Assistant Professor of Medical and Health Humanities/College of Liberal Arts

We seek applicants who are dedicated to serving The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s student body as an Assistant Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Programs and Community Engagement beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year.

The School of Interdisciplinary Programs and Community Engagement (SIPCE) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley seeks a faculty member in Medical and Health Humanities whose teaching, research, and community engagement examine the human, cultural, ethical, historical, and social dimensions of health, illness, medicine, healthcare, and well-being.

The successful candidate will contribute to the continued development of the Medical and Health Humanities program (an undergraduate major and minor) while strengthening SIPCE's capacity for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching, research, and community-engaged scholarship. The position is particularly suited to a scholar whose work bridges the humanities, social sciences, health professions, and/or other relevant fields to address complex questions surrounding health and human experience.

Areas of specialization are open but may include health humanities; medical humanities; narrative medicine; history of medicine and public health; medical anthropology; sociology of health and medicine; disability studies; health equity; environmental health humanities; health communication; migration and health; border health; disaster and health; community health and wellbeing; or the cultural dimensions of medicine and healthcare.

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active scholarly agenda and demonstrate the potential to contribute to collaborative and externally funded research. Of particular interest are candidates whose work engages contemporary health challenges through interdisciplinary, community-engaged, participatory, or publicly engaged approaches and who are interested in connecting humanities-based inquiry with questions of health equity, community wellbeing, healthcare practice, policy, and social change.

Teaching responsibilities will include undergraduate courses in Medical and Health Humanities and courses within the candidate's area of specialization. The faculty member will also contribute to student mentorship, experiential learning, undergraduate research, internships, and other high-impact educational experiences.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to develop collaborations across UTRGV and with healthcare providers, community organizations, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other regional partners. The position offers opportunities to contribute to SIPCE initiatives and to collaborate with the Center for Community Resilience Research, Innovation and Advocacy (CCRRIA) and other university programs addressing health, inequality, sustainability, resilience, and community wellbeing.

About UTRGV:

UTRGV serves the Rio Grande Valley and beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education dedicated to student access and success. By championing leading research, healthcare, and application of university discoveries, we support sustainable development, community engagement, and well-being. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is committed to building and sustaining a highly qualified and talented faculty to pursue excellence in everything that we do, including teaching, research, and service.

Drawing on our unique identity as the leading Hispanic-Serving Institution in a bilingual and bicultural environment, UTRGV will promote student access and success by building from strength in education and creating a vibrant campus experience. By 2027, we will accelerate transformation in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond by driving meaningful advances in research and creative work, expanding access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, and fostering authentic community engagement and integration.

UTRGV is a distributed campus, one university spanning four counties and multiple locations. Our purpose is to be a university for the entire Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Over 91% of the students enrolled at UTRGV identify as Hispanic, making UTRGV one of the top three universities with the highest percentage of Hispanic students. For additional information, please visit the UTRGV website.

Department/CollegeBackground

The School of Interdisciplinary Programs and Community Engagement (SIPCE) within the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley provides an academic home for interdisciplinary programs addressing complex social, cultural, environmental, health, and organizational challenges through innovative teaching, research, and community engagement. SIPCE brings together programs including Medical and Health Humanities, Environmental Studies, Public Heritage, Human Dimensions of Organizations, and Multidisciplinary Studies, creating opportunities for collaboration across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Central to the School's mission is the integration of academic knowledge with experiential learning, community partnerships, and applied and community-engaged research responsive to the distinctive needs and opportunities of the Rio Grande Valley. SIPCE seeks to strengthen its role as a hub for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarship, student-centered education, and community-engaged research, fostering collaborations among faculty, students, community organizations, healthcare and governmental institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders.