The Department of Public Health, within the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, seeks a full-time tenure-track assistant or associate professor with expertise in public health informatics, health services research, data science or biostatistics. The appointment is scheduled to begin September 2024.
The Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), Master of Science in Health Information Management (MSHIM), Master of Public Health (MPH), and Doctor in Science (ScD) in Public Health. The department faculty are dedicated educators, experienced practitioners, and highly productive, federally funded investigators. The faculty are active in various areas of research including health informatics and service research, population health surveillance, policy/program evaluations, community-based health promotion, aging, infectious diseases, health equity, epidemiology, omics, biostatistics, and big data analytics. The annual research expenditure (extramurally funded) exceeded $4.83 million in 2022-2023.
The Department is one of ten sites nationally to have received a 4-year Public Health Information Technology (PHIT) award from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to expand training, certification and degree programs in public health informatics and data science at minority serving institutions (see https://www.healthit.gov/topic/onc-funding-opportunities/public-health-informatics-technology-phit-workforce-development). The PHIT program is growing. The successful faculty candidate will support this initiative and the CAHIM-accredited MSHIM and ScD in Public Health programs.
The successful candidate is expected to develop/maintain an extramurally funded research program, teach in both undergraduate and graduate programs in the college, and provide service to the Department, College and University. We seek applicants recognized for teaching excellence, scholarly productivity, ability to work with diverse populations, and excellent oral and written communication skills.
The areas of research interest are flexible but ideally will focus on activities to improve the health and health care of individuals and communities through the application of health informatics and technology, data science and biostatistics. Examples include integrating novel health technologies and practices such as artificial intelligence (AI), statistical learning, geographic information science (GIS), big data analytics, mobile health applications, telehealth services, and health information exchange (HIE) services into public health and health care systems. Research may build on existing methodological strengths in areas such as epidemiology, biostatistics, applications of machine/statistical learning and natural language processing, data-driven evaluations of public health programs and policies, innovative dissemination and implementation of population-based health promotion and disease prevention programs. Collaborations with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development Service are available and encouraged.
The successful candidate will be appointed at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. For consideration for appointment as an Assistant Professor, candidates will have post-doctoral research experience or training such as completion of a post-doctoral fellowship or equivalent research experience after the candidate’s terminal degree, a track record of peer-reviewed publications and presentations in national or international conferences, and evidence of diligent efforts on seeking extramural funding. An ideal candidate for appointment as Associate Professor should have a strong track record of peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, a strong track record of presentations in national and international conferences, and a track record of successfully acquiring extramural research funding.
We invite prospective candidates to visit our college website and meet our faculty, staff, and students and see our new facilities in the health areas: https://www.uml.edu/health-sciences/. Should you have questions about the position, please feel free to contact the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Dan Berlowitz at Dan_Berlowitz@uml.edu or the Department Chair, Dr. Wenjun Li at Wenjun_Li@uml.edu. You will find the faculty profile along with specific information about the Department of Public Health here: https://www.uml.edu/Health-Sciences/Public-Health/.
About the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences:
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) has been named the No. 1 public university in Massachusetts in the 2024 Wall Street Journal Best Colleges in the United States, also ranking No. 10 among all Massachusetts universities. With respect to return on investment, UML is ranked by payscale.com as the No. 1 for mid-career salary among New England Public Universities, and the No. 1 for 20-year return on investment among public universities nationally. UML is a public research university, and UML has experienced dramatic growth in research funding, total endowments, and student enrollment over the past eight years. It is a Carnegie Classification Doctoral University – Higher Research Activity and conducts more than $95 million in sponsored research annually. UML enrolls more than 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 44% of undergraduates identify as students of color and 45% are first-generation college students.
UMass Lowell is situated about 25 miles northwest of Boston. It is surrounded by numerous racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse, safe, affordable, quiet, and beautiful small towns and cities with outstanding public and private elementary and secondary schools. It is in the high-tech corridor of Massachusetts, in the heart of New England on the banks of the Merrimack River, a beautiful and culturally diverse area and birthplace of America’s industrial revolution. Cotton mills in Lowell, the only city to be awarded national park status by the United States. National Park Service, opened in 1814 and the city has been a hub of invention and innovation ever since. UML continues that legacy of innovation throughout the campus. Its proximity to Boston offers unsurpassed enrichment of every type including fine arts, dining, historical sites, and of course sports! Just north of Lowell the grandeur of New Hampshire’s White mountains unfolds not far from the storied ski lodges of Vermont. The Greater Lowell area is one of the most attractive regions in the country to work and live.
The Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences is dynamic, rapidly expanding, and prepares professionals and scientists in a wide range of health science fields. The college offers baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs in several health-related disciplines including public health, pharmaceutical, physical therapy, biomedical, nutrition and exercise sciences. A large research program and vibrant community partnerships and engagement opportunities enrich and support our educational programs. Successful candidates will be expected to collaborate with faculty in the college, community partners, and external academic colleagues.
UMass Lowell is committed to promoting an inclusive environment and to increasing diversity in its faculty, staff, and student populations. It has been recognized as a Top Employer for 2023 by Diversityjobs.com for dedication and commitment to building a diverse workforce and culture. We encourage individuals from underrepresented populations to apply. We seek candidates who can contribute to the creation and sustainment of our diverse and inclusive work environment.
Minimum Qualifications (Required):
- A doctoral degree in public health or related health sciences field at the time of application
- The ability to work effectively with diverse groups on and off campus
- Strong record of research and publication
- Associate professor candidate must demonstrate evidence of his/her own independent research program and a record of extramural research support and current funding
- Assistant professor candidates must have a vibrant research program with current funding or a strong likelihood of funding and scholarly dissemination; post-doctoral or post graduate research experience is highly desirable
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Additional Considerations:
- Discipline-specific teaching experience preferred
- Experience in mentoring graduate students preferred
- Experience in fostering interdisciplinary research initiatives
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Review of applications will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. However, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applications is received.
Please include the following required documents with your application:
- Cover letter to include information about your past academic experience and highlight the ways you would be able to contribute to the department, college and university
- Curriculum vitae
- Teaching statement/philosophy which provides details of previous teaching experience
- Research statement including research goals, past research accomplishments and a 3-year research plan
- Three samples of published work in peer-reviewed journals in the area of past and current funding or potential future funding, preferably as first author (or senior author when a student/mentee was the first author) and published/accepted in high impact journals (Please upload publications as a single file.)
- Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process. References will be contacted after the initial search committee interview. One reference must be/have been a supervisor.
