Assistant Professor of Social Psychology, Department of Psychology - August 2025

Description

The Department of Psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Social Psychology. We invite applications from individuals with expertise in any area of social psychology.

The UTK Psychology Department has five Ph.D.-granting research areas (Clinical Psychology, Cognitive and Developmental Science, Counseling Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology) and includes 35 tenure-line faculty and 8 full-time lecturers. Resident faculty in social psychology study the self and social identities, attitudes and persuasion, emotions, the emergence of culture, social development, and the origins and impact of prejudice and stereotypes. Information about the Department and the Social Psychology area is available at http://psychology.utk.edu. The position will begin August 1, 2025. 

The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who can contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University.

 

The City of Knoxville, also known as the "Maker City," has a beautiful and walkable downtown, varied nightlife, active neighborhoods, eclective shopping and restaurants, and a vibrant music scene. Knoxville is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Qualifications

Applicants must have received their Ph.D. in social psychology or a closely related field by August 1, 2025, and should have a strong research record, enthusiasm for teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and potential for extramural funding. For applicants whose research area falls within the realm of climate change and sustainability, the position has the potential to be a part of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Societal Resilience to Climate Change hiring constellation, which is an interdisciplinary cluster of new faculty lines throughout the natural and social sciences, as well as the arts and humanities (see below). However, we encourage all individuals with expertise in any area of social psychology and an interest in working in the Department of Psychology at UTK to apply.

Societal Resilience to Climate Change (SoReCC) Constellation: Climate change has already become, and will remain, a defining global challenge of the 21st century. With societies now experiencing acute effects of rapid climate change, including environmental degradation, changes in global migration patterns, and political conflicts among nation-states, public and expert attention is increasingly shifting towards developing societal capabilities for disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and resilience. Positions added in the SoReCC strategic focus area will leverage the College’s existing instructional and research strength in disciplines and transdisciplinary areas that speak to questions of climate change and societal resilience; because of students’ interest in working to combat the most acute effects of global climate change, these disciplines are also ones that experience strong undergraduate and graduate instructional demand. Strengthening research and instructional capabilities in this focus area helps make life and lives better and connects with existing UTK-wide initiatives such as One Health and research on the circular bioeconomy and global energy ecosystems.

Application Instructions

Applicants should electronically submit the following materials to: apply.interfolio.com/149396 1) brief cover letter and curriculum vita, 2) research statement, 3) teaching statement, 4) up to 3 representative publications, and 5) A list of 3 to 5 references from whom the search committee may solicit recommendations. Review of applications will begin on October 1st and will continue until the position is filled. Please contact the search chair, Dr. Michael Olson (molson2@utk.edu), with questions about the position.

 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or di