Assistant Professor of Education (Rehabilitation and Human Services)

Reference #: REQ0000061361
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Position Available:Assistant Professor of Education (Rehabilitation and Human Services)

Beginning:Fall, 2025

Responsibilities:
The Rehabilitation and Human Services (RHS) programin the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education (EPCSE), located in the College of Education invites applications for a tenure-track faculty member, whose research examines social and racial determinants of health and disability. The Rehabilitation and Human Services (RHS) program educates and trains practitioners with applied knowledge and skills to improve quality of life, affect positive change, and facilitate life goals for persons with disabilities and associated social determinants of health. Rehabilitation is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that prepares students for a range of applied settings, including in health and rehabilitation hospitals, community agencies, schools and universities, independent living centers, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and correctional institutions, among others. Faculty engage in applied research that examines barriers and strategies to improve educational, employment, and health outcomes. Rehabilitation researchers have diverse educational backgrounds that focus on policies, interventions, and personal and environmental factors relevant to improving outcomes for those served by rehabilitation providers. Therefore, we seek candidates that can excel in teaching applied undergraduate courses in human services and have an associated research agenda.
Penn States interdisciplinary Social Science Research Institute (SSRI),a university-wide institute under the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research,is co-funding this position. The SSRI mission is to foster novel and interdisciplinary research collaborationsacross collegesto address critical human and social problems and to disseminate and translate this work into the broader community. SSRI provides research support and consultation, funding, infrastructure support, and services to social and behavioral scientists across different colleges.Candidates whose research shows evidence of, or potential for, interdisciplinary collaborations across disciplinary lines are particularly desired. A description of the Social Science Research Institutes Strategic Foci can be found athttps://ssri.psu.edu/about/ssri-overview.
We seek a faculty member whose research focuses on addressing health disparities and other social determinants of health that may be associated with trauma and other negative health consequences. We are particularly interested in someone whose research focuses on innovative interventions using an interdisciplinary lens. Inherent in this RHS position will be a focus on generating knowledge that can address the broader aim of preventing the negative health consequences associated with social and/or racial determinants.Potential areas of focus include, but are not limited to, pathways to health and healing for those impacted by social and racial determinants of health; designing and/or evaluating interventions focused on employment, health, education, recovery and/or family; trauma-informed interventions specific to the needs of this population; race and/or identity-specific programming for under-represented populations impacted by isability; policy impact analysis. The successful faculty member will collaborate with faculty within and external to the Rehabilitation and Human Services program and the Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education department to translate research findings into new practices related to interventions, prevention approaches, and/or policy.

Appointment conditions:
This is a tenure track, 36-week appointment for an Assistant Professor with the possibility of supplementary summer appointments in research and/or teaching. Full University benefits apply.Penn State has a strong commitment to the diversity of its workforce. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those with a disability.

Required qualifications and responsibilities:
A doctorate in an area of applied behavioral or social sciences by the time of appointment is required. Examples of areas of study could include, but not limited to Community Health, Counseling, Health Services, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Public Health, Rehabilitation, Sociology, and Social Work,
Ability to direct a research program focusing on social determinants of health that promote equity across race, ethnicity, gender, and/or disability status.
Ability to teach undergraduate and/or graduate level courses.
Evidence of a commitment to excellence in teaching in residence including a willingness to teach in an online environment, where appropriate.
Ability to advise doctoral graduate students and direct dissertations.
Evidence of a commitment to working collegially and with individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, commensurate with experience.

Desirable qualifications:
Leader in, or show promise for leading, a program of research with impact on practice
Strong publication record, or potential for such a record, in high impact outlets
Evidence of ability, or promise of ability, to secure external funding.
Evidence of excellence in teaching courses on campus and/or online at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, in Rehabilitation and/or related fields (e.g., human service, counseling, biobehavioral health, community health)
Commitment to providing service to the Department, College, University, and professional organizations or other external agencies
Direct practice experience in human services
Eligibility for clinical licensure. Potential licenses could include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, Psychologist, Nurse, or Occupational therapist.
The Pennsylvania State University
Penn Statehttp://www.psu.eduis a comprehensive, multi-campus research university serving all regions throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the nation and the world in research, instruction and service roles that require responsiveness to and partnership with and support from societys public and private sectors.As a land-grant university, Penn State has responsibility for providing a wide array of programs in the professional and technical disciplines, as well as a balanced offering of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences.Penn State shares with other major research universities the traditional responsibilities to discover, develop, preserve, and disseminate knowledge.Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public se