Department Chair

Position Information

Position/Rank Department Chair

Department 00196 - Health & Kinesiology

City Salt Lake City, UT

Track Tenure Track

New Position to Begin July 1, 2027

Details

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Department Chair Position The Department of Health & Kinesiology (H&K) in the College of Health at the University of Utah invites applications and nominations for its next Chair. We seek an accomplished scholar and collaborative academic leader with a compelling vision for advancing research, education, and community impact across the department’s diverse disciplines. At a flagship Research 1 university and within an integrated academic health system, the Chair will have an opportunity to strengthen the department’s national visibility and expand its contributions to health, quality of life, and human performance. The next Chair will support faculty, staff, and students, (1) grow a strong and sustainable research enterprise, (2) support sustainable growth and maintain academic excellence in the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, (3) and build partnerships across University of Utah Health, the broader campus, and healthcare organizations, schools, public agencies, industry, and communities. The department’s breadth creates opportunities to connect physical activity, health promotion and disease prevention, movement science, sports science, human performance, athlete development, technology, and performance analytics across research, education, clinical practice, and community and industry partnerships.

The Department

H&K serves more than 1,550 undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate programs include Community Health Promotion & Education, Emergency Medical Services, Health & Physical

Education

• Teaching, and Kinesiology. With six new faculty positions approved, newly proposed BS/MS pathways, and alignment with a College of Health priority of expanded research, teaching and outreach in human performance, the department is entering a meaningful period of growth and change. Currently, the department offers an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Health & Kinesiology which are research-intensive programs preparing scholars across four different emphases including Behavioral Science & Community Health, Cognitive & Motor Neuroscience, Exercise & Disease, and Physical Activity & Well-Being. Two applied M.S. in Health & Kinesiology programs are also offered and include a Health

Education

• Specialist and Wellness Coaching program as well as a Performance and Sport Science program. The Center for Emergency Programs provides emergency medical training, and its Exercise & Sport Science Fitness program offers physical activity courses for students. Departmental research facilities and collaborations support work in exercise intervention and testing, circadian physiology, sleep and cognition, mobility and biomechanics, health promotion, and community-engaged research. This breadth positions H&K to connect discovery with clinical practice, education, and population health.

Key Responsibilities

• The Chair serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the Department and reports to the Dean of the College of Health.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic, collaborative leadership and working with faculty, staff, and students to establish departmental priorities.

• Supporting excellence in research, teaching, mentoring, and community engagement.

• Recruiting, developing, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff.

• Supporting student success across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

• Promoting competitive extramural funding, high-quality publications, and scholarly impact.

• Stewarding the department’s budget, personnel, facilities, and educational and research infrastructure.

• Fostering shared governance and an inclusive, transparent environment in which faculty, staff, and students can thrive.

• Representing the department across college, university, and local community and strengthening its partnerships and reputation.

• This is a twelve-month position. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

• Opportunities and Challenges for the Next Chair

The next Chair will help translate the College of Health strategic plan into priorities for H&K across education, discovery, partnership, practice, and sustainable growth. Opportunities and challenges include:

• Managing growth in education: Lead sustainable growth in undergraduate and graduate education by sustaining student success, assessing flexible pathways in clinical exercise physiology, applied sport science, emergency medical services and paramedic education, and wellness coaching, and ensuring that enrollment and program expansion are matched by appropriate instructional capacity and support for faculty engagement and well-being.

• Building on research strengths: Develop larger, collaborative programs of research in physical activity, movement neuroscience, exercise and disease, and community health, while exploring opportunities in precision exercise, digital coaching, and behavioral AI.

• Expanding research capacity: Support multi-investigator proposals and pursue funding from a broader range of federal, foundation, community, and industry sources to support large-scale projects and strategically expand research infrastructure.

• Connecting research and practice: Build collaborations with University of Utah Health, University of Utah Athletics and additional campus partners at the intersection of health, movement, technology, education, and clinical care.

• Deepening community impact: Develop reciprocal partnerships with Utah communities, healthcare organizations, schools, and public agencies that respond to community priorities and produce measurable benefits.

• Exploring a human performance clinic: Evaluate a potential partnership with U of U Health Sports Medicine that connects research, student training, and services across the lifespan and for sport and disease populations.

• Leveraging the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Build on the University’s IOC partnership and the return of the Games to Salt Lake City to expand interdisciplinary research, education, and partnerships in human performance, sport science, athlete health, and community wellness.

• Planning for sustainable growth: Align space, staffing, and infrastructure with the department’s research and educational ambitions.

Qualifications

• Required

• Earned doctorate or other terminal degree in kinesiology, exercise science, health promotion and education, human movement or performance, sport science, or a closely related field.

• A sustained record of peer-reviewed scholarship and research leadership sufficient to merit appointment as a tenured Full Professor at the University of Utah.

• Demonstrated academic leadership and the ability to support faculty development, strategic planning, program administration, and responsible stewardship of resources.

• Preferred

• Experience leading an academic department, program, center, institute, or other complex academic unit.

• A demonstrated ability to develop and implement a strategic vision for research, education, and program growth.

• Experience recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining faculty and staff across a range of disciplines and roles.

• Experience managing budgets, personnel, and other departmental resources.

• A strong record of securing external research funding and supporting successful grant development by others.

• Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration and productive partnerships with health systems, communities, schools, government, or industry.

• A demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence, collaboration, transparency, and shared governance.

• Commitment to strong undergraduate, graduate, and professional education at an R1 research university.

• The College of Health and University of Utah

• The Chair will join a highly collaborative College of Health committed to innovation, interdisciplinary scholarship, student success, and community impact. The position offers the opportunity to shape the future of a nationally visible academic department while leveraging the extraordinary resources of an R1 research university and integrated academic health system.

• The College of Health is a dynamic academic unit within University of Utah Health , supporting a broad portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. As part of the College of Health, the department benefits from extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships spanning public health, health promotion, population health, behavioral science, rehabilitation, and community-engaged research.

• The University of Utah is an AAU member institution and a Carnegie-