Open Rank Tenure-Track Position in School Psychology

The Department of Psychology at Tulane University is excited to announce an open rank tenure track position in School Psychology or a closely related discipline with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. Qualified senior candidates will be considered for the Lila L. and Douglas J. Hertz Endowed Chair in Psychology. Tulane University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R1 (Very High Research Activity) and a Community Engaged university. The APA-Accredited School Psychology Doctoral Program in the Department of Psychology has been continuously accredited since 1991 with an interdisciplinary core Program faculty in school, child clinical, and developmental psychology. The Program utilizes a scientist practitioner model of training grounded in the developmental ecological model. As such, our students are exposed to multiple disciplines, research methodologies, and practice contexts. They engage in developmental science, community-engaged research, and psychological services with the goal of addressing societal inequities in New Orleans, the Gulf South, and the world, thus integrating research, practice, and social justice. A focus on trauma, resilience, and healing is a core strength within the Program. The Program offers a doctoral certificate in Trauma-Focused School Psychology, and Program faculty serve as PIs on grants that fund the Coalition for Compassionate Schools, local and regional crisis prevention and response training, studies on youth engagement and intervention sustainability in trauma-informed schools, and related projects. 

The ideal candidate for this position will have a strong research orientation with the potential to develop a nationally visible, extramurally supported program of research. The specific area of research specialization is open, but candidates with research interests that complement and bridge those of our faculty – including school-based mental health, multi-tiered systems of support, stress and trauma, developmental science, developmental psychopathology, societal inequities and social justice, and prevention science – are especially encouraged to apply. Careful attention to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the candidate’s research program is a requirement. Experience with cutting edge methodologies will be prioritized, not only to complement the diverse methods expertise in the Program but also to synergize with the University’s new initiatives around data science. Faculty research programs are interdisciplinary within the Department and across the University, including collaborations with the Tulane Violence Prevention Institute, Brain Institute, Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Social Work, Liberal Arts, and Professional Advancement, and the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center. Multiple resources and supports are available to faculty to successfully build or, in the case of more senior candidates to this open rank position, transition and sustain their research program at Tulane, including the following: 

●      Protected time for research, including a reduced teaching load for the first three years. For assistant professors, this also includes reduced School/University service expectations for the first three years and a 1-semester research leave following a successful third year review;

●      Support to develop or sustain, depending on rank, a nationally visible and extramurally supported program of research, including a competitive start-up that includes summer salary support, priority in PhD student recruitment, conference travel funds, and access to numerous initiatives from the Office of the Provost to support writing, grant submissions, networking, and more;

●      Mentorship and/or collaboration opportunities within the Program and Department from faculty with established research programs, strong publication histories, and robust federal and foundation funding; 

●      Availability of competitive pilot funding initiatives (i.e., Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center Pilot Fund, Provost’s Proof of Concept Fund) and a Research Award Recognition Plan, which currently includes a 2-3% return of indirect costs on federal awards; and

●      Access to high-quality campus-wide supports related to EDI, community-based research, and teaching excellence. 

Faculty in the Department additionally are expected to mentor PhD student research, as well as offer courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels and/or supervise student practica. Interest in leadership within the doctoral Program, the Psychology Clinic for Children and Adolescents, and/or our ongoing EDI Initiatives would be considered a plus. 

The Hertz Chair, funded by a philanthropic donation from Lila L. and Douglas J. Hertz with a match from the Louisiana Board of Regents since 2006, is focused on addressing barriers to learning in the New Orleans public school system, especially for at-risk populations. Candidates qualified for the Hertz Chair will have a national/international scholarly reputation, a strong record of externally funded research, and a commitment to innovative, school-based applied research designed to improve students’ learning outcomes. The full professor rank is a requirement for the Hertz Chair. 

Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D. in school psychology or a closely related field. Applicants must be licensed or license eligible in Louisiana. Specific responsibilities of the nine-month tenure track appointment include developing and sustaining an active research program, seeking external funding support for research, mentoring school psychology graduate students, teaching graduate and undergraduate 

Application review will begin October 31, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. Please upload a letter of application, CV, research and teaching statements, an EDI statement, and three recent publications to Interfolio. In addition, please ask three references to upload confidential letters of reference directly to Interfolio. Inquiries regarding the position are warmly welcomed and may be directed to Drs. Courtney N. Baker ([email protected]) and/or Bonnie K. Nastasi ([email protected]), Co-Chairs, School Psychology Search Committee.