University of Pittsburgh
School of Education
Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor (Tenure/Tenure-Stream) Position
With a Focus on Critical Youth Development
Position: Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor (tenure/tenure-stream)
Appointment: Eight-month, full-time, tenure stream appointment; starting Fall 2024
Description: The Department of Health and Human Development in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education seeks a colleague in Critical Youth Development. The School of Education is rooted in a justice-oriented mission and vision that prioritizes educational and health equity, disrupting inequitable systems, and an integrated approach to health, development, and learning. This scholar will join a department that promotes ecological approaches to health, learning and development, prioritizes community-based, and participatory scholarship. The position provides opportunities to conduct research, partner with local organizations, mentor students, and teach adolescent and youth development courses at the undergraduate, MS, EdD and PhD level. The idea of critical youth development (or critical positive youth development) is gaining traction, particularly related to adolescent critical consciousness development, liberatory pedagogy, and systems-based approaches to improving the settings in which youth grow and learn. We are interested in scholars with expertise in youth and adolescence in applied settings, who use an equity-focused and critical lens in their scholarship. The position could reflect any of several possible areas of scholarship within the department such as out-of-school learning, mental health, physical health & activity, social emotional learning, and STEM.
This new colleague will be responsible for developing a strong research program that builds scholarly knowledge and informs the regional, national, and global conversations about youth development and equity. The faculty member will also teach relevant courses determined in dialogue with departmental leadership, likely including courses in adolescent development. We support all forms of research that advance youth development and equity, and we have a particular interest in candidates who conduct community-engaged scholarship that builds relationships with local, regional, national, and/or international organizations.
The candidate would join a vibrant community in the School of Education at a time of great excitement, synergy, momentum, and action, particularly in relation to our explicit commitment to equity and justice in health and education. As a School, we are committed to determining sustainable ways to disrupt long-standing patterns of inequity and injustice in education. To that purpose, we invite applicants who engage in robust analyses of pressing issues related to youth development across contexts. The successful candidate will have opportunities to teach and advise in our Ph.D., EdD, master’s, and/or undergraduate programs, depending on interests and expertise.
Required qualifications:
- PhD. in Applied Development, Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, or related field/discipline by 08/01/24
- Record of scholarly work in Critical Youth Development
- Record of (or potential for) excellence in teaching at the university/college level
- Record of peer-reviewed publication and success with (or promise of) external funding for scholarship and/or practice/engagement work.
Preferred qualifications:
- Previous out-of-school or school-based experience
- Adolescent development or youth development teaching experience
- Evidence of partnerships and collaborations with community-based organizations
- Demonstrated experience (or future promise) designing and teaching online and hybrid undergraduate and graduate courses.
- Letter of application
- CV
- One writing sample
- List of three references for those applying as Assistant Professor; six references for those applying as Associate or Full (will be contacted only if selected for on-campus interviews)
- Applicants at the Associate and Full rank will be asked to provide evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., course evaluations, peer observations of teaching, sample syllabi)
Review of application materials will begin December 5, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled.
For questions about the submission process, email edsearch@pitt.edu and for questions about the position or the School of Education, email the Search Committee co-chairs, Dr. Tom Akiva (tomakiva@pitt.edu) and Dr. Bridget Kiger Lee (kigerlee@pitt.edu).
The University of Pittsburgh in an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity. Members of historically underrepresented groups, including women and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.
