Storrs campus and will begin on August 23, 2023. This position is part of a hiring cluster that includes the Departments of Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Geography, Human Development and Family Sciences, and Sociology.
We broadly seek applications from scholars whose work whose work examines the role of communication in contributing to the social and structural aspects of ethnic and racial health disparities. Examples of areas of specialization may include but are not limited to urban-related scholarship, community-engaged research, evidence-based policy making/strategies, anti-racist approaches to health communication, human-environment interactions, climate, and/or intersectionalities (e.g., with social class, age, gender identity, immigration status, sexual orientation, disability). For more information about the hiring cluster on the whole, please see https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/22737. We welcome applicants with expertise in a range of paradigms and methodologies, and encourage applicants with expertise in quantitative, qualitative empirical and/or mixed methods approaches and an interest in teaching research methods to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Faculty hired as part of the cluster will have opportunities to collaborate within and across departments in the cluster, as well as opportunities for connections to other research-intensive centers and institutes across the University, including the Health Disparities Institute, the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), the Human Rights Institute, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. The College is also home to a vibrant collective of Institutes and Programs engaged in anti-racism scholarship, area studies, and intersectional struggles against oppression, including Africana Studies, American Studies, Asian and Asian American Studies, El Instituto, Native American and Indigenous Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
This hiring initiative builds on the investment of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in research, teaching, and outreach focused on health disparities, including an earlier cluster hire that brought several exciting scholars to UConn. The University of Connecticut is ranked the best public university in New England and among the top 25 public universities in the U.S.
The Department of Communication has 20 tenure-stream faculty members and 5 non-tenure stream faculty, and has approximately 35 graduate students and 1000 undergraduate majors. For more information see https://comm.uconn.edu.
Founded in 1881, the UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Earned Ph.D. in Communication or international equivalent (ABD candidates will be considered with the expectation that the PhD is completed by the start date).
• Demonstrated potential in establishing a successful research and scholarship program aligned with the description above.
• Deep commitment to promoting diversity through academic and research programs.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Record of (or potential for) securing extramural funding from national level grant-sponsoring agencies.
• Record of research and scholarship excellence.
• Record of teaching excellence.
• Ability to contribute through research, teaching, and/or public engagement to the diversity and excellence of the learning experience.
APPOINTMENT TERMS
This is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2023. The successful candidate’s academic appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
TO APPLY
Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/22737 and submit the following application materials:
• A cover letter
• Curriculum vitae,
• Research and scholarship statement (innovative concepts that will form the basis of academic career, experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students, etc.);
• Teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective learning, concepts for new course development, etc.);
• Commitment to diversity statement (including broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of diverse learning styles, etc.);
• Writing sample and any supporting materials,
• Contact information for three (3) letters of reference. References will not be contacted without notification of the candidate.
Application materials will only be accepted via Academic Jobs Online. Evaluation of applicants will begin on October 15, 2022. Applicants will receive an email from our Human Resources department asking to specify the department to which they are applying.
At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.