Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Human Development at InsideHigherEd

As part of an expansion of the Human Development Program, the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester seeks two full-time, tenure-line Assistant Professors in Human Development. 

We seek colleagues who share our holistic, strengths-based, community-engaged perspective and a commitment to advancing inclusive practices in teaching, research, and service. The department is known for applied research and learner-centered teaching that prepares master’s and doctoral students for careers working in academic, clinical, educational, community-based, and policy-oriented settings with children, youth, families, older adults, and communities.

Successful applicants for the current search will conduct research and teach master’s- and doctoral-level courses in the human development program. While applicants with varied research foci will be considered, we identify two areas of preferred emphases:

1. Developmental science in early and/or middle childhood, incorporating contextual and cultural perspectives, and
2. Community-based interventions, programs, or services (e.g., neighborhood, family, school, after-school programs, care facilities, health settings) that impact individuals at one or more points across the lifespan (e.g., infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, or late life).

For both positions, we are searching for scholars who emphasize asset-based approaches to engaging with families and communities, including those impacted by inequities (e.g., due to structural, institutional, and systemic racism, segregation, colonization, xenophobia). We are interested in colleagues who embrace a multidisciplinary approach and a systems orientation, recognizing the interconnections of different levels of human ecology and leveraging the strengths present among people and communities that have been marginalized.

Successful candidates must show a clear capacity to conduct impactful research with a demonstrated capacity to secure external research funding and capacity to teach master’s- and doctoral-level courses on human development theory and interventions, child and/or adult development, or life course studies. Preference will be given to candidates with articulated strategies for involving graduate students in research and for advising master’s and doctoral students with a range of interests.

We welcome applicants with doctorates in human development or related fields, including family studies, developmental psychology, anthropology, sociology, education, ethnic studies, or feminist studies. The term of employment will begin on July 1, 2026.

The principal duties are associated with this position are to:

• Conduct and disseminate high quality Human Development research
• Mentor master’s and doctoral student research
• Teach graduate-level courses in Human Development
• Provide program and career advising for master’s and doctoral students
• Seek external funding to support program development, student success, and scholarship
• Participate in program development, promotion, and accreditation efforts

Ideal candidates for this position will have qualifications and experiences that include:

• Strong research agenda focused on emerging developmental science topics
• Experience and a demonstrated commitment to teaching and mentoring graduate students
• A Doctorate in Human Development or related fields, earned prior to the position’s starting date.
• A demonstrated commitment to preparing effective, justice-oriented professionals and researchers.

The review of applications will begin on December 1 and will conclude on January 15.

To apply, access the University of Rochester Interfolio via the following link: https://apply.interfolio.com/177065

About the Warner School: The Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development is part of the University of Rochester, one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities. At the Warner School, we believe that education can transform lives and make the world more just and humane. This vision informs our teaching, research, and service as a research school of education, as we strive to: PREPARE practitioners and researchers who are knowledgeable, reflective, skilled, and caring educators, who can make a difference in individual lives as well as their fields, and who are leaders and agents of change; GENERATE and disseminate knowledge leading to new understandings of education and human development, on which more effective educational policies and practices can be grounded; and COLLABORATE across disciplines, professions, and constituencies to promote change that can significantly improve education and support positive human development.

Our diverse work in each of these domains is informed by the following underlying beliefs: the improvement of education is in pursuit of social justice; development and learning shape and are shaped by the contexts in which they occur; the complexity of educational problems requires an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach; and wise practices are grounded in research and theory, just as useful theory and research are informed by practice. The Warner School fosters a learning community that represents and builds on the rich diversity of human experiences, backgrounds, cultures, histories, ideas, and ways of living. Learn more about equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Warner School here:  https://www.warner.rochester.edu/about/best

About Rochester: Located in western New York, Rochester is a vibrant city with a welcoming community, affordable housing, and rich intellectual and cultural resources. Approximately six hours by car from New York City and three hours from Toronto, our medium-sized city on the shore of Lake Ontario is a dynamic town, with many great restaurants, museums, businesses, and educational institutions. Discover what Rochester has to offer in all four seasons. Claiming more sites on the National Register of Historic Places than any other city its size, Rochester was also the home of women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Their commitments to equity and justice are part of the DNA of the Rochester community and the University of Rochester. Visit our website to learn more about the University of Rochester.