Professor and Chair
The Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington (UW) invites applications to become its new Department Chair and Professor with Tenure. The successful candidate will be expected to engage in transformational leadership. The Chair will support the Department’s mission of providing rigorous training in the fundamentals and practice of Environmental and Occupational Health and improving public health through excellence in research and public health practice. The successful candidate will be expected to build upon the department's strengths and support our vision to lead a department where our work informs, advocates for, and promotes concrete action to improve public health. The Chair of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences will lead a group of talented and committed faculty, staff, and students of diverse backgrounds. The Chair will work to prepare future public health professionals and researchers who will conduct the unfinished work of improving the well-being of communities and workplaces in the United States and throughout the world.
The UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, one of five departments in the School of Public Health, is ranked sixth in the world (third in the U.S.) among environmental and occupational health sciences programs. The Department is home to 38 regular faculty and 110 auxiliary faculty conducting interdisciplinary research and academic instruction incorporating laboratory, field, computational and other investigative sciences. Average annual enrollment is about 80 students for our graduate programs and about 95 students for our undergraduate program.
The Department’s faculty lead in the fields of toxicology, exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, occupational health and safety, microbiology and infectious diseases, and environmental public health practice-based and community-engaged research. The Department brings in more than $20 million per year in external funding and houses more than 10 large research centers, in addition to multiple grants and contracts awarded to individual faculty. Federal training grants also help support our undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellows, furthering our research and providing added support to ensure the diversity of student enrollments.
Several unique features elevate the Department as an exceptional program for its faculty, students and staff, and for communities in the State of Washington, across the nation, and on a global level. The Department receives an appropriation each year to conduct activities and communicate solutions targeting occupational injury and illness prevention and intervention among Washington state workers and employers. This funding augments the department’s academic capacity, ensuring a pipeline of qualified health and safety professionals to the state. It also underpins an essential and very active partnership with state legislative teams, agencies, and communities throughout Washington. The Department Chair plays an important role in sustaining these relationships and guiding department priorities to encompass Washington state’s emerging needs in occupational health and safety.
The University of Washington offers one of the most exceptional teaching and research environments in the United States. It is the home of the Population Health Initiative, a university-wide effort defined by three major pillars of human health, environmental resilience, and social and economic equity that aims to advance the health and well-being of people around the world. Seattle is a dynamic and diverse cultural metropolis that is home to global trade, technological advancement, and a thriving nonprofit community. Seattle offers a quality of life that is among the best in the country, with beautiful lakes and parks, great walkability, transit and biking infrastructure, a lively music and cultural scene, and the unparalleled natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
This is a full-time (100% FTE), tenured, 12-month service period position at the rank of Professor, with an anticipated start date of Fall 2025 for an initial five-year appointment as Chair. The base salary range for this position will be $14,000-$29,000 per month, commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Other compensation associated with this position may include a lump sum moving allowance and/or a relocation incentive, and an administrative supplement (ADS) of $25,000 per year for serving as Department Chair.
Positive factors the search committee will be considering include, but are not limited to:
- Familiarity across the breadth of topics in environmental and occupational health in both US and global settings. Articulation of a strong vision for the interdisciplinary field of environmental and occupational health and the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences.
- Ability to lead a team or organization toward a common vision using skills in respectful listening, collaborative decision-making, and community building. This should include expertise managing a program of similar size and scope.
- Ability to work effectively with colleagues at all levels—including administration, faculty, staff, and students—to obtain, manage, and sustain necessary resources to meet team or organizational goals and objectives.
- Proven track record fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment with preference towards leadership in anti-racism efforts.
- Track record of producing and supporting impactful, high-quality research, including obtaining funding from a range of federal or non-federal sources.
- Dedication to high quality education and curricular/training programs, including creating meaningful learning opportunities for diverse students and/or other learners.
- Demonstrated expertise and commitment to fostering impactful public health practice and engagement with a wide variety of interest groups, such as government agencies, policymakers, employers, and organized labor.
- Demonstrated success in career development and mentorship of faculty, staff, and students.
- Expertise in community engagement and/or environmental justice work to strengthen research collaborations and improve population health.
Commitment to Diversity
UW DEOHS believes that every person should have a safe place to work and a healthy, safe neighborhood to call home. Our faculty, students and staff conduct research and provide a range of services that protect workers, improve health, and strengthen communities. We are committed to advancing equity in health and educational outcomes, with a focus on reaching those who have historically faced power differentials, racism and other forms of oppression. We believe having a diverse and culturally competent faculty, student body and staff is the best way to serve communities in our region and beyond. We strive to create an environment that welcomes students, faculty, and staff from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. Our DEOHS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee meets throughout the year to develop, advocate for, and maintain policies and initiatives that enhance diversity and promote a welcoming climate. UW and the SPH have developed specific programs to support new faculty, with a specific eye towards supporting faculty around diversity, equity, and inclusion in research, teaching, and service. Our faculty development offerings are listed here.
The work of equity, diversity and inclusion is the work of Public Health. We are committed to a future that is free of health inequities, that promotes the highest level of wellness for the communities we serve, and a diverse and inclusive public health workforce that embodies humility, respect, leadership and service on behalf of, and with, the diverse communities we are privileged to serve. For more information, please see the following website: http://sph.washington.edu/diversity/.