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Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

Position overview

Salary range: The salary range for this position is $105,700 - $129,600 (annual). “Off-scale salaries” and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience.

Application Window

Open date: September 30, 2025

Next review date: Saturday, Nov 15, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Monday, Aug 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Department of Human Ecology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies with a preferred emphasis in community-based interventions, programs, or services (e.g., neighborhood, family, school, after-school programs, care facilities, health settings) that impact individuals at one or more points across the lifespan (e.g., infancy, childhood, adolescence, or adulthood). We are interested in applicants that are knowledgeable in: a) best practices for translating the emerging science into effective interventions, services, or programs that prevent negative outcomes; b) evaluating research that fosters well-being for individuals, families, and communities; c) how the impacts of intervention approaches in different contexts and communities can inform the development of more effective programming to meet the needs of at-risk and vulnerable groups across the life course, and/or d) methodological approaches to create, implement, and evaluate community-based interventions, programs, or services. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure-track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members who hold an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment have a responsibility to conduct research and outreach relevant to the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. Participation in outreach programs and performance of university service are also expected.

The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program to address critical or emerging issues that may benefit from community-based interventions or services at any point across the lifespan. Along with engaging in mentoring, advising and curricular development at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the appointee will be responsible for teaching a typical courseload of three courses per year (usually alternating between 3 undergraduate and 2 undergraduate plus 1 graduate course every other year). At either level, courses will reflect a combination of core courses and more specific topical courses. Examples include: HDE 104 Children in Families, Schools, Communities, 135 Health Behaviors across the Lifespan, or 137 Contextual Determinants of Health; Field Study with: HDE 141 Children and Adolescents, HDE 142 Emotionally Distressed Children and Adolescents, HDE 143 Elderly; HDE 200A Early Development, 200B Middle Childhood and Adolescence, HDE 200C Development in Adulthood; HDE 252 Family Research, Programs, and Policy, or cross-listed course with Community and Regional Development (CRD). Participation in and development of public outreach and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is expected. This position is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, partners in allied industries or other appropriate public stakeholders.

This recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications.

Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review.

Full-time Equivalent (FTE)

This position will be recruited at the Assistant Professor rank. This is a tenure-track academic year (9-month) position.

Availability of Space and Resources

Office and laboratory space will be provided by the Department of Human Ecology in Hart Hall on the UC Davis central campus.

Start-up funding will be provided based on the programmatic needs of the successful candidate.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment, UC Davis conducts a reference check on all first-choice candidates for Academic Senate Assistant Professor, Steps 4, 5, or 6 through Professor, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Steps 4, 5, or 6 through Professor of Teaching, and Acting Professor of Law through Professor of Law positions. The reference check involves contacting the administration of the applicant’s previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search for these faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists considered for these faculty positions will be subject to reference checks.

UC Davis supports Family-friendly recruitments. UC Davis covers travel expenses for a second person to accompany an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother (or single parent of either gender) of a breast or bottle-feeding child less than two years of age.
http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/programs/work-life/index.html

UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty with efforts to integrate work, family and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus sponsors a Work Life
Program that provides programs and services that support faculty as they strive to honor their commitments to work, home and community. http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/programs/worklife/index.html

The UC Davis Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN) are services designed to support departments and Deans’ offices in the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty. For information about POP, please visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/partner-opportunities-program-pop. For information about the CRN, please visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/capital-resource-network. Please note eligibility for these programs may be based on policy and funding availability.

Additional inquiries should be directed to Professor Amanda Guyer aeguyer@ucdavis.edu.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• Ph.D. or equivalent in a field of Human Development and Family Studies, Psychology, Education, Social Work, Intervention Science or similar at the time of appointment.

Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)

• Post-doctoral experience preferred.
• Evidence of leadership and organizational skills relevant to the development of a successful research, teaching and outreach program in the discipline of Human Development.
• Evidence of scholarship during graduate and post-graduate activities.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to obtain extramural support for research activities.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses and to present information to scientific audiences.
• Willingness and interest to advise undergraduates.
• Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students.
• Evidence of communication skills and collegiality consistent with effective departmental, campus and professional citizenship.
• Interest, understanding, and commitment to the objectives of a land-grant university and the Agricultural Experiment Station including mission-oriented research and a substantive outreach engagement programming.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Cover Letter (Optional)

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. including publication list.

  • Publications - Provide up to three publications

  • Statement of Research - Provide a statement of research accomplishments and future research plans relevant to community-based interventions, services, and/or programs in one or more phases of the lifespan.

  • Statement of Teaching - Provide a statement of teaching accomplishments and philosophy.

  • Transcripts - Provide transcripts if the applicant is within five years of Ph.D. degree.
    (Optional)

  • Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.

Reference requirements
  • 4-6 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07335

Help contact: cmmonyko@ucdavis.edu

About UC Davis

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state for federal law.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400.
UC Davis also is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

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Job location

Davis, CA