Description
The Department of Family & Consumer Studies (FCS) at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Families and Health, beginning July 2027. Applicants must have a Ph.D. by the time of appointment. Candidates should have a strong record of research, teaching, and grantsmanship, commensurate with their career stage.
The successful candidate will be a scholar specializing in families and health, broadly defined, though expertise in families and health care or health policy is preferred. Examples of priority research areas for this position include: family influences on health care access, utilization, and experiences; family-centered health policy; family caregiving across the life course; family relationships and mental health; and the role of families in health literacy and medical decision-making. Teaching responsibilities for this position may include courses on families and health policy, social science and healthcare, child health care, and modern families, among other topics. Faculty also have opportunities to contribute to an interdisciplinary, health-focused undergraduate program within the College of Social & Behavioral Science.
Family & Consumer Studies is an interdisciplinary department with the mission to advance, communicate, and apply knowledge regarding human development and family well-being across the lifespan and within community and societal contexts. The faculty includes scholars from sociology, demography, psychology, family studies, human development, economics, and public policy, among others. The department offers an undergraduate major in Human Development & Family Studies that includes an optional Child Health Care emphasis, an M.S. in Human Development and Social Policy (HDSP), and a Ph.D. in HDSP, alongside undergraduate and graduate degrees in Financial Planning & Counseling. Additional undergraduate options include an Infant Mental Health Certificate, Certified Child Life Specialist curriculum, and an Early Childhood Education emphasis. Successful candidates will be committed to working in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment. The FCS department strives to create an academic and research environment in line with the University’s foundational pillars: academic freedom, belonging of all people, campus safety, health and well-being, and sustainability. Information about the Department of Family & Consumer Studies can be found at http://www.fcs.utah.edu.
The University of Utah is a Carnegie R1 University, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a member of the Big 12, and Utah’s flagship university. Notable institutional resources include the Consortium for Families and Health Research, the Family Caregiving Collaborative, the Utah Population Database, the Wasatch Front Federal Statistical Research Data Center, the School of Medicine, the College of Health, the College of Nursing, and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. The University is located in beautiful Salt Lake City, which offers an outstanding quality of life in a major metropolitan area of 1.5 million residents, nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. Utah’s great outdoors are close by, offering activities such as skiing, hiking, and mountain biking in the spectacular canyons surrounding the city. The cosmopolitan city offers theater and other arts, sports, entertainment, and nightlife. The area has received recognition for its light rail system, vibrant downtown, acclaimed public libraries, and growing cultural diversity.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES: Submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, a list of three references, and two writing samples or publications at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/207694. Review of applications will begin September 22, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. For inquiries, please contact David Curtis, Search Committee Chair, at david.curtis@fcs.utah.edu.
Requirements
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES: Submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, a list of three references, and two writing samples or publications at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/207694. Review of applications will begin September 22, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. For inquiries, please contact David Curtis, Search Committee Chair, at david.curtis@fcs.utah.edu.
