Associate Professor

Acsp; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Irvine invites applications for a joint tenure-track Associate Professor position in Behavior Change, Decision Science, and Policy within the Department of Psychology and Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy (UPPP).

The successful candidate will advance research on decision making, behavior change, and policy design, bridging psychology with public policy, inequality, and environmental issues.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent by appointment time.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research into interventions and policy solutions.
• Strong foundations in behavioral science and policy design.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching in Psychology and UPPP.
• Mentor students across disciplinary boundaries and prepare them to apply behavioral science to social problems.
• Develop an independent, externally funded research program in behavior change and policy.

Skills

Behavior change

Decision science

Policy impact

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Mentoring

Education

Doctoral degree in psychology/public policy/urban planning or related

Job description

The Department of Psychology and the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy (UPPP) in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine, invite applications for a joint tenure-track faculty position at the Associate Professor level in Behavior Change, Decision Science, and Policy.

The position will advance research on how individuals and groups make decisions, change behavior, and respond to interventions, institutions, and public policy. We seek scholars who connect behavioral science to important real-world problems with a strong commitment to translating research into effective interventions, actionable programs, and policy solutions.

The successful candidate will complement the Department of Psychology’s strengths in basic and applied behavioral research (spanning developmental, health, social, or clinical domains) as well as UPPP’s focus on public policy, inequality, social problems and environmental issues.

Interdisciplinary Research and Policy

We welcome scholars whose research examines behavior change and decision-making––such as motivation, beliefs, social influence, self-regulation, and risk perception––and connects them to policy design, practice, and broader societal outcomes. We are particularly interested in candidates who bridge individual-level psychological science with social, institutional, community, or environmental contexts. The successful candidate will advance an interdisciplinary agenda that explores both how policy shapes human behavior and how behavioral insights can optimize the design, evaluation, and translation of public interventions and policies. This joint appointment offers rich opportunities for collaboration across Psychology, Urban Planning and Public Policy, the School of Social Ecology, and the broader UC Irvine campus.

Teaching and Mentoring

The successful candidate will contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching in Psychology and UPPP. Teaching may include courses addressing behavior change, decision-making, behavioral science, public policy, urban planning, and/or the candidate's substantive area of expertise.

The candidate will mentor students across disciplinary boundaries and contribute to preparing students to apply psychological and behavioral science to complex social and policy problems.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a doctoral degree in psychology, public policy, urban planning, or a closely related discipline by the time of appointment.

Candidates should demonstrate:

• a strong or emerging independent research program;
• expertise in behavior change, decision science, behavioral science, policy, or a related area;
• a strong foundation in psychological or behavioral science;
• potential for interdisciplinary research and external funding
• commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring; and
• commitment to service to UCI and the academic profession.

Candidates whose work bridges behavior change, decision-making, and public policy are particularly encouraged to apply.

Joint Appointment

The position will be jointly appointed between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy within the School of Social Ecology.

The joint appointment is intended to create sustained intellectual collaboration between the two departments and establish a strong interdisciplinary presence in behavioral science, decision‑making, and policy.

Position Details

The position will begin July 1, 2027, with teaching beginning Fall Quarter 2027.

Document requirements:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Statement of Research
• Reflective Teaching and Mentoring Statement
• Reference requirements
• 3 required (contact information only)

Please direct questions about the position to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Elizabeth Cauffman from the Department of Psychology and/or Dr. Seth Pipkin from UPPP.