Chair- Exercise Health Sciences

Overview

Join to apply for the Associate Professor role at UMass Boston
. The Donna M. and Robert J. Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences invites applications for a tenure-system Professor or Associate Professor to serve as Chair of the Exercise & Health Sciences Department to begin on September 1, 2026. Applicants who currently hold the position of full professor or advanced associate professor with evidence of qualifications for promotion to full professor are welcome to apply.

The Department of Exercise and Health Sciences (EHS) is one of the largest undergraduate programs on campus. It offers bachelor’s, accelerated master’s, traditional master’s, and doctoral degrees with options to focus on Applied Exercise Physiology or Physical Activity and Health Promotion. Faculty are engaged in research and have been funded by NIH, American Heart Association, and the Veteran’s Administration among others.

The faculty’s research ranges from cellular-level work to populations at risk for healthcare disparities. Specific focus areas include the impact of chronic diseases, aging, and racial disparities on the body’s physiological adaptations to exercise, and determinants and intervention research for health promotion in diverse populations including older adults, people of color who are cancer survivors, and children with special needs.

The department’s mission is to engage faculty, students, and communities in scientific discovery and dissemination of knowledge to advance and promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles in diverse individuals and communities. The department aspires to be nationally recognized for excellence in advancing health equity, promoting physical activity, and preparing students through innovative research, teaching, and community engagement.

The Chair will guide and shape the department’s direction to achieve its mission and vision. Responsibilities include growing educational programs, enhancing research activity, and building the department’s internal and external reputation. The Chair will maintain a program of research, teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advise and mentor students and faculty, work with a diverse faculty, staff, and students, and foster inclusive excellence in university and community settings.

The ideal candidate will provide evidence of:

• A transformational leadership approach that is inspirational, visionary, and promotes collaboration, transparency, and excellence.
• Strong interest in engaging with the campus and external communities to advance the department’s mission and vision.
• Excellence in mentoring faculty at all levels and students from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in supporting faculty development and research activities across career stages.
• Experience with building strong relationships within and beyond the academy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Experience with undergraduate and graduate programs in exercise and health sciences, with ability to develop, implement, and evaluate curricula.

Applicants must possess a doctorate in kinesiology, exercise sciences, rehabilitation sciences, behavioral sciences, or a related field. Preferred qualifications include evidence of prior academic and/or research leadership roles, a program of research aligned with senior-rank appointment (including a strong record of external grant funding and peer-reviewed scholarship), and experience in teaching and mentoring faculty and students.

UMass Boston is the third most diverse university in the country, with more than 60% of undergraduate students from minoritized communities and more than half of students being the first in their family to attend college. We value diverse life experiences and backgrounds that students bring to classrooms and research settings.

Applicants are asked to articulate how their teaching, advising, and mentoring will engage with diverse life experiences, reflect appreciation for students’ holistic selves, and show how their life experiences shape their practices as an instructor, mentor, researcher, and scholar.