LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. The Department of Community and Population Health, College of Health (COH), invites applications for an Associate or Full Professor with a specialization in impacting the health and quality of life of persons with disabilities, with an anticipated start date of July 2025. This appointment includes the possibility of tenure on hire for qualified candidates.
Candidates must have an earned doctorate in a field related to health, disabilities, technology and/or data science by the date of employment. Candidates should have a research focus in one of the following areas: Community Living and Participation, Health and Functioning, Employment, Technology for Access and Function, Disability Statistics and Demographics Research, and Disability Regulations and Policy Research. The ideal candidate would be working at the intersection of disability and one or more of the above mentioned emphasis areas. This search is part of a planned multi-year cluster hire at Lehigh University to meet our strategic emphasis on positively impacting health, quality of life, and employment for people with disabilities.
The individual hired will be expected to teach introductory courses in community and population health, or in biostatistics and data science, as well as upper-level courses in their area of expertise at the undergraduate and graduate level; engage in scholarly activities; and participate in departmental, college, and university service. This includes mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, mentoring junior faculty members, assisting with curriculum design, and contributing to the growth of the College of Health. The appointed faculty member will have the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues throughout Lehigh University, including faculty creating assistive technologies and with Lehigh University partners, such as Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.
The Department of Community and Population Health at Lehigh University is committed to fostering positive change in the communities where we live and work by promoting health equity. The mission of the COH, the newest of five colleges at Lehigh University, is to understand, preserve, and improve the health and well-being of domestic and global populations and communities with community-focused and data-driven research and education in three primary areas: population health, community health, and health innovation and technology. Our strategic plan identifies as a goal, improving health outcomes for marginalized communities in the Lehigh Valley. The COH is collaborating with the Colleges of Education and Engineering to build a research team of scholars with expertise in promoting disability independence from multiple disciplinary angles.
The COH offers undergraduate majors in Community and Global Health (BA), Health, Medicine, and Society (BA), Population Health (BS), Biostatistics/Health Data Science (BS), and Integrated Business and Health (BS), as well as graduate degrees including a Master of Public Health (MPH), an MS in Population Health Management, and PhD in Population Health. As our faculty grows, the COH will add a suite of graduate degrees in Health Data Science (certificate, MS, PhD), and more. The distinctive experiences of undergraduates and graduate students in the COH include an innovative curriculum, robust experiential learning opportunities, and integrated career and professional development. Lehigh University has a strong faculty commitment to excellence in teaching, and strong support for pedagogical innovation, including the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, which includes a data visualization classroom, a digital media studio, flexible, multi-screen classrooms, and DIY video and audio recording studios.
The COH is host to three research institutes: the Institute for Indigenous Studies, the Institute for Health Policy and Politics, and the Children’s Environmental Precision Health Institute. COH faculty also may participate in a variety of interdisciplinary research centers and institutes throughout the university. Interested applicants are invited to review the College of Health website and the newly adopted Lehigh University Strategic Plan.
Founded in 1865, Lehigh University has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. Recognized among the nation's highly ranked research universities, Lehigh offers a rigorous academic community for over 7,500 students. Lehigh University has some 5,800 undergraduates, 1,800 graduate students, and nearly 600 full-time faculty members. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, PA, a vibrant and historic area. Over 840,000 people live in the Lehigh Valley, which is in close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia.
Review of applications will begin on October 7 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit their materials at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/28384. Candidates should submit the following materials:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Research statement that describes past scholarly contributions and future research directions
- Teaching statement that describes instructional philosophy and courses that the candidate would want to teach or develop
- A statement on contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that describes knowledge, prior DEI experience, and the candidate’s future plans for enhancing community and culture at Lehigh (the Lehigh ADVANCE Center’s guide for understanding and preparing such statements is available here)
- Names and contact information for three references (letters of recommendation will be requested for finalists only)
Any inquiries regarding this search should be directed to Prof. Vinod Namboodiri, Chair of the search committee, at incoh@lehigh.edu.
Lehigh University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or familial status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. We are committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community. Lehigh University is committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse academic community and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to this mission. Lehigh University is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation award for promoting the careers of women in academic sciences and engineering and is among institutions of higher education recognized for excellence in diversity with the INSIGHT into Diversity HEED Award. Additional information about Lehigh’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is available at diversityandinclusion.lehigh.edu. Lehigh University provides competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including domestic partner benefits. More information about Work/Life Balance for Faculty can be found at provost.lehigh.edu/resources/worklife-balance. Lehigh University supports dual career efforts for following spouses/partners of newly hired faculty; see provost.lehigh.edu/resources/faculty-dual-career-assistance-program/dual-career-guidelines.
Faculty Employment Prospectus
