Assistant Professor - Kinesiology & IALS

Apply now Job no:520783
Work type:Faculty Full Time
Location:UMass Amherst
Department: Kinesiology
Union: MSP
Categories:Faculty, School of Public Health & Health Sciences

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus (http://www.umass.edu ), is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Description

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS), and Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) seek talented applicants qualified for a joint faculty position in the Kinesiology Department at the Assistant Professor level in the area of human physiology with a translational research focus. Under exceptional circumstances, highly qualified candidates at higher professor ranks may receive consideration. The successful applicant will contribute to the teaching goals of the Kinesiology Department, as well as to the vibrant research environment of the department and IALS. This is a full-time, tenure track, academic year appointment with excellent benefits and a competitive salary range commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Expected start date is September 1, 2024.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent degree in kinesiology or a related field at the time of appointment. Preference will be given to candidates with an outstanding translational research program in the area of human physiology. The successful candidate will have access to the state-of-the-art imaging and spectroscopy facilities in the Human Magnetic Resonance Center, as well as all other core facilities in IALS. Investigators with a background in human physiology or metabolism who use translational approaches to advance their field, as well as those with interests in the development of innovative therapeutic interventions for promoting health, will be a particularly good fit for this position. Interpersonal and communication skills that encourage strong collaborations in research and program development are essential.

The faculty appointment will be in the Department of Kinesiology in the SPHHS. Position responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Establish and develop an active research program at UMass Amherst with an independent base of support using funds that may originate from diverse sources such as federal and state granting agencies, foundations, and industry collaborations.
• Active participant in the Center for Personalized Health Monitoring in IALS (https://www.umass.edu/cphm/ ).
• Contribute to the undergraduate and graduate teaching mission of the Kinesiology Department.
• Oversee graduate theses and dissertations, as well as undergraduate independent study and honors projects.
• Serve on departmental, IALS, school and university committees, professional panels or boards, as assigned or desired.

About the School of Public health and Health Sciences (SPHHS)

The world-renowned Department of Kinesiology (https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/academics/kinesiology ) is one of six departments in the School of Public Health & Health Sciences (https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/ ). The department has 13 tenured/tenure-track faculty, 6 full-time lecturers, 1 research professor, 1 full-time undergraduate advisor, approximately 650 undergraduate majors and 50 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Its research and teaching activities are organized into the areas of Biomechanics, Movement Neuroscience, Physical Activity and Health, and Physiology. We aim to promote diversity within all aspects of our program, establishing the University of Massachusetts Amherst Kinesiology Department as a community of choice for students, staff and faculty from all backgrounds. Faculty are established and emerging leaders in their research fields, which range from the molecular basis of movement to community-based physical activity interventions. Current research funding comes from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, American Heart Association, a variety of foundations, and industry collaborators.

About the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) and the Center for Personalized Health Monitoring (CPHM)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the University have together invested $150 million in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS; http://www.umass.edu/ials ), which is home to the highly innovative Center for Personalized Health Monitoring (CPHM; http://www.umass.edu/cphm ). The new faculty hire will be a member of IALS and CPHM, which engages faculty from departments across campus such as kinesiology, engineering, computer science, polymer science, public health and psychological and brain sciences, and others. The resource-rich CPHM has a suite of more than 30 world class core facilities that focus on human testing, including the Human Magnetic Resonance Center (hMRC; http://www.umass.edu/ials/hmrc ) and Center for Human Health and Performance (CH2P; http://www.umass.edu/ials/ch2p ). The CH2P houses a wide variety of equipment for measuring exercise interventions and outcomes, kinetic and kinematic aspects of human motion, 24-hour energy expenditure, and home-based daily activity in an apartment-style setting. Research conducted in CPHM targets basic and translational studies of metabolism, human movement, fatigue and sleep; as well as the development and application of wearable sensors for the study of human behavior and health in real-world settings. Kinesiology faculty are leaders in this campus-wide enterprise. Faculty in CPHM have established clinical collaborations with investigators at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Additional core facilities are available in IALS, including High Performance Computing, Light Microscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Histology, and Advanced Digital Design and Fabrication (http://www.umass.edu/ials/core-facilities ).

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement of research expertise and current and future research goals, a statement of teaching philosophy, a statement of past and/or future contributions (to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the areas of research, teaching, and/or outreach), and contact information for three (3) professional references. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. 

For questions about the application process, contact Meredith Barscz, Administrative Assistant, Department of Kinesiology ([email protected] ). For more information about any other aspect of this announcement, please contact Mark S. Miller, PhD, Search Committee Co-Chair ([email protected] ) OR Richard van Emmerik, PhD, Kinesiology Department Chair ([email protected] ).

The University is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic career and degree.