Position Summary The College of Human Environmental Sciences at The University of Alabama seeks an outstanding individual to serve as head of the Department of Human Nutrition, Hospitality and Sport Management and Roberta M. and John L. Rhoads Endowed Chair in Human Nutrition.
Detailed Position Information The College of Human Environmental Sciences at The University of Alabama seeks an outstanding individual to serve as head of the Department of Human Nutrition, Hospitality and Sport Management and Roberta M. and John L. Rhoads Endowed Chair in Human Nutrition. Applicants should be eligible for appointment at the rank of associate or full professor level with tenure. The position is a nine-month, full time academic appointment.
We seek a colleague with a doctorate in nutrition or a related discipline who has: an exceptionally strong record of scholarship, evidence of strong interdisciplinary and interprofessional communication, a vibrant history of ongoing mentorship with colleagues and students, and demonstrated success securing externally funded research.
The successful candidate will provide leadership to a growing department of 34 full-time faculty, 6 staff, and numerous adjunct faculty members.
We seek an innovative scholar who is actively engaged in research and will bring depth to their teaching of courses, and service to the university, community and profession. As is expected of all senior, tenured faculty members in the College, the chair holder will be expected to seek external funding and mentor junior colleagues and students in developing and carrying out their research and scholarship activities. Classroom and or online teaching in the chair’s area of expertise will also be expected. The College will provide generous resources in support of the chair holder’s program of scholarly research and external funding.
As a community of knowledge builders, we are looking for a productive, collegial, and creative colleague who, through their scholarship, research and teaching, will bring new perspectives to the synthesis of their discipline’s practice, policy, theory and research to our college and university, while supporting the growth and development of all disciples represented in the Department. As the chief administrative officer in the Department, the Department Chair has responsibilities that include the following:
Provide leadership and advocacy for teaching, research, and outreach activities that articulate with the mission of the Department, College, and University.
Promote and support the growth and success of the Department and its three distinct fields of study.
Supervise all budgetary and promotion decisions.
Provide direct supervision to all departmental staff.
Instruct graduate and undergraduate level courses and direct theses and dissertations as needed.
Conduct research at a level to support a nationally competitive research program.
Minimum Qualifications
Strong interdisciplinary and interpersonal communication skills for effective interaction with faculty, staff, students, and University constituents.
Doctoral degree in Nutrition or a closely related field.
Qualifications to be employed at the associate or full professor level with tenure.
Demonstrated leadership and administrative experience.
Demonstrated experiences in managing and collaborating across diverse academic programs.
Maintain a strong understanding of and actively participate in the accreditation standards for all degree programs within the department.
Previous experience mentoring junior faculty and students.
Previous experience in distance education desirable.
Instructions and Required Materials for Application Applications are due by December 10, 2024, and screening of applicants will begin November 10, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. The start date of this position will be August 16, 2025. Applications should include the following:
A 2-3-page cover letter addressing how your application meets the qualifications and expectations and what you would bring to the position
Curriculum vita
A philosophy statement addressing the following areas:
Administration
Leadership
Research
References may be required later upon request. Please contact Tiffany Hylton with any questions: tmhylton@ches.ua.edu
About the Division/College/School At the College of Human Environmental Sciences, we empower students to bring about positive change in the world. Our faculty conduct advanced research, provide outreach and prepare a new generation of professionals with a shared goal of improving lives.
CHES brings together a wide range of disciplines which focus on the interaction between individuals, families and the environment. Five distinct departments cover a multitude of human science programs that help individuals across the lifespan improve their mental, physical and financial well-being. We touch people’s lives in the home, at school, in the workplace, at the dinner table, on the athletic field, and in a myriad of other arenas.
About the University The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf
