Associate or Full Professor-Director, Center Veterinary Social Work and Things

Overview

Associate or Full Professor-Director, Center for Veterinary Social Work and All Things Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professorship in Veterinary Social Work - Social Work - Fall 2026

Location:

Knoxville, TN

Open Date:
Oct 20, 2025 | Close Date:
Dec 1, 2025

Director, Center for Veterinary Social Work (CVSW) and All Things Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professorship in Veterinary Social Work. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) College of Social Work is seeking a highly regarded scholar to serve as Director of the CVSW on the Knoxville campus. The new Director will be awarded the All Things Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professorship in Veterinary Social Work to support their work.

The CVSW is an interprofessional collaborative unit representing a partnership between a College of Social Work and a College of Veterinary Medicine, and engages in research, education, and service through adaptive, participatory, and transdisciplinary approaches, as outlined below.

• Research:
  Center faculty conduct research and disseminate findings on the human-animal bond.
• Education:
  
  The Center offers for-credit and not-for-credit training to health- and science-related professionals in human- and animal-focused sectors. The Center hosts scholars and student interns. The Center markets educational modules to other institutions teaching in the discipline of Veterinary Social Work.
• Service:
  Faculty and staff affiliated with the Center offer mental health and social support for faculty, staff, students, and clients of the College of Veterinary Medicine and other stakeholders within veterinary and related settings.

The Director coordinates Center staffing and resources in a manner compatible with the missions of the colleges. The Director is responsible for budget management and the annual presentation of the budget to the college Deans and fiscal officers. The Director has a 50% administrative responsibility. The Director will also have an appointment on the One Health Initiative leadership as a representative of the CVSW.

The new Director will work with the advisory board, Center faculty and staff, the deans of the two colleges, and other stakeholders to create and implement a vision for the continued development of the Center, including new opportunities to contribute to workforce development, innovative interdisciplinary research, and community-engaged service. The position is located within the College of Social Work, with a minimum of 40% time allocated to the College of Veterinary Medicine.

This endowed professorship offers an outstanding opportunity for an experienced researcher to pursue their program of research in veterinary social work, with potential for collaboration with colleagues and doctoral students. The ideal candidate will bring an interprofessional lens to community-engaged research and education; a strong record of scholarly activity; experience mentoring graduate students, postdocs, and pre-tenure faculty; and the ability to contribute to the access and engagement goals of the University.

They also will meet the requirements for tenure at the appropriate rank for the University of Tennessee. Candidates should have an established record of substantial extramural funding (for professor level) or intramural and some extramural funding and indication of future sustained extramural funding (for associate level). Candidates for this position must have earned a Ph.D. in social work or related field.

Successful candidates with the required qualifications for Associate or Full Professor can be considered for tenure. The position is located on the Knoxville campus. This is a 9-month position.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is a land-grant, flagship research institution. UTK imagines “a world enriched by our ideas, improved through action, and inspired by the Volunteer Spirit of service and leadership.” The university enrolls approximately 37,000 students and is classified as a Research 1 institution with additional community engagement classification. The College of Social Work and the College of Veterinary Medicine are part of UTK,…