Job Description

The Donna M. and Robert J. Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for a tenure system Professor or Associate Professor to serve as Chair of the Exercise & Health Sciences Department to begin on September 1, 2025. Applicants who currently hold the position of full professor or advanced associate professor with evidence of qualifications for promotion to full professor are welcome to apply.

The Department of Exercise and Health Sciences (EHS) https://www.umb.edu/nursing-health- sciences/departments-centers/exercise-health-sciences/ is one of the largest undergraduate programs on campus. It offers bachelor’s, accelerated master’s, traditional master’s, and doctoral degrees with options to focus on Applied Exercise Physiology or Physical Activity and Health Promotion. Faculty in the department are actively engaged in research and have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Veteran’s Administration among others. The faculty’s broad research expertise ranges from the cellular level to populations at risk for healthcare disparities. Faculty in applied exercise physiology focuses on the impact of chronic diseases, aging and racial disparity on body’s physiological adaptations to exercise. Faculty in health promotion and disease prevention focus on determinants and intervention research with special populations such as physical activity promotion in older adults, people of color who are cancer survivors, and children with special needs.

The mission of the department is to engage our faculty, students, and communities in scientific discovery and dissemination of knowledge for the advancement and promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles in diverse individuals and communities. The department aspires to be nationally recognized for excellence in advancing health equity, promoting physical activity, and preparing students through innovative research, teaching, and community engagement.

The Chair will guide and shape the direction of the department to achieve its mission and vision including growing the educational programs, research activity, and the department’s internal and external reputation. The Chair will be expected to maintain a program of research, teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advise and mentor students and faculty, work with a diverse faculty, staff, and students and be committed to fostering inclusive excellence in university and community settings.

The ideal candidate will provide evidence of:

• A transformational leadership approach that is inspirational, visionary and advances a culture of collaboration, transparency, and excellence.
• Strong interest in engaging with the campus and outside community to advance our mission and vision.
• Excellence in mentoring faculty at all levels in their careers and students from diverse fields and backgrounds.
• Experience in supporting faculty development including research activities for faculty at all levels in their careers.
• Experience with building strong relationships within and beyond the academy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Experience with exercise and health sciences undergraduate and graduate programs, with the ability to develop, implement, and evaluate curricula.

Applicants must possess a doctorate in kinesiology, exercise sciences, rehabilitation sciences, behavioral sciences or a related field. Preferred qualifications include evidence of prior academic and/or research leadership roles, a program of research consistent with appointment to a senior rank (including a strong record of external grant funding and peer-reviewed scholarship), and experience in teaching and mentoring faculty and students.

UMass Boston is the third most diverse university in the country, with more than 60% of our undergraduate students coming from minoritized communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome.

Given this context, please articulate how your approach to teaching, advising, and mentoring:

• will engage with the diverse life experiences of students,
• will reflect an appreciation for the ways in which students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and
• will reflect how your own life experiences and background shapes your practices and commitments as an instructor, mentor, researcher, and scholar.

Application instructions: Please submit the following documents: curriculum vitae (CV), names and contact information of 3 references, and a letter of interest that includes: 1) prior administrative experiences relevant to the Department chair position; 2) strategies for fostering a supportive and productive environment for educational and research/scholarly activities.. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and previous experience. Review of applications will begin as of 11/15/24. The position will remain open until filled. For questions, contact: Julie A. Wright, PhD, Chair of the Search Committee, Associate Dean of Research, Manning College, Julie.wright@umb.edu, 617-287-3808

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HRDirect@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.