The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor position in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies to be part of a cluster hire that will strengthen our ability to address physical activity-related health inequities, particularly those experienced by our local communities. Faculty hired as part of this cluster will work closely with Cherokee Health Systems (CHS; cherokeehealth.com), a nationally known, federally qualified health center that is based in East Tennessee and participates as a Healthcare Provider Organization program partner in the NIH All of Us Research Program (allofus.nih.gov/). UT has recently established an organizational memorandum of understanding with CHS, and this cluster hire will assist in establishing collaborative research and academic programming between the two institutions. The candidate will collaborate with two additional positions within the cluster, with one position based in the Department of Nutrition and the other position based in the Department of Public Health, to create a team within CEHHS whose work will target health inequities through a multi-level approach.
Desirable candidates’ work should target the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases by promoting physical activity, particularly in populations who are low-resourced, historically marginalized, and/or experience physical or mental health disparities. The candidate should have familiarity with developing multi-level interventions, apply health-relevant theoretical frameworks in research, have strong quantitative or mixed methods research skills, be experienced working with populations historically underrepresented in biomedical research, and have experience with interdisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will: (a) establish and lead research programming that complements departmental, CEHHS, and CHS research initiatives; (b) participate in related collaborative research programs; (c) provide undergraduate and graduate teaching in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies during the academic year; (d) mentor undergraduate and graduate (MS/PhD) students; and (e) contribute to service activities at the departmental, college, university, and professional levels.
This 9-month, fulltime (1.0 FTE), position begins August 1, 2024. Starting salary is commensurate with experience, with a minimum starting salary of $80,000. UT has a competitive benefits package, and 9-month tenure-track faculty are eligible for summer salary through external funding and teaching. UT is Tennessee’s flagship land grant university and is currently in the midst of unprecedented growth in enrollment, with approximately 36,000 enrolled students. The University is also a Carnegie Foundation Research (R1) University with highest research activity and has achieved a Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. Forbes Magazine recently ranked UT as one of the best places to work in the US, including a ranking of ninth among public higher education institutions in the United States.
The Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies is home to over 40 faculty and staff members. The department provides near 2,000 undergraduate students an opportunity to major in either kinesiology or recreation and sport management. Approximately 120 Graduate students (MS and PhD programs) can choose to specialize in exercise physiology, biomechanics, sport psychology/motor behavior, physical activity epidemiology, sport management, therapeutic recreation, or socio-cultural studies. In addition to our majors, the department also serves approximately 5,500 students per year in the Physical Education Activity Program. To learn more about our department, please visit: https://krss.utk.edu.
