Chair, Associate/Full Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Integrated Health Sciences [R0150480]

Nevada System of Higher Education

About The Position

The Department of Occupational Therapy chair position offers a unique opportunity to lead a newly developed academic department focused on educating clinical scholars and advancing excellence in occupational therapy and occupational science education, research, and community engagement. This tenured associate/full professor, 12-month appointment serves as both academic leader and administrator, shaping the program’s future while advancing the university’s mission. The chair will maintain an active academic role through teaching, clinical education oversight, scholarship, and community partnerships, while fostering a culture of inquiry consistent with SIHS tenure and promotion standards. Working closely with the Dean of IHS, the chair will provide strategic leadership in curriculum innovation, faculty recruitment and mentorship, student admissions, accreditation compliance, and resource and budget management. The role also includes cultivating a positive, ethical, and productive departmental climate; promoting interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration; and contributing to university governance, professional service, and initiatives that strengthen the department, school, university, and the occupational therapy profession. UNLV is a comprehensive research university of approximately 30,000 students and 3,100 faculty and staff dedicated to teaching, research, and service. The university has internationally recognized programs in hotel administration and creative writing; professional degrees in law, architecture, dental medicine, and medicine; and leading programs in fine arts, sciences and education. UNLV is classified as R1 “very high research activity” status by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. UNLV is the most diverse major research university in the U.S. according to the U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of Best Colleges. UNLV also meets Minority Serving Institution requirements as a Hispanic, Asian American, Native-American, and Pacific-Islander-Serving Institution. UNLV is located on a 332-acre main campus and two satellite campuses in dynamic Southern Nevada. For more information, visit us on-line at: http://www.unlv.edu. The Department of Occupational Therapy is housed in the School of Integrated Health Sciences and sits on the UNLV Medical Campus at Shadow Lane in Las Vegas and includes a converted house as a Living Learning Lab. The occupation-centered curriculum has specialty focus areas in Mental Health, Neurological interventions, Leadership & Management, Musculoskeletal Disorders including Hand Therapy. The OTD Program is fully ACOTE accredited since 2022 and NBCOT pass rate of 100%. For more information, please visit our webpage https://www.unlv.edu/program/otd.

Requirements

Post-professional doctoral degree (PhD, ScD, EdD, or equivalent) in occupational therapy, occupational science, rehabilitation Science, or a related or complementary health field from an institution accredited by a USDE-recognized regional accrediting body
Eligibility for Occupational Therapist licensure in the State of Nevada
8 years of clinical practice as a licensed occupational therapist
Thorough understanding of the role and scope of practice of the occupational therapy assistant
Minimum of 4 years in a full-time academic appointment with full-time teaching responsibilities at the post-baccalaureate level
Demonstrated scholarship through research, publications, presentations, and scholarship of application or teaching and learning
Record of scholarly productivity that meets SIHS tenure and promotion standards at the Associate or Full Professor level
Administrative experience in program planning, implementation, and evaluation
Personnel management, including faculty and staff supervision and development
Budget development and fiscal management

Nice To Haves

Accreditation experience, leadership and management experience in academia, curriculum and course development and management, professional organization representation throughout career tenure, demonstrable professional development track, demonstrated skills in virtual, computer software, and AI environment.

Responsibilities

Teaching
Clinical education oversight
Scholarship
Community partnerships
Curriculum innovation
Faculty recruitment and mentorship
Student admissions
Accreditation compliance
Resource and budget management
Cultivating a positive, ethical, and productive departmental climate
Promoting interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration
Contributing to university governance, professional service, and initiatives that strengthen the department, school, university, and the occupational therapy profession.