Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, College of Family and Consumer Sciences
The University of Georgia (UGA) invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. The Associate Dean will create programs that further our strategic priorities within the College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) and align our programs with the strategic plan of the University. The College’s 2025 Strategic Plan for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship lays out a vision for enhancing faculty, staff, and both undergraduate and graduate student research capacity within a comprehensive, land-grant university. The Associate Dean will be a key leader in the implementation of this plan by creating coordinated programs that build on our current research strengths and leverage the significant investments made in our infrastructure. The Associate Dean will facilitate interdisciplinary research across UGA’s academic units, institutes, and centers to address high-priority issues. This leader, along with the other administrative staff in the Dean’s Office whose responsibilities focus on undergraduate curriculum and Outreach and Extension, will leverage the already strong position of the College into a leading position in the University for campus-wide initiatives. The Associate Dean will also work closely with faculty, directors, graduate coordinators, and department heads in the College to lead efforts and implement creative solutions to needs of communities, families, and people using interdisciplinary methods.
The College of Family and Consumer Sciences, sixth largest at UGA in terms of undergraduate enrollment, is a student-centered college that emphasizes holistic student development and has grown rapidly in recent years to a current total enrollment of about 1,700 students. There are approximately 110 total faculty members in the College, where undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in all areas of family and consumer sciences, as well as collaborative programs with other schools, colleges, centers and institutes at the University. The College provides a comprehensive graduate program, offering masters and doctoral degrees in all four departments with a current enrollment of about 250 graduate students. Administratively, the College is comprised of four academic departments: Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics; Nutritional Sciences; Human Development and Family Science; and Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors as well as the Institute on Human Development and Disability. The College is proud of and benefits from a high degree of diversity in its faculty, students and programs. International opportunities are strongly supported in the College and the University. Programs of outreach and public service, including outstanding Cooperative Extension initiatives, extend the resources of the College and University to the general public and targeted audiences. Faculty in the College manage significant external grants and contracts for research and public service from the NIH, USDA, DOD, NIMH, NIDA, DOE, the CDC and GEFA among others. Additional information about the College of Family and Consumer Sciences is available at https://www.fcs.uga.edu/.
Responsibilities:
- Provide leadership and vision for research and graduate education in the College.
- Support efforts to grow research funding, high quality publications, and national and international visibility of faculty across multiple disciplines.
- Promote interdisciplinary collaborations within and outside of FACS.
- Execute programmatic and fiscal responsibilities of the College with particular emphasis on facilities and technology to aid research and scholarship.
- Supervise pre-award staff and work closely with Chief Business Officer for the College.
- Collaborate with the Vice President for Research, the AVP and Director of the Innovation Gateway, and Sponsored Projects Administration to secure grants and contracts and expand patents and product to market.
- Support and promote research and outreach faculty engagement through the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (CTSA) endeavors to serve citizens and communities promoting the integration of special and underserved populations in translational health research across the human lifespan.
- Lead a team of committed Graduate Coordinators and other staff supporting our graduate programs, and fostering successful graduate student experiences.
- Demonstrate commitment to actively increasing the diversity of the faculty, staff, and students.
- Oversee the development and implementation of policies and procedures that enhance the quality and impact of graduate education.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and university regulations related to research and graduate education.
- Facilitate professional development opportunities for graduate students and faculty involved in research.
- Uphold UGA and the College’s values of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion as detailed in the diversity, equity, and inclusion plan for the College by creating programs that enhance the representation of traditionally underrepresented groups in our research, innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Required/Minimum Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in a FACS discipline or a related area.
- Currently at the rank of Professor or have completed at least five years as Associate Professor (for appointment to rank of Professor by the effective date of the appointment) and must show clear and convincing evidence of high levels of achievement in scholarship, and evidence of successful administration. To be eligible for tenure upon appointment, candidates must be tenured at their current institution or have been tenured at a prior institution, and bring a demonstrably national reputation to UGA. Candidates must be approved for tenure upon appointment before hire. For more information about the requirements for the rank of Professor, please see the University Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Tenure.
- Maintained a substantially funded research program in one or more disciplines related to an area of FACS.
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification
- Outstanding scholarly achievements and research productivity as well as a record of submitting and obtaining federally-funded grants.
- Demonstrated ability to manage substantial extramurally-funded projects.
- Demonstrated commitment to excellence in mentoring graduate students who have been awarded research degrees.
- Demonstrated commitment to excellence in mentoring faculty seeking research opportunities.
- Participation on grant review committees and/or journal review.
- Demonstrated engagement in interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Three (3) years of organizational leadership experience.
The University of Georgia is one of the leading public research universities in the nation and the world. Founded in 1785 as the first public university in the country, UGA’s faculty excel in fundamental and applied research, scholarship and creative activities, innovation, and technology transfer; and deliver outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; and support communities in Georgia and around the globe through public service and engagement. In Fall 2023, UGA enrolled over 41,600 students, employed more than 3,900 total faculty, and had an annual budget of over $2 billion. Interest in UGA degrees continues to rise with undergraduate applications for admission reaching more than 43,000 and more than 6,100 new first-year students enrolling in Fall 2023. Total annual research expenditures at the University continue to grow, and research expenditures now stand at $571 million for fiscal year 2023. UGA’s main campus is in Athens, GA, 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses located in Griffin, Tifton, Buckhead, and Gwinnett as well as residential education centers in Washington, DC; Cortona, Italy; and Oxford, England. The University has numerous regional, national, and international partnerships for research, education, and service, and an extensive and dedicated network of more than 355,000 living alumni across the globe.
The University of Georgia’s excellence in education and research rests on the scholarly and creative contributions of its talented faculty and staff and on the intellectual quality, vitality, and passion of its students. UGA maintains outstanding academic programs in the arts and humanities, agricultural and environmental sciences, forestry and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, health and life sciences, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, engineering, journalism and communication, public and international affairs, education, and professional programs that include business, law, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. Its research and academic strengths are matched by an enduring commitment to technology transfer, as evidenced by UGA’s national leadership in intellectual property creation and the number of products created by companies based on UGA licenses. Recently, major investments in research have led UGA to international leadership in areas such as infectious diseases, data science and artificial intelligence, vaccine development, glycoscience, precision agriculture, human trafficking, resilience and environment, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and many others.
The University of Georgia has goals to advance its national and international standing in research and scholarship by leveraging the excellence of all its faculty and the comprehensive nature of its public, land- and sea-grant missions. For further information about the University of Georgia, please visit: www.uga.edu.
Applications: Applicant screening will begin immediately. Candidates are encouraged to submit their materials by Thursday, October 17, 2024; however, screening will continue until the position is filled. The application packet should include a cover letter detailing how the applicant’s credentials and experience meet the needs, responsibilities, and qualifications stated above; a current resume; and contact information for three references (who will not be contacted without further correspondence with the applicant).
All applicants must apply online at https://www.ugajobsearch.com. Please see the job posting at: https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/393224
To request a descriptive Opportunity Profile for this position, provide a nomination, or seek additional information, please contact Callie West, Primary Consultant with the UGA Search Group, 805-813-3901 or Callie.West@uga.edu. Letters of recommendation or a simple nomination should include the name and contact information for the nominee.
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).