Department: Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health
Rank: Associate Professor
Annual Basis: 9 Month

Application Deadline

October 21, 2024; position open until filled

Required Application Materials

Complete applications must include:

(1) Cover letter
(2) Curriculum vitae
(3) Three representative publications
(4) Statement of research contributions and future plans
(5) Statement of teaching experience and approach
(6) Statement of personal contributions and/or plans to foster an environment of equity and inclusion for faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to address in their statements how they have pursued and/or plan to pursue the mission and goals of the Ballmer Institute in their work. Contact information for three referees must be submitted as part of the application.

Review of applications will begin by October 21, 2024. Questions can be sent to ballmerinstitute@uoregon.edu

Position Announcement

The Ballmer Institute has an opening for a Full Professor faculty member with a tenure line in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Oregon. Applicants at the advanced associate professor level may be considered. Tenure-track faculty will guide the Institute’s efforts to:
- Develop and deliver the nation’s first undergraduate training program in children’s behavioral health;
- Create evidence-based early behavioral health promotion, prevention, and intervention strategies to children and their families;
-Develop interventions and services designed to reduce disparities in mental health outcomes or access to behavioral health supports; and
- Accelerate the discovery and dissemination of new interventions, technologies, and services informed by the community context where child behavioral health specialists will serve children and families.

Given our mission, candidates for these positions should have a program of research in child behavioral health focused on:
- Development and evaluation of behavioral health promotion, prevention, and intervention practices targeting youth mental health, and/or
- Implementation science methods focused on integrating behavioral health interventions into schools and other community settings, and/or
- Strategies for reducing disparities in mental health outcomes or access to behavioral health services as a function of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity, or disability

Successful candidates will contribute to the research and educational mission and vision of the Ballmer Institute, and the University of Oregon. They will contribute to the undergraduate and graduate programs in child behavioral health at the Ballmer Institute and have opportunities to train doctoral students in the Department of Psychology. Successful candidates will conduct an active, externally funded research program and contribute to science through professional publications and presentations; engage with community partners through the Ballmer Institute; contribute to department, college, and university governance in a manner consistent with the needs of an AAU research university; and contribute to emerging continuing education and distributed learning activities. The successful candidate will support and enhance a diverse learning and working environment.

We particularly welcome applications from scholars who are from groups historically underrepresented in the academy, and/or who have experience working with youths from historically and persistently underserved communities.

All positions will be located within the Ballmer Institute at the new University of Oregon campus in Northeast Portland.

Department or Program Summary

The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the University of Oregon establishes a new national model for behavioral healthcare for children and families by creating the nation’s first undergraduate program in child behavioral health.   

The Institute prioritizes the needs of youth who have been historically or persistently underserved and seeks to make real system change by:  
- Creating a new mental health profession that addresses existing barriers and gaps in mental health services, especially for underserved and marginalized communities
- Delivering supports in schools and the community  
- Training existing youth-serving professionals  
- Developing new approaches to support child behavioral health  
- Transforming the Pacific Northwest into a national model of thought and action in children’s behavioral health  

This groundbreaking initiative was made possible by an extraordinary gift from Connie and Steve Ballmer, co-founders of Ballmer Group Philanthropy. 

The Department of Psychology covers the entire field of basic psychological and clinically relevant research. Psychology faculty group themselves into four major areas: Clinical, Cognitive/Systems Neuroscience, Developmental, and Social/Personality. The faculty values interdisciplinary collaborations and open science and embraces basic as well as translational work with potential for societal impact. The department is committed to creating an inclusive community through its Committee for an Inclusive Community (CIC) and has in recent years been building a concentration of faculty who study of Diversity Science. The clinical psychology PhD program at UO in particular has a long history of excellence and is accredited by both APA and PCSAS.

Minimum Requirements

• Doctoral degree (required at time of appointment) in psychology, education, prevention science, public health, human development and family studies, or another related field.
• Established record of scholarly productivity, commensurate for career stage.
• Established track record of (or potential for) external research funding.
• Expertise in child behavioral health, with a particular focus on the development, evaluation, and implementation of promotion, prevention, and intervention strategies to support children’s behavioral health in schools or other community settings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Program of research that includes addressing the needs of historically and/or persistently underserved groups/communities.
• Ability to train professionals to work in applied settings, such as schools and community health agencies.
• Ability to advise and supervise doctoral students in research.
• Demonstrated commitment to enhancing multicultural competencies and promoting equity and inclusiveness in research, training, and applied work.
• Interest in working with a multidisciplinary research team that includes faculty with interests in behavioral health from diverse academic disciplines.
• Interest or experience in working closely with community groups/partners.
• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially across academic departments and the university.

About the University

The University of Oregon is one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities and holds the distinction of a “very high research activity” ranking in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and 3,600 graduate students representing all 50 states and nearly 100 countries. In recent years, the university has increased the diversity of its student body, as well as campus-wide efforts to build a welcoming, inclusive community.

The Ballmer Institute at the University of Oregon Portland is nestled in a historic northeast Portland neighborhood, the campus offers a community feel not far from urban amenities, like the downtown city center and the Portland International Airport. With more than 20 buildings and nearly 400,000 square feet, the campus will have University of Oregon Portland academic, research and administrative programs, as well as student housing and eventually onsite dining and recreation opportunities. A lush canopy of trees, an outdoor amphitheater on the green, and plenty of pathways tie together each part of campus over walkable four blocks.

The Department of Psychology is located in Eugene, a vibrant city of 171,000 with a wide range of cultural and culinary offerings, a pleasant climate, and a community engaged in environmental and social concerns. The UO’s beautiful, 295-acre campus features state-of-the-art facilities in an arboretum-like setting. The Eugene campus is located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people (see more at: Equity and Inclusion | University of Oregon (uoregon.edu))

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.

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