Tenure-line Faculty Position in Social-Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity (Open Rank)

Description

The School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan invites applications for a tenure-line faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor, ideally commencing in August 2026. Candidates will be expected to maintain a robust, ongoing research program, teach undergraduate and graduate courses, and have the research expertise appropriate for the effective advising and mentoring of students across all academic levels in the social-behavioral science of physical activity. A successful candidate will be expected to maintain extramural funding for an active research program at the University of Michigan.

 

The ideal candidate will have a commitment to applying the science of physical activity to develop solutions in a complex and rapidly changing world. We are interested in candidates whose scholarship can either deepen existing expertise in our Applied Exercise Science program (e.g., aging, chronic disease, social-ecological influences on physical activity) or broaden that expertise (e.g., physical activity and substance use, mental health, environmental health, or brain health). Specific content expertise that falls within the scope of this position includes physical activity behavior change, psychosocial and motivational determinants of physical activity, intervention development and evaluation, technology-enabled physical activity promotion, social or community influences, policy and environmental approaches, health coaching, and physical activity across multiple populations and settings. 

 

General Information:

The University of Michigan is one of the highest-ranked public universities in the nation and one of the world’s preeminent research institutions. The School of Kinesiology is one of 19 independent academic units and one of seven health science schools and colleges within the university. For the past 2 review cycles, the National Academy of Kinesiology ranked the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology doctoral program as the #1 program in the U.S. The School is led by Dean Lori Ploutz-Snyder and has over 40 tenure-line faculty, 16 clinical faculty, 33 lecturers, and over 1,250 undergraduate and 152 graduate students. The School is home to some of the country’s top academic programs focusing on applied exercise science, athletic training, movement science, and sport management.

 

In 2021, the school moved into a newly renovated, state-of-the-art academic and research building (School of Kinesiology Building) that is located in the heart of the University of Michigan’s main campus. The $120M renovation project expands the School of Kinesiology’s research, classroom, and office space to approximately 189,000 gross sq. ft. The new building also includes state-of-the-art facilities to support teaching and research, including dedicated lecture and laboratory classrooms, along with many other research laboratories and centers. The shared exercise and clinical research space includes examination and procedure rooms as well as a full exercise center. New faculty will have access to all spaces and shared equipment, such as DXA, research-grade indirect calorimetry/VO2 assessment systems, wearable accelerometers, and inclinometers. Faculty will have access to the state-of-the-art core computing resources at the University of Michigan.

 

The University of Michigan is home to approximately 275 degree programs, with Kinesiology housing four of 102 graduate programs rated in the top 10 nationally, providing unparalleled opportunity for collaboration. Collaborative opportunities exist both within the School of Kinesiology and with other units across campus. In addition to the many exciting achievements within the School of Kinesiology, the school has a strong record of partnering with other academic units in the university, consistent with the culture of the University of Michigan that places significant value on innovation across