Job Information
Pennsylvania State University Assistant Professor of Education (Rehabilitation and Human Services) in University Park, Pennsylvania
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Position Available: Assistant Professor of Education (Rehabilitation and Human Services)
Beginning: Fall, 2025
Responsibilities:
The Rehabilitation and Human Services (RHS) program in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education (EPCSE), located in the College of Education invites applications for a tenure-track faculty member, whose research examines social and racial determinants of health and disability. The Rehabilitation and Human Services (RHS) program educates and trains practitioners with applied knowledge and skills to improve quality of life, affect positive change, and facilitate life goals for persons with disabilities and associated social determinants of health. Rehabilitation is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that prepares students for a range of applied settings, including in health and rehabilitation hospitals, community agencies, schools and universities, independent living centers, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and correctional institutions, among others. Faculty engage in applied research that examines barriers and strategies to improve educational, employment, and health outcomes. Rehabilitation researchers have diverse educational backgrounds that focus on policies, interventions, and personal and environmental factors relevant to improving outcomes for those served by rehabilitation providers. Therefore, we seek candidates that can excel in teaching applied undergraduate courses in human services and have an associated research agenda.
Penn State’s interdisciplinary Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), a university-wide institute under the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, is co-funding this position. The SSRI mission is to foster novel and interdisciplinary research collaborations across colleges to address critical human and social problems and to disseminate and translate this work into the broader community. SSRI provides research support and consultation, funding, infrastructure support, and services to social and behavioral scientists across different colleges. Candidates whose research shows evidence of, or potential for, interdisciplinary collaborations across disciplinary lines are particularly desired. A description of the Social Science Research Institute’s Strategic Foci can be found at https://ssri.psu.edu/about/ssri-overview.
We seek a faculty member whose research focuses on addressing health disparities and other social determinants of health that may be associated with trauma and other negative health consequences. We are particularly interested in someone whose research focuses on innovative interventions using an interdisciplinary lens. Inherent in this RHS position will be a focus on generating knowledge that can address the broader aim of preventing the negative health consequences associated with social and/or racial determinants. Potential areas of focus include, but are not limited to, pathways to health and healing for those impacted by social and racial determinants of health; designing and/or evaluating interventions focused on employment, health, education, recovery and/or family; trauma-informed interventions specific to the needs of this population; race and/or identity-specific programming for under-represented populations impacted by disability; policy impact analysis. The successful faculty member will collaborate with faculty within and external to the Rehabilitation and Human Services program and the Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education department to translate research findings into new practices related to interventions, prevention approaches, and/or policy.
Appointment conditions:
This is a tenure track, 36-week appointment for an Assistant Professor with the possibility of supplementary summer appointments in research and/or teaching. Full University benefits apply. Penn State has a strong commitment to the diversity of its workforce. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those with a disability.Required qualifications and responsibilities:
· A doctorate in an area of applied behavioral or social sciences by the time of appointment is required. Examples of areas of study could include, but not limited to Community Health, Counseling, Health Services, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Public Health, Rehabilitation, Sociology, and Social Work,
Ability to direct a research program focusing on social determinants of health that promote equity across race, ethnicity, gender, and/or disability status.
Ability to teach undergraduate and/or graduate level courses.
Evidence of a commitment to excellence in teaching in residence including a willingness to teach in an online environment, where appropriate.
Ability to advise doctoral graduate students and direct dissertations.
Evidence of a commitment to working collegially and with individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, commensurate with experience.
Desirable qualifications:
Leader in, or show promise for leading, a program of research with impact on practice
Strong publication record, or potential for such a record, in high impact outlets
Evidence of ability, or promise of ability, to secure external funding.
Evidence of excellence in teaching courses on campus and/or online at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, in Rehabilitation and/or related fields (e.g., human service, counseling, biobehavioral health, community health)
Commitment to providing service to the Department, College, University, and professional organizations or other external agencies
Direct practice experience in human services
Eligibility for clinical licensure. Potential licenses could include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, Psychologist, Nurse, or Occupational therapist.
