The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) College of Social Work is seeking a highly regarded scholar to fill the position of the Betsey R. Bush Endowed Professor in Behavioral Health. This endowed professorship offers an outstanding opportunity for an experienced behavioral health researcher to pursue their program of research, with significant potential for collaboration with creative colleagues and doctoral students. "The ideal candidate will bring an interprofessional lens to community-engaged research and education; a strong record of scholarly activity; experience as a mentor to graduate students, post-docs, and pre-tenure faculty; and have the ability to promote an atomosphere where all members of the univerisity community feel welcome and can thrive." They also will meet the requirements for the appropriate rank for the University of Tennessee.  To this end, the candidate should have an established record of substantial extramural funding (for professor level) or intramural and some extramural funding and indication of future potential for a sustained record of extramural funding (for associate level). The successful candidate will help the CSW move forward our vision and mission.  

Candidates for this position must have earned their Ph.D. in social work or related field. Successful candidates would need to meet the qualifications to be hired as Associate or Professor.  This 9-month position is located on the Nashville campus. The start date will be August 1, 2027.

The University and the College of Social Work

The University of Tennessee Knoxville is a land-grant, flagship research institution, that imagines “a world enriched by our ideas, improved through action, and inspired by the Volunteer Spirit of service and leadership.” (https://chancellor.utk.edu/vision/). The university is in the midst of unprecedented growth, with current enrollment of approximately 37,000 students. The University is one of 38 land-grant universities with Carnegie Foundation classification as both a Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production, and the elective Classification for Community Engagement. Forbes Magazine recently ranked UTK as one of the best places to work in the US, including ranking it ninth among public higher education institutions in the United States. UTK offers a competitive benefits package, and 9-month tenure-track faculty are eligible for additional summer salary

 The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTCSW) has almost 1,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, MSSW, DSW, and PhD programs in Knoxville, Nashville, and online. Ranked 24^th nationally by the US News and World Report (2024), the college prepares highly skilled and culturally sensitive social workers to address areas of need across the state, the country, and the globe. UTCSW is home to four research centers and several faculty research labs. The college’s research-active faculty conduct interdisciplinary research in in partnership with faculty from other UTK colleges/departments (e.g., the Tickle College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, and Departments of Public Health, Child and Family Studies, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Psychology, among others), the UT Health Science Center in Memphis, and UT Extension. UTCSW also has community-based partnerships with numerous state and community agencies.  

 Campus Location

Nashville is an action-packed and vibrant metropolis with so much more to offer than its famous Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. As the state capital, Nashville is home to state government, multiple statewide child-serving nonprofit agencies, and 16 colleges and universities, including Vanderbilt University and several HBCUs (Tennessee State University, Fisk, Meharry Medical College). with whom our college regularly partners. It is currently listed as #50 on the U.S. News and World report’s best Places to Live (2024) and offers events such as the CMA Festival, the Nashville Film Festival, Tomato Art Fest, and the Nashville Pride Festival. Outside of Nashville’s busy downtown Broadway scene, there are lots of unique neighborhoods filled with fantastic ethnic food options and cultural events, with unlimited opportunities to explore gorgeous parks and greenways, both inside and outside the city limits. Nashville is a short distance away from national parks that are great for camping and hiking.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in social work or other related field 
• An established, active program of research related to behavioral health care.
• Evidence of a commitment to social work values in alignment with CSWE accreditation standards in their practice and research
• Evidence of high-quality teaching at the graduate level, across modalities 
• Evidence of commitment to mentoring graduate students, pre-tenure faculty, and/or post-doctoral fellows who are developing programs of externally-funded research
• Evidence of commitment to creating positive classroom and research settings where all people can thrive
• Candidates for Associate Professor should have preliminary evidence of external funding, demonstrated scholarly impact on practice or policy, and clear potential for sustained external funding.
• Candidates for Professor should have evidence of successful, sustained external funding, demonstrated scholarly impact on practice or policy and experience leading research teams. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in social work 
• Commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaboration 
• Experience leading team-based research groups