Assistant/Early Associate Tenure-Track Professor Rural Health Disparities

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, Department of Biobehavioral Health is seeking candidates for a tenure-track Assistant/Early Associate Professor. The candidate will use an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach to study the individual, social, and structural factors that shape health disparities with a focus on rural populations. The hire will have expertise on and conduct high-impact research on rural-urban or within rural disparities in at least one of the following areas: the etiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention, or morbidity and mortality associated with cancer, obesity, or cardiovascular health; with a focus on health disparities in rural contexts; population health; implementation science; or health disparities among marginalized or stigmatized populations in rural settings. The candidate will be expected to contribute to the growing interdisciplinary expertise in rural health and support the potential for Penn State to become a national hub for rural health research.

About the College

The College of Health and Human Development offers a robust program of eight interdisciplinary programs that share one common goal: enriching the lives of others. We continually examine contemporary issues facing people in today’s changing times, and we develop cutting-edge solutions for addressing them. Our impact extends from our classrooms, across communities and industries, and around the globe.

About the Department/Hiring Unit

The Department of Biobehavioral Health (BBH) is a uniquely multi-faceted program that examines the space where biological, psychological, environmental, cultural, and global factors converge to affect health and wellness across the entire human lifespan. We are particularly interested in individuals whose research fits within the department's interdisciplinary focus on integrating biological, environmental, psychosocial, and contextual processes.

Although the tenure home of the position is in BBH, this faculty position will be co-funded by Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute . Social Sciences Research Institute (SSRI), whose mission is to foster research that addresses critical human and social problems at the local, national, and international levels. SSRI has five strategic foci: 1) the causes and consequences of inequality, 2) human development and behavior, 3) the social and environmental determinants of health, 4) innovative and data intensive research methods, and 5) individual and community impact. SSRI supports interdisciplinary research by bringing together researchers across the university around emerging areas, and by providing consultation, seed grants and faculty fellowships, and core resources tailored to the needs of social and behavioral scientists. Colleagues with strong interdisciplinary and/or translational orientations are particularly desired. The successful candidate should be a collaborative researcher who will promote and enhance excellence and innovation in interdisciplinary research between BBH and SSRI.

The ideal candidate will have the potential to engage in interdisciplinary collaborations within the social, behavioral, or medical/biological sciences. There are multiple centers or institutes which offer intellectual hubs to build interdisciplinary teams and internal funding opportunities that would support the development of interdisciplinary collaborations including the Penn State Cancer Institute , Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center , Center for Healthy Aging , Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences , Population Research Institute , and the Clinical Translational Science Institute offer. Other relevant resources include a Biomarker Core Lab and the Social, Life, and Engineering Imaging Center .

Primary Job Responsibilities

Responsibilities of this position include establishing a fundable line of interdisciplinary biobehavioral health research, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses, supervising and mentoring student researchers, and providing service to the Department, College, and University and to the profession. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in research, a strong publication record appropriate for their stage of career, interest in collaboration across disciplines, commitment to mentoring students or early career researchers, and a track record of or strong potential for external grant funding, with excellent potential to carry forward such research and funding. The individual would be expected to establish a line of interdisciplinary health research with a focus on rural health disparities and which has clear funding targets.

Qualifications

For Assistant Professor, candidates must possess a Ph.D. or terminal degree at the time of hire, or a degree that is equivalent to a Ph.D. or terminal degree in the U.S. at the time of hire. Areas of study may include social and behavioral science, epidemiology, psychology, biology, neuroscience, sociology, public health, population health, biobehavioral health, or a closely related field. Assistant Professor candidates must show promise for excellence in research, teaching, and service at the time of hire. For Early Associate Professor, candidates must possess the same qualifications as Assistant Professor candidates but also demonstrate established excellence in research, teaching, and service commensurate with the position.

Diversity Statement

To learn more about Penn State University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion see the University’s Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at https://equity.psu.edu/equity-at-penn-state/strategic-plan . As an institution, we embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engages all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission, and we strongly encourage applicants who would enrich the diversity of our academic community to apply for this opportunity.

Our campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

Application Instructions

To apply, please upload a curriculum vitae, a cover letter outlining your interest in the position which specifically addresses the job requirements and outlines qualifications, a research statement, a teaching statement, and a DEI Statement which addresses how your values and experiences advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in your work, three (3) reprints/preprints, and contact information for three professional references. We will request reference letters, with a short timeframe for response, for applicants undergoing further consideration.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified. Questions related to the position can be addressed to Dr. Emily Ansell at [email protected] .

Located in Centre County, Pennsylvania, employment at Penn State offers an incredible opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the central Pennsylvania outdoors combined with all of the culture, sports, and entertainment available in a large university community. More information on the area and all of its amenities can be found here: https://happyvalley.com/. 

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Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here .

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. 

EEO IS THE LAW

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