Vice Chair for Research, Communication Science and Disorders Department School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh

The Search and the Position
The University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) invites nominations and applications for the Vice Chair for Research position of the Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) Department. The program is seeking a dynamic individual with outstanding communication and collaborative skills to serve as a member of the CSD senior leadership team in its ongoing pursuit of excellence in research. The Vice Chair for Research will demonstrate evidence of and/or strong potential for success in academic leadership and will have an established research program and experiences in auditory or speech sciences. This individual will have a doctoral degree in hearing science, speech science, speech-language pathology, audiology, communication science and disorders, or a related discipline. This is a 9-month tenure track position at the Associate/Full Professor Level. The Vice Chair for Research will report directly to the Chair of CSD.

The Role of the Vice Chair for Research
In collaboration with the CSD Chair and faculty, the Vice Chair for Research will be responsible for setting research and program priorities and allocating resources to meet those priorities; overseeing mentoring programs for research faculty;  creating opportunities for team science including successful pursuit of center and training grants,  representing  the  Department on  School and  University committees; developing research partnerships and synergies across the University, Medical Center, joint Carnegie Mellon/University of Pittsburgh Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC) as well as nationally/internationally. Support personnel specific to the research enterprise of CSD will report directly to the Vice Chair of Research. The Vice-Chair of research will work collaboratively and strategically with the SHRS centralized pre- and post-award team.

Research Program: The Vice Chair for Research will be responsible for the development of a systematic research program in their area of expertise. We welcome candidates from any area of expertise that would traditionally be housed in a CSD department. Ideally, the successful candidate will complement one of our existing research clusters, which include:

• The Brain and Auditory Sciences Research Initiative (BASRI), including seven principal investigators
• The Pediatric Auditory, Speech, and Language Initiative (PALS), including four principal investigators
• The Research Enterprise in Voice and Swallowing (REVS), including six principal investigators
• The Pittsburgh Translational Aphasia Research Initiative (PTARI), including four principal investigators

Qualifications and Experience
The successful candidate must have a record that would earn tenure at the rank of Associate/Full 
Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. While no candidate will embody every quality, the 
successful candidate will demonstrate many of the following professional and personal 
qualifications:

• Evidence of collaborative engagement and successful partnerships in research and education
• A strong record of success in extramural funding
• Evidence of sustained productivity in research and scholarship
• Experience and/or interest in leading P50 center grants
• Experience with pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training and interest in leading a T32 training grant in CSD
• Ability to mentor staff and faculty to achieve personal, departmental, School, and University goals
• Familiarity and experience with varied types of funding sources, including federal and non-federal sources, private foundations, industry, training grants, and private/public partnerships
• Experience with innovative program development (i.e., in research, teaching)
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable work environment, and diversity in the field of CSD

The Department of Communication Science and Disorders
CSD is one of seven departments in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). CSD offers BA, MA, MS, AuD, and PhD degrees. We are a vibrant department with innovative research, teaching, and clinical education opportunities for faculty and students. We have experienced significant growth over the past four years, including hiring a new department chair, four new program directors, nine new faculty, and multiple staff positions. The department now employs 26 full-time faculty and 18 full-time staff. Four collaborative research initiatives, the Brain and Auditory Sciences Research Initiative (BASRI), the Pediatric Auditory, Language and Speech Initiative, the Research Enterprise in Voice and Swallowing (REVS), and the Pittsburgh Translational Aphasia Research Initiative (PTARI) house sixteen research labs with over $15M in external research awards (NIH,  NSF,  PCORI,  NIDILRR,  DARPA,  and non-federal agencies). The department's mission centers on promoting equity, justice, and inclusion in the department, in clinical activities, research endeavors, and across the field. This mission is expected to be woven throughout all departmental practices and policies. Additional information on CSD can be found at https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/CSD/.  The US News and World Report ranks the SLP-MA program 5th and the AuD program 6th, nationally. Faculty are engaged in local, state, national, and international collaborations and have a strong reputation in their areas of expertise to which they contribute through research, teaching, and professional service.

CSD reaps many benefits as part of a research-intensive university, and as a member of cohesive and well-organized departments and programs in SHRS, and as one of the Schools of the Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. The department has strong connections across SHRS and the University. 
Additionally, CSD enjoys ongoing collaborations with the world-class University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Carnegie Mellon University and other local universities, Pittsburgh public and private school systems, and local specialized schools and agencies.

