Description

Position Description

The University of Georgia School of Social Work invites applications for one tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor. The successful candidate will hold a joint appointment in the School of Social Work and the newly established School of Medicine. We welcome applications from scholars whose research advances digital behavioral health, with particular attention to substance use disorders (SUD), co-occurring mental health conditions, and recovery across the lifespan.

We seek a scholar who will establish and lead an externally funded program of human-subjects research focused on the design, evaluation, implementation, and scaling of evidence-based digital interventions and clinical decision-support tools for prevention, treatment, and recovery. Areas of inquiry may include digital therapeutics; mobile- and web-based interventions; conversational agents for psychoeducation, screening, or triage; EHR-enabled measurement-based care; sensors and other digital biomarkers; and recovery platforms that connect individuals with treatment, peer support, and harm-reduction resources.

The successful candidate may employ rigorous and responsible artificial intelligence methods, including natural language processing, predictive modeling, risk stratification, relapse forecasting, recommender systems, and just-in-time adaptive interventions, to improve early detection, treatment engagement, care coordination, and sustained recovery. Related areas of research may include artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted clinical documentation and workflow optimization, digital phenotyping, integration of multimodal clinical and patient-reported data, and safe and transparent clinical decision support.

The joint appointment will create opportunities for close collaboration with clinical, behavioral, and data science investigators in the School of Medicine while advancing a Social Work research agenda focused on community-based implementation, behavioral health equity, practice integration, recovery-oriented care, and the ethical and responsible use of digital technologies and AI.

Teaching, Mentoring, and Community Engagement

Teaching responsibilities may include undergraduate and graduate courses in digital behavioral health, SUD and co-occurring conditions, implementation science, research methods, and the ethical and equitable delivery of digitally enabled care. The faculty member will also contribute to the development of new curricula, certificates, and short courses that translate emerging research and technologies into practice-ready competencies.

The successful candidate will mentor students and trainees across social work, public health, medicine, nursing, informatics, and data science programs and support interdisciplinary research and career development. The faculty member will also be expected to build and sustain partnerships with hospitals, federally qualified health centers, health departments, community-based organizations, and peer-led recovery programs. Through these partnerships, the faculty member may co-design, pilot, implement, and evaluate digital interventions and lead dissemination activities that produce practical resources such as implementation toolkits, train-the-trainer materials, and evaluation dashboards.

Collaborative Environment

The successful candidate will join an exceptionally talented and committed community of scholars and staff. Opportunities for collaboration within the School of Social Work include the Center for Human Trafficking Research & Outreach; the Center for Social Justice, Human and Civil Rights; and the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations. Across the University, faculty collaborate with colleagues in the College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, newly established College of Nursing, College of Engineering, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Mary Frances Early College of Education, and School of Law. Additional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration are available through the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and other university centers and institutes.

The School and University

Chartered in 1785, the University of Georgia is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and a Carnegie-classified research university located in Athens, Georgia. The School of Social Work serves more than 500 students through its CSWE-accredited B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs, Ph.D. program, and Master of Nonprofit Management and Leadership program. The School also offers joint M.S.W. degree programs with the School of Law, the College of Public Health, and the Terry College of Business through its M.B.A. program. Nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in research, teaching, public service, and international programs, the School maintains a strong commitment to social and economic justice.

Candidate Qualifications and Expectations

The successful candidate will be an outstanding scholar and teacher who demonstrates strong research capacity and the potential to secure external funding. Faculty members are expected to contribute to the School’s missions through research, teaching, student mentoring and advising, practicum education liaison responsibilities as appropriate, and service. Teaching assignments may span the School’s Athens, Gwinnett, and online programs.

• Candidates for appointment at the assistant professor rank must hold a Ph.D. in social work or a cognate discipline, such as psychology, sociology, public health, neuroscience, or economics, by the position’s start date. Candidates who have completed all doctoral requirements except the dissertation at the time of application will be considered. An M.S.W. degree and two years of post-master’s practice experience are strongly preferred but not required.
• Candidates for appointment at the associate professor rank must meet the requirements for the assistant professor rank and demonstrate a record of research, teaching, external funding, and service commensurate with appointment at the associate professor level.
• Candidates for appointment at the full professor rank must demonstrate a sustained and nationally or internationally recognized record of research, teaching, external funding, and service commensurate with appointment as a tenured professor. The successful candidate is expected to share the University and School’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, service, and engagement.

Nominations and Applications

Application materials must be submitted through the UGAJobs system.  https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/507402

Applicants should upload:

• A cover letter describing their research agenda and teaching philosophy; and
• A curriculum vitae.

Three letters of reference addressed to the University of Georgia School of Social Work Faculty Search Committee will be required at the time of interview.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to Dr. Hee Yun Lee, Search Committee Chair, at heeyunlee@uga.edu. Please include “Faculty Search” in the subject line.