Applied Developmental Science, Cluster Hire Focus on Health Equity

THE ELIOT-PEARSON DEPARTMENT OF CHILD STUDY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor position in Applied Developmental Science, with a focus on Health Equity to begin September 1, 2025.

We seek a colleague who shares our holistic, strengths-based, community-engaged perspective and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (DEIJ). The department is well-known for applied research and learner-centered teaching that prepares undergraduate and graduate students for careers working in clinical, educational, community-based, and policy-oriented settings with children, youth, families, and communities. See http://as.tufts.edu/epcshd/ for more information about the department, its programs, and research centers.

We invite applicants whose scholarship represents the integration of research and practice, including the application of research to prevention and intervention programs, governmental and organizational policies, and community and civic engagement. Because this position will be part of a cluster hire with a focus on health equity, areas of scholarly interest may include (but are not limited to): early childhood/family mental and physical health; social disparities in well-being and the systemic issues serving as barriers (e.g., lack of access to resources) or supports to thriving; family centered (two-generation) programs addressing mental health and well-being; social policy and programs and their impact on health and well-being in marginalized communities with particular emphasis on health equity. Importantly, we are searching for a scholar who emphasizes strengths-based approaches to engaging with families and communities impacted by inequities (e.g., due to structural, institutional, and systemic racism, segregation, colonization) related to issues of health and wellbeing. It is imperative that the scholar's approach includes an asset-based lens that invites and engages partnerships by recognizing and leveraging the strengths present among people and communities that have been marginalized. For example, a participatory researcher working with minoritized communities might address the impact of disparities in communities' access to physical and mental health resources. Further, they might participate in co-developing with community members strengths-based, culturally sustaining prevention programs. A policy-focused scholar might have expertise in local, national, and/or global approaches to understanding the impacts (including health/mental health impacts) of years of systemic inequities in policies and programs on children and families. We are also interested in colleagues who embrace a multidisciplinary approach and a systems orientation, recognizing the interconnections of different levels of the human ecology.

Candidates must possess a doctorate in child/human development, psychology, family studies, education, or a related field. Candidates must demonstrate evidence of research productivity or strong evidence of such potential, including publications and the potential for externally funded research as well as evidence of successful teaching and applied experience. A range of methodological expertise relevant to developmental science would fit. For example, analyses of intensive longitudinal data, community based participatory research designs, leading-edge quasi-experimental research designs and mixed methods approaches for examining program and policy impact, methods of causal inference, and integrative, empowering, and equitable approaches to measurement and program evaluation. Experience working on interdisciplinary projects, program evaluation, and the application of advanced developmental methods and statistics in the integration of research and practice is highly desired. The successful applicant will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses, comprising both core courses in the curriculum and more specialized courses in the area of the candidate's expertise.

This position is part of the Health Equity Cluster in the Connecting the Community of Tufts Scholars program, jointly funded by the participating school (or schools) and the Office of the Provost/Senior Vice President. Faculty hired into this cluster will foster collaborative and interdisciplinary research, scholarship, teaching, and community engagement efforts centering on health outcomes for racially and/or ethnically marginalized groups, both locally and globally. CCTS cohorts will receive mentoring to advance innovative approaches and interventions to the ways they address health disparities and various other factors that impact health, such as structural drivers (e.g., economic, environmental), community context, healthcare, and other social determinants. Additionally, they will partake in robust professional development opportunities, which connect faculty to various resources and support structures at Tufts University.

All applications are submitted via Interfolio, at http://apply.interfolio.com/156179. Interested candidates should send a letter of application; curriculum vita; statements on research, teaching, and their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in teaching, research, mentoring and service; three representative scholarly publications, and confidential letters from three colleagues. For questions, please contact Mary Ellen Leone, Department Manager, at maryellen.leone@tufts.edu. Review of applications will begin October 15, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. All offers of employment are contingent upon the completion of a background check.