The School of Health and Rehabilitative Sciences
Since its founding in 1969, the School has created the notion of Rehabilitation Science as a discipline, grown to over 20 degree programs, forged beneficial linkages across the Health Sciences and the University, and has found their graduate programs holding top spots in annual graduate school rankings. SHRS is well positioned for the future with unparalleled research activity, strong faculty and staff, clinical education programs with excellent student outcomes, and a major focus on active/engaged learning. Five SHRS graduate programs earned top spots in the most recent US News and World Report's annual graduate school ranking of disciplines: Occupational Therapy (#1), Speech-Language Pathology (#5), Audiology (#6), Physical Therapy (#8) and Rehabilitation Counseling (#17).

The University of Pittsburgh
Founded in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. In 1787, The Pittsburgh Academy was on the edge of the American frontier. A private institution until 1966, the University is now a state-related research university as part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania. Pitt has its main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh and four regional undergraduate campuses. 2023 enrollment at main and regional campuses is 33,771 (including 24,503 undergraduates and 6,659 graduate students). In addition to numerous certificate and degree program options, Pitt offers 493 distinct degree programs, including 8 associate, 216 baccalaureate, 163 master's, 82 doctorate-research/scholarship, and 24 doctorate-professional practice programs. A member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), Pitt consistently appears in the top echelon of national and global university rankings. It is in the top 50 universities in global research and has risen to #8 for U.S. public universities, according to the 2024 U.S. News and World Report's Best Global University Rankings. With $1.1 billion in research and development expenditures, Pitt ranks third in the U.S., for National Institutes of Health funding, and 16th for National Science Foundation funding rankings.

Rank, Title, and Salary Range:
Appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor is anticipated. The academic rank and salary are competitive and will be commensurate with education, experience, and qualifications.     

Tenure/tenure-stream/non-tenure stream; full/part-time:
This is a full-time 9-month appointment in the tenure stream.

Relevant Dates:
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. While negotiable, the proposed starting date is August 1st, 2025

Application and Queries

The search committee chair, Dr. William S. Evans will.evans@pitt.edu welcomes questions, confidential inquiries, and nominations.

Applicants should apply at join.pitt.edu, requisition number 23006857. A complete application will include (1) a curriculum vita, (2) a letter of interest describing your leadership skills, qualifications, and experiences, and (3) three letters of recommendation.

Dr. Will Evans

Search Committee Chair Associate Professor

Department of Communication Science and Disorders

5012 Forbes Tower

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

will.evans@pitt.edu

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to championing all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. This commitment is a fundamental value of the University and is crucial in helping us advance our mission, which includes attracting and retaining diverse workforces. We will continue to create and maintain an environment that allows individuals to discover, belong, contribute, and grow, while honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all.

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets.

This individual will have a doctoral degree in hearing science, speech science, speech-language pathology, audiology, communication science and disorders, or a related discipline. This is a 9-month tenure track position at the te/Full Professor Level. The Vice Chair for Research will report directly to the Chair of CSD.

About The University of Pittsburgh

CSD is one of seven departments in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). CSD offers BA, MA, MS, AuD, CScD, and Ph.D. degrees. CSD is a vibrant department with innovative research, teaching, and clinical education opportunities for faculty and students. CSD has experienced significant growth over the past four years, including hiring four new program directors, nine new faculty, and multiple staff positions, now employing 26 full-time faculty and 18 full-time staff. Three collaborative research initiatives, the Brain and Auditory Sciences Research Initiative (BASRI), the Research Enterprise in Voice and Swallowing (REVS), and the Pittsburgh Translational Aphasia Research Initiative (PTARI) house sixteen research labs with over $15M in external research awards (NIH, NSF, PCORI, NIDILRR, DARPA, and non-federal agencies). The department's mission centers on promoting equity, justice, and inclusion in the department and across the field. This mission is expected to be woven throughout all departmental practices and policies. Additional information on CSD can be found at https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/CSD/. The SLP-MA program is ranked 3rd in the US News and World Report... and the AuD program is ranked 7th. Clinical training at Pitt CSD is comprised of a network of clinical education sites where students are trained in the context of community agencies across a wide variety of setting types (e.g., medical, outpatient rehabilitation, private practice, early intervention, school, etc.). Faculty are engaged in local, state, national, and international collaborations and have a strong reputation in their areas of expertise to which they contribute through research, teaching, and professional service. CSD reaps many benefits as part of a research-intensive university, and as a member of cohesive and well-organized departments and programs in SHRS, and as one of the Schools of the Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. The department has strong connections across SHRS and the University. Additionally, CSD enjoys ongoing collaborations with the world-class University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Carnegie Mellon University and other local universities, Pittsburgh public and private school systems, and local specialized schools and agencies.

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