Joseph W. and Alma W. Keilty Chair in Education

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued-and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

J ob Description

Area of focus : School-based mental health and wellbeing, with emphasis on historically marginalized populations.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Education is seeking qualified candidates for the new Joseph W. and Alma W. Keilty Chair in Education join the dedicated and accomplished community of faculty, students, and staff in the Student Development Department within the College of Education.

We share a fundamental commitment to educational equity and the pursuit of educational excellence and orient ourselves around our mission of education for a socially just world. Located in the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a leading center of public higher education in the Northeast.

Our newly launched campus-wide strategic plan calls for our campus community to engage in work "for the common good," and outlines a mission focused on inclusive and equitable well-being. As the flagship public land-grant university of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, our mission is to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use our knowledge for the betterment of the world. With certitude, we embrace our responsibility to advance the inclusive and equitable well-being of all people and the health of our planet.

Aligned with this mission, and with our involvement in the Okanagan Well-Being Collective ( https : / / www.umass.edu / wellbeing / ), we are seeking applicants whose work focuses on well-being and mental health in pk-12 educational settings. Ideal candidates will contribute to our well-established training programs in School Psychology and School Counselor Education, and place an emphasis on supporting historically marginalized populations. Candidates may also affiliate themselves with any of seven research centers within our College ( https : / / www.umass.edu / education / research ). Ideal candidates will specialize in areas such as provision of psychological and counseling services and mental health assessment in a multi-tiered system of support, social-emotional outcomes and interventions, teacher well-being, positive psychology practices, healing-centered pedagogy, positive behavioral supports, school-based practices that address racialized trauma, systemic consultation focused on teacher and student mental health, and partnerships with families and communities. We will prioritize scholars who examine the intersections between psychological, cultural, environmental, and policy factors, using an ecological and solution-focused framework. We will seek scholars who operate from a social justice orientation and whose work seeks to advance equitable educational opportunities.

Successful candidates will have a strong publication record, demonstrate a systematic line of research, exhibit evidence of ability to procure external funding, and have experience and interest in mentoring and supervising graduate students and early career faculty in their research endeavors. This position will receive ongoing support from the Keilty endowment for this research line related to school mental health.

This position will include opportunities to teach graduate students in our APA-approved doctoral and NASP-approved Ed.S. programs in School Psychology, in our Ed.S. program in School Counselor Education, and undergraduate students in our popular Community Education and Social Change major. Interested candidates may also supervise graduate student field-based experiences related to supporting mental health in school and community settings.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications :

• Current rank as Associate Professor at current institution.
• Earned doctorate in psychology, counseling, education, or a related field, and be engaged in research related to school mental health.
• A record of rigorous empirical research and dissemination of scholarship through presentations and publications, and a history of securing and managing external funding from a variety of sources.
• Experience working with children and youth in educational settings as well as supervising graduate student research and / or field-based training experiences.

Preferred Qualifications :

Additional Information

Tenure track faculty at the University of Massachusetts are employed for 9-month contracts with opportunities to engage in additional teaching, research, and community service during summer months and intersessions. Tenure track faculty are expected to teach two courses each semester, maintain a robust student advising caseload, have an active research and scholarship agenda that includes procuring external funding, and provide service related to their expertise to the college, university, and community.

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit the following materials (in pdf format). Applications will be reviewed starting in March 2025 and continue until the position is filled, with an anticipated start date of September 2025.

For more information about the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, please visit our website at www.umass.edu / education .

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.