Assistant or Associate Professor-Social Work-Fall 2027 (2 Tenure Track positions)

University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work invites applications for an assistant or associate professor in social work in any practice and research areas. Candidates with an independent research trajectory and potential for extramural funding are invited to apply.

The position emphasizes health, AI for social good, and community-engaged research with a July 31, 2026 completion deadline for ABDs. The start date is August 1, 2027, and located on the Knoxville campus.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Social Work or a related field; ABD considered if dissertation is completed by July 31, 2026.
• Assistant Professor: evidence of a research agenda with external funding potential and strong scholarship.
• Associate Professor: established record of scholarship and external funding with policy/public impact.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to high-quality graduate and undergraduate social work education.
• Develop and sustain a program of externally funded research.
• Promote an inclusive, supportive climate in classrooms and research settings.
• Collaborate across programs and with interdisciplinary research teams.

Skills

Research agenda development

External funding ability

Teaching experience

Inclusive climate commitment

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Social Work or related field

Job description

Description

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) invitesapplications for an assistant or associate professor in social workin any areas of social work practice and research. We seekcandidates with an independent trajectory of research who can alsobuild on and/or collaborate with current faculty’s areas ofresearch strength and contribute to our broadeninginterdisciplinary and community-based research partnerships.Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong programofscholarship and potential for extramural funding at the AssistantProfessor level, or an established record of scholarship andexternally funded research appropriate for appointment at theAssociate Professor level. Further, the successful candidate willcontribute to the highest-quality graduate and undergraduate socialwork education, have the ability to promote an atmosphere where allmembers of the university community feel welcome and can thrive. Weare open to all research areas but have special interest inresearch related to health and well-being, use of artificialintelligence and computing for the social good, andcommunity-engaged research that focuses on local communityconditions. All applicants who apply by the priority deadline willbe considered.

Candidates for this position must have earned their Ph.D. in socialwork or a related health, social, or behavioral science field,including public health and public policy. Current doctoralstudents who are ABD and will finish their dissertation by July 31,2027 are also invited to apply. The positions will be located onthe Knoxville campus. The start date will be August 1, 2027.

The University and the College of Social Work

The University of Tennessee Knoxville is a land-grant, flagshipresearch institution, that imagines “a world enriched by ourideas, improved through action, and inspired by the VolunteerSpirit of service and leadership”. ( https://chancellor.utk.edu/vision/ ). The universityis currently in the midst of unprecedented growth in enrollment,with approximately 40,000 enrolled students. The University is aCarnegie Foundation Research (R1) University with the designationof highest research activity and has achieved a CarnegieClassification for Community Engagement. UTK offers a competitivebenefits package, and 9-month tenure-track faculty are eligible foradditional summer salary.

The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work hasalmost 1,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, MSW, DSW, and PhDprograms in Knoxville, Nashville, and online. The College ispreparing highly skilled and culturally sensitive social workers toaddress areas of need across the state, the country, and the globe.The College is home to fourresearch centers and several faculty research labs. Collegefaculty conduct interdisciplinary research addressing pressingsocial, behavioral, and health challenges across the lifespan andat individual, family, community, and systems levels.

The UTCSW is committed to the success of our tenure-track faculty.We offer a strong mentoring program, manageable teaching load,competitive start-up funds, pre-tenure teaching releases, andadditional opportunities for internal research funding. Theuniversity also offers structural supports for teaching andresearch innovation.

Campus Location

The City of Knoxville is a hidden gem, located in the foothills ofthe Great Smoky Mountains. Knoxville has a beautiful and walkabledowntown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, uniquerestaurants, outstanding athletic opportunities, and a robustoffering of outdoor and cultural activities. Knoxville enjoys thecharm of a small city with activities that range from green energyinitiatives and community greenways to thriving festival culture,music, culinary, and outdoor recreation scenes. Knoxville’scommunity brings events such as the Asian Festival, KnoxvilleOpera’s Rossini Festival, Kuumba Festival, Hola Festival, DogwoodArts Festival to name a few. The city is also home to the KnoxvilleMuseum of Art, the Beck Cultural Center, Women’s Basketball Hall ofFame, the Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History, and theMuseum of Appalachia is a short drive from Knoxville. Citingaffordability and quality of life, U.S. News and World Report ranksKnoxville among the best places to live.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Social Work or a related field (ABD’s considered, ifthe dissertation is expected to be completed by July 31,2026)
• Assistant Professor
  • Evidence of a research agenda with potential for externalfunding
  • A record of high-quality scholarship evidenced in peer-reviewedpublications and/or strong potential for policy and publicimpact
  • Evidence of effective teaching at a universitylevel
  • Evidence of commitment to creating an inclusive, supportiveclimate in classroom and research settings, in alignment with CSWE accreditation standards
• Associate Professor
  • All of the above, and
  • A demonstrated record of pursuing/securing external fundingappropriate to the candidate’s area of scholarship
  • A strong, well-established, and continuous record ofscholarship and peer-reviewed publications and/or demonstration ofpolicy and public impact

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work
• Two years post MSW practice experience
• Specific research interests that overlap with one or more ofour current faculty
• Commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaboration
• Evidence of high-quality teaching experience such as coursedevelopment, innovations in teaching, or end of courseevaluations
• Experience teaching courses across programs (e.g., undergrad,masters) and modalities (e.g., online, in person)
• Experience working in team-based research groups

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration foret employment and admission without regard to race, color, nationalorigin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexualorientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability,genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or anyother characteristic protected by federal or state law. Inaccordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil RightsAct of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans withDisabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmativelystates that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ordisability in its education programs and activities, and thispolicy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed tothe ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to [e-mail] , or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, andnational origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA(disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age),sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to theOffice of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business IncubatorBuilding, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to [e-mail], or by phone at 865-974-0717.