The Pennsylvania State University
Penn State http://www.psu.edu is a comprehensive, multi-campus research university serving all regions throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the nation and the world in research, instruction and service roles that require responsiveness to and partnership with and support from society's public and private sectors. As a land-grant university, Penn State has responsibility for providing a wide array of programs in the professional and technical disciplines, as well as a balanced offering of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences. Penn State shares with other major research universities the traditional responsibilities to discover, develop, preserve, and disseminate knowledge. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.The College of Education
The College of Education http://www.ed.psu.edu at Penn State was established in 1923 to deepen and extend knowledge about the formation and utilization of human capabilities. It offers resident degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels and extensive outreach for educators at distant locations. The College's research program is also extensive and College faculty members secured over $36.7 million in external support during the past three years from a wide range of national and state government agencies, private foundations, and corporations. The College's location within a large, research oriented, land-grant university provides numerous opportunities for studying education from multidisciplinary perspectives in the context of a university-wide commitment to making life better for all citizens. The College houses four academic departments: Curriculum and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; and Learning and Performance Systems. The departments offer seven undergraduate majors to more than 2,250 students and in 11 graduate programs, under authority of the Graduate School, to 1,000 students. Recent surveys rank the Penn State College of Education among the top colleges, schools, and departments of education in the United States.The Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education
The undergraduate and graduate programs in the EPCSE department provide students with an education focused on prevention and intervention for at risk and marginalized populations. In 2023, the U.S. News and World Report ranked the program in Rehabilitation Counseling at Penn State as one of the top in the nation (#6). The RHS program is among the oldest in the U.S. and long history dating back to 1957 at Penn State. EPCSE has extensive links with key College and University Centers of Excellence, networks, and Institutes that provide research infrastructure and extensive collaboration opportunities, including the Criminal Justice Research Center https://justicecenter.la.psu.edu the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center http://www.prevention.psu.edu, the Child Study Center (http://csc.psych.psu.edu ,and the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (http://solutionsnetwork.psu.edu/, and the Restorative Justice Initiative https://ed.psu.edu/education-social-equity/RJI Faculty will also have access to research infrastructure in Penn State’s cross-University research institutes, including the Social Science Research Institute https://ssri.psu.edu, the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute http://ctsi.psu.edu, the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences https://www.huck.psu.edu , the Institute for Cyber Science https://ics.psu.edu, the Penn State Cancer Institute https://cancer.psu.edu and the Penn State Neuroscience Institute https://hmc.pennstatehealth.org/neuroscience-instituteApplication procedures:
Applicants must submit the following by November 30th to ensure full review of application:· A cover letter of application documenting qualifications for the position (1-2 pages recommended)
· Statement of research, detailing the applicant’s research agenda, including future plans (1-2 pages recommended)
· Statement of teaching, detailing areas of teaching ability, including alignment with existing courses in Rehabilitation and Human Services and areas of the job (applied undergraduate courses in human services) (1-2 pages recommended)
· Diversity statement, detailing how teaching, research and service will be applied to complement the areas of this job (social and racial determinants of health and disability); 1-2 pages recommended.
· Current curriculum vitae
· Copies of official graduate transcripts (where appropriate)
· Up to three representative writing samples (e.g., peer reviewed articles, book chapters, dissertation chapters, preprints, or at a minimum works in progress)
· Contact information for three colleagues who can serve as references; we are not asking for references at this time.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue to be accepted until the position is filled. For more information, contact Dr. Deirdre O'Sullivan (dmo11@psu.edu). Please indicate "SSRI co-fund RHS search" in the subject line of email correspondence.
To apply, go to http://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Assistant-Professor-of-Education--Rehabilitation-and-Human-Services-_REQ_0000061361
This job announcement is also available in alternate format. For more information please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at http://sites.psu.edu/aaoffice2/welcome/access-disability/reasonable-accommodations/ Questions about reasonable accommodations should contact adainfo@psu.edu . Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:
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 (https://police.psu.edu/annual-security-reports) .
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
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