Job Description

Job Description
Search for Instructor, Assistant or Associate Professor or Professor ~ Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions Birmingham, Alabama

THE SEARCH
Candidates will have an earned research doctorate (e.g., PhD, DSc, ScD) from an accredited university or, consideration will be given to those who have a relevant master’s degree and are currently enrolled in an earned doctoral research degree.

o Note: only candidates who are occupational therapy practitioners and who hold a doctoral degree may teach occupational therapy content within the departments’ Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy program, in line with ACOTE accreditation standards

Candidates will have experience developing and overseeing programs to enhance the healing environment for patients/clients and families in a large medical health center. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in teaching arts and creativity, arts administration, arts education, arts in medicine, and clinical mental health counseling.

This position combines faculty responsibilities with 0.5 FTE as the Senior Director of UAB Arts in Medicine (AIM). The selected candidate will provide strategic leadership and oversight for AIM’s programming, staff, partnerships, and community engagement.

Preferred qualifications include experience in developing and managing large-scale arts in health programs that enhance healing environments and support well-being in healthcare and community settings. The candidate should have a demonstrated ability to work with development professionals to secure funding through grants, philanthropy, and institutional support, as well as expertise in interdisciplinary collaboration across healthcare, the arts, and education. Strong supervisory and mentorship skills, including experience working with staff, students, and volunteers, are essential. Public speaking and advocacy experience for representing AIM at conferences, university events, and in community settings is also preferred.

The department is seeking candidates with demonstrated success in working with diverse populations of students and experience with a variety of teaching methods and/or curricular perspectives. The department is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. The successful candidate should be committed to excellence in teaching and mentoring our diverse student population and to working effectively with faculty, staff and clinical partners across a wide range of disciplines and settings.


THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s story is one of remarkable growth in size, quality, reputation, and impact. UAB traces its roots to the 1859 founding of the Medical College of Alabama and the 1936 establishment of the Birmingham Extension Center of the University of Alabama. In 1945, the University’s Medical Center was founded in Birmingham, and in November 1966, the Extension Center and the Medical Center were administratively merged to form the “University of Alabama in Birmingham,” an organizational component of the University of Alabama (in Tuscaloosa). In 1969, UAB became an independent institution, one of the autonomous universities within the newly created three-campus University of Alabama System.

UAB is the only public, four-year degree-granting university in the state’s largest metropolitan area and serves as the biomedical university for Alabama. The UAB schools of medicine, health professions, dentistry, optometry, nursing, and public health are co-located in downtown Birmingham, along with the schools of engineering, business, education, and arts and sciences, which facilitates greater inter-disciplinary collaboration. With more than 23,000 employees, UAB and its affiliated health system is the largest single employer in Alabama and generated a $12.1 billion economic impact on the state in 2022. UAB received $774.5 million in research grants and extramural awards in FY23, marking a $247.5 million increase in funding over the past five years and a 73% growth over the past nine years.

The UAB campus is in the heart of downtown Birmingham, a city that has enjoyed revitalization in recent years with the advent of numerous residential, sporting, music, and outdoor entertainment developments. Birmingham is also a foodie town, home to a James Beard Foundation award-winning bar and grill and many other acclaimed restaurants that receive rave reviews, and a burgeoning craft brewery scene.

UAB School of Health Professions

The School of Health Professions is the fastest-growing school at UAB, offering more than 35 programs at the certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The School is organized into five departments: Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Health Services Administration, Nutrition Sciences, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy, and is home to several centers and institutes. The School also offers an honors program for undergraduates, an undergraduate degree in Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Science, along with degree offerings in rehabilitation science through an interdisciplinary partnership with the departments of occupational therapy and physical therapy. SHP students, faculty, and staff are committed to improving the health and well-being of people everywhere through collaboration, service, and innovative research.


Nominations and applications are now being accepted for a full-time, twelve-month faculty position within the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Rank, salary, and tenure status commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The UAB Department of Occupational Therapy is seeking a dynamic, innovative individual to join the faculty and contribute to the teaching, scholarship and services activities within the department. While the position will be 1.0FTE appointment to the Department of Occupational Therapy, the distribution of work will be a joint position in partnership with the UAB Arts in Medicine program.

Primary responsibilities – Faculty, Department of Occupational Therapy (0.5FTE)
As Faculty (0.5 FTE effort), the selected candidate will:
· Teaching
o Lead the development of innovative undergraduate and post-professional programming that explores how arts and creativity support healing environments for clients, families, healthcare staff, and communities.
§ Play a central role in the development of a post-professional certificate in Arts Integration in Health.
o Support undergraduate education within the Blazer Core Curriculum focused on health and wellness
o Contribute to teaching creative occupations and mental health education within courses delivered by “core” occupational therapy faculty.
§ Note: “Core” Faculty – only candidates who are occupational therapy practitioners and who hold a doctoral degree may teach occupational therapy content within the department’s graduate program, in line with ACOTE accreditation standards
· Student mentoring/advising
o Empower students, nationally and internationally, to promote scholarships and programming focused on supporting health and well-being through the arts and creativity
· Scholarship
o Contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the integration of arts and creativity to promote and support health and wellness.
§ Faculty members are expected to demonstrate an ongoing agenda for research and scholarly and creative activities through institutionally approved research projects, development of grant and other funding proposals, professional presentations, and peer-reviewed publications
· Service
o Participate in department, school, community and national service activities.
Primary Responsibilities – UAB Arts in Medicine (AIM)
As Director of UAB Arts in Medicine (AIM) (0.5 FTE effort), the selected candidate will provide leadership and oversight for AIM’s strategic initiatives, programming, and partnerships. Primary responsibilities include:
Program Development and Leadership: Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of arts in health programs that enhance the healing environment and support well-being for patients, families, healthcare staff, and the community.
Arts and Health Curation and Production: Lead the planning and execution of performances, exhibitions, and creative workshops in healthcare and community settings, collaborating with artists and healthcare professionals.
Strategic Vision and Partnerships: Shape AIM’s direction in alignment with UAB’s mission, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations across healthcare, the arts, education, and community organizations.
Resource Development and Fiscal Oversight: Work with UAB Center for the Arts development team to pursue funding opportunities, including grants and philanthropy, while providing input on fiscal planning.
Mentorship and Leadership Support: Guide AIM staff, student interns, and volunteers, fostering professional growth and collaboration.

Organizationally, the Department of Occupational Therapy is one of five departments in the School of Health Professions (SHP). The department has 17 faculty, including 3 Professors, 4 Associate Professors and 10 Assistant Professors. The department has 5 staff who support specialized areas of the department’s functions – specifically fieldwork, admissions, research, grant writing/editing and grant management. The department has approximately 240 students enrolled across the different programs.

The School of Health Professions is one of the nation’s largest and most diverse schools of its type with over twenty programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. SHP is one of six medical-focused schools in a thriving academic health center. UAB is among the highest tier of US research institutions and SHP is currently ranked in the top three for NIH funding for similar schools.

UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, religion, and veteran’s status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.