Working Title Associate Professor/Professor & Cille and Ron Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education Brief Summary of Job Description The Community Chair is an endowed, tenured faculty position at the Associate or Full professor-level with a five-year renewable appointment as the Cille and Ron Williams Chair. The Community Chair reports to the Chair of Teacher Education Department, and 25 percent of the Community Chair's time will be dedicated to the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. The Community Chair will provide leadership in early childhood teacher education and outreach to the state in this area of critical need and will participate in and initiate programs and research in conjunction with the Buffett Institute with the goal of increasing the quality, quantity, and skills of those working with children from birth to grade 3 and their families in Nebraska. The Community Chair will adopt an integrated approach to early childhood education and development through therapy, research, and practice that link empirical research with the creation of programs, ideas, and tools for practitioners and community members. Job Duties The Community Chair's responsibilities include teaching, research, service and work with the local community with a focus on developing, implementing, and evaluating programming that relates to early childhood teacher education and child development. The Community Chair will lend research and evaluation support for the UNK Plambeck Early Childhood Education Center. The Community Chair will be expected to lead collaborative efforts across colleges to apply research and knowledge to communities of practice and to provide expertise in seeking grant-funded projects, leading independent initiatives, planning regional forums, participating in national conferences, and developing publications and other dissemination. In partnership with the Buffett institute and Teacher Education faculty, the Community Chair will create learning opportunities for students, community leaders, scholars, and others interested in early childhood teacher education. Required Qualifications Doctoral degree in education or a closely allied discipline. A record of research and teaching sufficient to merit appointment as an associate or full professor and also have a track record of significant community engagement. Skilled at collaboratively working with colleagues across multiple disciplines and campuses. Preferred Qualifications Experience in obtaining external funding and working in interdisciplinary settings. Familiarity in working with rural populations. Experiences in teaching P-12 students Physical Demands Desired Start Date 08/18/2025 Is this position temporary? No Position End Date (if temporary) Special Instructions to Applicant Teaching responsibilities may start in January 2025/Spring Semester depending on final candidate availability. Special Conditions for Eligibility Posting Detail Information Posting Number F20240027P Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Application Review Date: Initial application review will begin on this date. Applications received prior to this date will be considered. Applications received after the review date may be considered. 10/15/2024 For questions regarding the online application process, please contact: 308-865-8516 or employment@unk.edu For questions regarding the position, please contact: Mike Teahon at teahonmd@unk.edu Budget Information Budget Summary Benefits Eligible 100% If eligible click this link for a full explanation of benefits: UNK Benefits Summary Page