We seek a Chair of the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Department of Psychology comprises 24 full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty, 8 teaching faculty, and 7 full-time staff members.  The new department chair will play a pivotal role in formulating departmental strategic plans, foster collaborations in our interdisciplinary environment, articulate relevant funding streams, and support the unique needs of diverse research programs.

Our faculty are researchers, educators, and scientist-practitioners with expertise in broad areas of psychology, including clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, school psychology, and social psychology. Our research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Educational Sciences, IARPA, and various other foundation and industry collaborators. Many of our faculty also play active roles in the Neuroscience Program, Aging Studies Institute, Burton Blatt Institute on Disability, and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families across campus. The successful candidate will foster collaborations in our interdisciplinary environment, demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of relevant funding streams, and support the unique needs of diverse research programs.

The Department houses the largest undergraduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences, with over 1,000 majors. We also train over 60 graduate students across our four doctoral programs: APA-accredited programs in Clinical and School Psychology and programs in Social and Cognitive psychology. Students benefit from dedicated faculty, an engaging curriculum, and hands-on mentoring. Clinical training is supported by our new psychological services center, and our purpose-built labs, designed in collaboration with architects for each program, will open in Spring 2025. The Department has a history of educational excellence, with faculty members recognized for outstanding teaching and mentoring and with graduates going on to have successful academic careers. The successful candidate will be prepared to work with the undergraduate program director and four graduate program directors to ensure effective program development and resource allocation, maintain accreditation standards, and promote innovation in teaching, mentoring, and graduate training to match the changing landscape of higher education.

The successful candidate will work with the department to broaden and strengthen the Department in alignment with the University’s strategic plan and the College of Arts and Sciences strategic plan. The successful Chair will develop a clear, strategic vision for further advancing the research and educational programs in the Department, particularly within the context of the University's R1 status. The successful candidate will be expected to foster faculty research, cultivate a positive, inclusive, and collaborative environment within the Department for faculty, staff, and students, and represent the Department to the broader institution and community.

Qualifications 

• A Ph.D. in clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, health psychology, social psychology, school psychology, or related fields.
• Tenured full professors are preferred, but advanced associate professors with credentials aligned with full professorship at Syracuse University will be considered.  

The successful candidate will have:

• A record of excellence in high-quality, productive, and impactful research experience, external research funding, and mentoring junior and mid-career faculty members on research.
• Demonstrated leadership and administrative abilities within an academic setting.
• A demonstrated commitment to teaching and student mentoring/advising.
• A demonstrated commitment to building toward an equitable, inclusive, and diverse scholarly environment by bringing together diverse groups of students, faculty and staff members, and community members.

Responsibilities 

The Chair will be responsible for the Department's academic and strategic leadership and will advocate for the Department at the College, University, regional, and national levels; provide guidance to a leadership team comprised of associate chairs, undergraduate and graduate program directors, and the director of the Psychological Services Center; oversee and delegate responsibilities to several departmental committees.

The Chair will oversee a department housed in an R1 research university that offers undergraduate major B.A. and B.S. programs in Psychology and Ph.D. programs in Clinical, Cognitive, School, and Social Psychology.

The Chair will maintain regular meeting schedules with faculty, staff, and graduate students; maintain availability for faculty, staff, and student support and assistance; support recruitment efforts at the undergraduate and graduate levels; oversee the promotion and tenure processes for the Department as well as faculty and staff annual reviews; support the development of tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty members; oversee curriculum design, advising, operations, budget, and day-to-day management; and foster alum relations. 

The chair position is a 5-year renewable appointment beginning on July 1, 2025. The Chair will report to the Dean of the College. Teaching release and financial arrangements are to be discussed with the Dean.

Application Instructions

In addition to completing an online application, please attach the following:

• Letter of interest describing the following: (1) leadership experience and accomplishments, (2) research program (including a history of external research funding), (3) teaching/mentoring philosophy and experiences, and (4) commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Name and contact information for a minimum of three (3) references: References will be contacted for applicants invited for interviews only. Detailed instructions for uploading confidential recommendation letters into the system will be sent to references identified in the application.

Review of applications will begin after October 15 and continue until the position is filled.

About Syracuse University       

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and over 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience.

The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit www.syracuse.edu.

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