Associate or Full Professor-Director, Center for Veterinary Social Work and All Things Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professorship in Veterinary Social Work-Social Work- Fall 2026

Description

 

Director, Center for Veterinary Social Work  

and  

All Things Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professorship in Veterinary Social Work 

 

Location 

 

Knoxville, TN 

 

Description 

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) College of Social Work is seeking a highly regarded scholar to serve as the assume Director of the Center for Veterinary Social Work on the Knoxville campus. The new Director will be awarded the All Things Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professorship in Veterinary Social Work to support their work. As the only program in the country that represents a partnership between a College of Social Work and a College of Veterinary Medicine, the Center for Veterinary Social Work (CVSW) is an interprofessional collaborative unit that engages in research, education, and service through adaptive, participatory, and transdisciplinary approaches, as outlined below. 

 

• Research. Center faculty (from various disciplines) conduct research and disseminate findings on the human-animal bond.  

 

• Education. The Center offers for-credit and not-for-credit training to health- and science-related professionals in human- and animal-focused sectors. The Center hosts scholars and student interns. The Center markets educational modules to other institutions teaching in the discipline of VSW. 

 

• Service. Faculty and staff affiliated with the Center offer mental health and social support for faculty, staff, students, and clients of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and other stakeholders within the veterinary and other animal- and human-related settings.  

 

The Director coordinates Center staffing and resources in a manner compatible with the missions of the colleges. The Director is responsible for budget management and annual presentation of the budget to the college Deans and fiscal officers. The Director has a 50% administrative responsibilities to uphold these responsibilities. The Director will also have an appointment on the One Health Initiative leadership as a representative of the CVSW. The new Director will work with the advisory board, center faculty and staff, the deans of the two colleges, and other stakeholders to create and implement a vision for the continued development of the Center, including new opportunities to contribute to workforce development, innovative interdisciplinary research, and community-engaged service. The position is located within the College of Social Work, with a minimum of 40% time allocated to the College of Veterinary Medicine.  

 

This endowed professorship offers an outstanding opportunity for an experienced researcher to pursue their program of research in veterinary social work, with significant potential for collaboration with creative colleagues and doctoral students. The ideal candidate will bring an interprofessional lens to community-engaged research and education; a strong record of scholarly activity; experience as a mentor to graduate students, post-docs, and pre-tenure faculty; and the ability to contribute in meaningf