Assistant Professor - Public Health Sciences

Penn State University•Tallahassee, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Public Health Sciences (PHS) in the Penn State College of Medicine announces a tenure-line faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in the Division of Epidemiology for a qualified individual with expertise in population health research focused on Amish and Mennonite (Plain) communities, including demographic surveillance, community-engaged research, and health and social determinants of health within these populations. The PHS mission is to advance health through the design, conduct and analysis of population-based biomedical research (including clinical trials, observational research, health services research, and regulatory and translational science), the support of basic science and clinical research, the education of future generations of health professionals, and the active engagement of the community to improve health and well-being. We are looking for a highly collaborative researcher with experience conducting community-engaged, population-based research in Amish and Mennonite (Plain) communities to conduct both independent and collaborative research. Interest in teaching is required, and experience teaching graduate-level coursework is preferred. PHS consists of three academic divisions: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Epidemiology, and Health Services and Behavioral Research. PHS provides a strong infrastructure for its faculty members and supports the broader College of Medicine and Penn State Health in the areas of biostatistics, study design, data management, research computing, project management, and finance and administration. PHS offers six graduate programs, namely, PhD in Epidemiology, PhD in Biostatistics, Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Research, and Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security with an option in Public Health Preparedness, as well as several Graduate Certificate programs. The ideal candidate will have an established or clearly developing externally funded research program focused on the health and well-being of Amish, Mennonite, and other Plain populations. Areas of strength may include population surveillance, population growth and migration patterns, social and behavioral determinants of health, health services access, and community-engaged research. Particular interest includes building foundational data infrastructure to support future large-scale grant applications (e.g., NIH, Lilly Endowment/US Religion Census 2030, and related sponsors), leveraging mixed-methods and cross-sectional studies to generate proof-of-concept findings, and translating research into sustainable partnerships with Plain communities. Candidates whose work demonstrates strong community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and potential to position Penn State as a national leader in Plain population research and programming are especially encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be expected to expend approximately 80% effort on research, 15% effort on teaching and mentoring students, and 5% effort on service.

Requirements

Doctoral degree in epidemiology or a related discipline.
Track record of scholarly activity in population health, demography, epidemiology, or related fields that supports development of externally funded research programs.
Interest in teaching.
Expertise in population health research focused on Amish and Mennonite (Plain) communities.
Experience conducting community-engaged, population-based research in Amish and Mennonite (Plain) communities.

Nice To Haves

Experience teaching graduate-level coursework.
Established or clearly developing externally funded research program focused on the health and well-being of Amish, Mennonite, and other Plain populations.
Areas of strength may include population surveillance, population growth and migration patterns, social and behavioral determinants of health, health services access, and community-engaged research.
Experience building foundational data infrastructure to support future large-scale grant applications.
Experience leveraging mixed-methods and cross-sectional studies to generate proof-of-concept findings.
Experience translating research into sustainable partnerships with Plain communities.
Work demonstrates strong community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and potential to position Penn State as a national leader in Plain population research and programming.