OPEN RANK FACULTY Position in Environmental Health Science at Penn State's College of Health and Human Development

Penn State University•University Park, IL

About The Position

The Pennsylvania State University’s College of Health and Human Development invites applications for an open-rank tenure-track faculty position in its environmental health sciences initiative. Applicants’ research should align with one or both priority areas: built environment and health outcomes, or extreme weather and health outcomes. The built-environment area focuses primarily on population-level research into how chemical, material, biological, physical, and geospatial exposures associated with human-made surroundings influence health and well-being. The extreme-weather area focuses on population-level research into health effects of events such as drought, extreme heat, flooding, and hurricanes; researchers studying underlying mechanisms are also welcome. Relevant outcomes include physical activity, mental health, substance misuse, cognitive decline, nutrition, chronic disease, developmental and aging outcomes, stress, inflammation, and cardiometabolic health. Successful candidates will develop collaborative, interdisciplinary research programs that draw on Penn State expertise and investigate environmental influences on health in relation to social, behavioral, and physiological determinants. Faculty are expected to teach, mentor trainees, and contribute service to the university and profession. The primary academic appointment will be in one of the College of Health and Human Development’s eight academic units. Depending on the candidate and the research program, an appointment may also be supported by the Institute of Energy and the Environment, the Social Sciences Research Institute, the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation, or academic units in other colleges. The College of Health and Human Development has approximately 160 full-time faculty and 200 staff serving about 4,300 undergraduate and 300 in-residence graduate students at University Park, as well as 600 online students at Penn State’s World Campus. Its investigators lead projects generating approximately $80 million in externally supported research expenditures. Applications received by November 20 will receive full consideration; review will continue until the position is filled. Employment requires successful completion of university background checks.

Requirements

PhD in a relevant field, such as environmental health science, epidemiology, environmental or health policy, human biology, urban planning, architectural engineering, meteorology, or climate science.
Demonstrated excellence in research.
Strong publication record.
Interest in collaboration across disciplines.
Established researchers must demonstrate a track record of external grant funding and commitment to mentoring students or early-career researchers; early-career researchers must demonstrate the potential to achieve these expectations.

Nice To Haves

Research aligned with one or both priority areas: built environment and health outcomes, or extreme weather and health outcomes.
For built-environment research, a population-level epidemiologic or computational approach, including digital twins or agent-based modeling, is of particular interest.
An environmental health policy perspective on built-environment and health issues is welcome.
For extreme-weather research, population-level work consistent with the NIH Health and Extreme Weather Strategic Framework is of particular interest; research into mechanisms underlying health associations is also welcome.
Potential fit with a College of Health and Human Development academic unit or co-funding institute, including IEE, SSRI, or the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation.

Responsibilities

Build a research program aligned with the built environment and health outcomes, extreme weather and health outcomes, or both.
Collaborate across disciplines and draw on Penn State expertise.
Advance research on environmental influences on health while considering social, behavioral, and physiological determinants.
Teach and mentor trainees.
Engage in service to the university and profession.
For established researchers, attract external grant funding and mentor students or early-career researchers.