Assistant Professor: Youth Advocacy and Educational Studies

Final date to receive applications:

Open until filled

This full-time faculty position is on-campus and in-person.

We seek a dynamic scholar and teacher whose work centers on issues of youth, advocacy, policy, and/or community engagement across diverse contexts. The successful candidate will contribute to the growth of the YAES program by teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, advising and mentoring students, serving as program coordinator, and maintaining an active research and publication agenda.

Responsibilities Include:

• Teaching a 3/2 load of undergraduate courses in areas such as youth advocacy, education and policy, positive youth development, global perspectives, and interdisciplinary approaches to education.
• Coordinating the YAES program, including curriculum development and student advising. This position will work closely with the Coordinator for Field Experiences to find and place students in internships.
• Engaging in scholarly research, publications, and grant activity appropriate to the field and for an institution moving toward R1 status.
• Collaborating with faculty and students within the College of Education, as well as across the university (e.g., child development, criminal justice, business, sociology, counseling, Honors College, social work, etc.).
• Partnering with local, regional, and global communities to support youth and their advocates, and collaborating with the CoE’s Center for Public Education and Community Engagement.
• Participating in college and university service and contributing to a collegial and productive academic environment.

• Earned doctorate (or expected completion by July 2026) in youth studies, education policy, sociology, law, child/youth development, or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution.
• Expertise in one or more areas relevant to the YAES program, such as youth development and empowerment, education or youth policy, community engagement, program development and evaluation, children’s law, or interdisciplinary approaches to youth advocacy.
• Demonstrated scholarly research agenda with potential for national/international contributions.
• Evidence of or potential for excellence in university-level teaching.
• Professional experience with children, youth, families, law, and/or policy.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency in the use of technology for research, teaching, and learning, especially innovative technologies such as immersive technology and generative AI.
• A commitment to collaborating with grant writing and other funding opportunities.

• Expertise in quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Experience teaching or mentoring students in interdisciplinary or community-engaged contexts.
• Experience in program coordination or leadership.
• Record of successful grant activity (or clear potential for such work).

The Youth Advocacy and Educational Studies (YAES) program is housed in the Counseling, Societal Change, and Inquiry Department in the College of Education. The program prepares students to work with youth in various settings, community agencies, policy organizations, schools, and in global contexts. Courses focus on contemporary educational issues, the policy making process, and positive youth development as a tool of practice and advocacy.

Through coursework, interdisciplinary collaboration, and field experiences, students gain theoretical and practical knowledge to advocate for children and youth in diverse settings.

TCU’s College of Education provides exceptional preparation for the most inspired and inspiring educators, counselors, leaders, and youth advocates. The college offers both B.S. and B.S.E. degrees at the undergraduate level, as well as five master’s programs and five doctoral programs, many of which are nationally recognized. Programs include eighteen content area pathways to teacher certification in K-12 education along with programs and/or concentrations in youth advocacy, early intervention, bilingual education, English as a Second Language (ESL), curriculum and instruction, curriculum…