Professor

The University of Massachusetts Boston's newly-formed Department of Urban Public Health invites highly qualified candidates for a tenured Professor to serve as Department Chair, to begin on September 1, 2023. This recruitment is part of a cluster hire to launch the department which is expected to enroll the first cohort of students in the Fall of 2023. The Chair will report directly to the Dean. The Manning College includes the departments of Nursing, Exercise and Health Sciences, and Urban Public Health.

The inaugural chair will have an opportunity to guide and shape the direction of the programs and research, with an emphasis on the epidemiology, environmental health, social determinants of health, and health promotion solutions to advance health equity in urban settings. The successful candidate will demonstrate a clear vision for advancing our university and college commitment to anti-racism and supporting the growing academic programs of the new department, including pursuing Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH) accreditation for undergraduate and graduate Public Health degree programs, mentorship of junior faculty; developing a plan for the continued success of graduate and undergraduate educational programs; and the ability to build strong relationships with other academic departments, the five campuses within the University of Massachusetts (Boston, Lowell, Dartmouth, Amherst, and the Medical School), and with community partners.

UMass Boston seeks individuals with demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive learning and working environment. The newly approved BS program in Urban Public Health is designed in accordance with accreditation guidelines of the CEPH. The department espouses an environment of collegiality and collaboration and aims to achieve goals for inclusive excellence set forth by the college and university's strategic plans. The department seeks exceptional candidates with (1) leadership experience, (2) holds high expectations for racially minoritized students, (3) experience mentoring/advising first-generation college students and underserved students, particularly racially minoritized students of color, (4) excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, (5) a record of high-quality research and scholarship, and (6) demonstrated commitment to advancing campus racial equity efforts and anti-racism.

Position Expectations:

The expectations of the Chair of Urban Public Health include, but are not limited to:

• Support the mission and vision of the college.
• Provide visionary leadership to advance a culture of collaboration, transparency, and excellence.
• Enhance racial equity, diversity, and inclusive excellence among faculty, staff, and students in our department.
• Manage and build financial resources necessary to accomplish the mission of the department.
• Execute and adapt the strategic plan to ensure alignment with and support of our college and university level strategic plans.
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills, and demonstrate a strong sense of stewardship and
• Enhance our strong state, national, and international reputation and increase our reach and impact.

Qualifications

Required qualifications are a doctorate or related field with a background in Public Health and experience in an academic supervisory capacity (ideally as Department Chair); knowledge of innovative curriculum development and implementation; experience with CEPH accreditation; mentorship of junior faculty; experience with fiscal management responsibilities; experience with community and other external partners; experience in an academic leadership/administrative position; and demonstrated commitment to inclusion and diversity. The ideal applicant will provide specific evidence of:

• Previous leadership experience in developing and managing innovative public health education programs.
• A strong track record of teaching and mentoring junior faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students.
• Experience with consensus-based shared faculty governance.
• Documented sustained scholarly accomplishments with high quality publications and research funding support.
• Strong transformational leadership approach, with demonstrated acumen in organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with the creation of partnerships both within and outside the university and establishment of research or public health practice centers.
• A strong commitment to diversity, racial equity, and social justice.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Department Chair will:

• Provide strategic vision and leadership for developing, implementing, and evaluating education and research programs in accordance with the department, college, health sciences, and university strategic plans.
• Provide vision and leadership to encourage faculty development, enhance the research, teaching, and service missions of the department.
• Oversee the finance, operation, and personnel in the department. Represent the department on the dean's Executive Leadership Team.
• Participate in teaching responsibilities of the department that may include graduate and undergraduate level courses and mentoring master's and doctoral students.
• Foster collaborative relationships within the college, university, UMass system campuses, and external groups to strengthen interdisciplinary and industry ties, community organizations, public agencies, discipline societies and other related organizations.
• Promote a sense of belonging by creating a positive and productive climate for departmental faculty, staff, and students.
• Create and lead new initiatives for enhancing or expanding educational and training programs that address state, regional, national, and international needs.
• Advance the department's commitment to inclusive excellence by increasing the racial/ethnic diversity among the department's students and staff, and promoting equity and inclusion through our research, education, and practice.
• Maintain CEPH accreditation standards.
• Manage faculty and staff roles and responsibilities.

About the College and the University

The Nursing Department and Exercise and Health Sciences Department in the college both offer BS, MS, and PhD/DNP programs. The PhD in nursing program focuses on population health and health policy. We are dedicated to promoting, advocating, and progressing diversity through teaching, scholarship, and service on campus and in the community.The MCNHS and the University of Massachusetts Boston value cultural and racial/ethnic diversity, are committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students, and are committed to not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, military status, immigration status, or other legally protected characteristics. UMass Boston is a federally designated Minority Serving Institution as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution with a commitment to anti-racism. The University has a very high racial diversity, 64% of the student body are racial minorities or people of color. Research institutes represented on campus are the Institute for Asian American Studies, Institute for New England Native American Studies, Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, and the William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black History and Culture. We seek to embed within our curricular and co-curricular activities the principle that pluralism within a learning community is a source of insight and effectiveness.

The College and University offer strong internal and external mentoring programs for faculty, including grant proposal and manuscript preparation, and a wide range of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative research opportunities. Current faculty collaborations include major academic and medical institutions in and around Boston, including UMass Chan Medical School, Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston Children's Hospital, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and many community, public, and private health care agencies. The National Cancer Institute funds the University of Massachusetts Boston-Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center U54 grant (www.); this longstanding collaboration has enabled faculty at both institutions to strengthen and extend partnerships for research on health disparities, pre- and post-doctoral training, and community outreach.

The Department and the College are focused on increasing national and international recognition as an institution of research excellence. For more information about the Department of Urban Public Health and the Robert and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, please go to . See also:

Application instructions:

Review of application will start on December 15, 2022 and continue until the positions are filled. Shortlisted applicants will be requested to provide names of three references. For more information visit .

To apply, go to and upload the following information:

1. Letter of Application
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. A statement regarding previous administrative experience; commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity; experience in fostering a supportive and productive environment for research and teaching; and potential direction for the department (4-page limit)
4. A research and statement that addresses ways anti-racism and social justice are incorporated into their professional activities (research, teaching, and service) to promote racial diversity and inclusivity within our college. (2-page limit)
5. Complete contact information for at least three professional references

For questions, please contact: Dr. Alex F More (

UMass Boston requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to confirm proof of their vaccination status. Exemptions from the vaccine requirement will be permitted only for qualifying religious or medical reasons.