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University of Georgia: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Exercise Psychology
Position Summary
The Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Exercise Psychology, beginning in Fall 2027. The Department seeks to hire a faculty member who will engage in high-quality research, instruction, and service.
Position Information
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification: A degree program emphasis on psychological aspects of physical activity, exercise, and/or sport.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies: Demonstrated ability to develop an outstanding research program, or evidence of potential to do so, based on a strong research record including, but not limited to, multiple first/senior authored, peer-reviewed publications related to psychological aspects of physical activity, exercise or sport, engagement in extramural funding, and presentation of research at profession-related conferences.
Established record of teaching undergraduate and/or graduate kinesiology courses with evidence of teaching excellence.
Applicants should submit the following:
About the University of Georgia
Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America and is the state’s flagship university (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 240 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly established School of Medicine.
About the College/Unit/Department
The Department of Kinesiology has 31 full‐time faculty members and offers B.S., M.S., M.S.A.T., and Ph.D. programs in the academic areas of exercise science, athletic training, sport management, and health and physical education. Department faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized for their scholarly accomplishments, teaching excellence, and service to their professional disciplines. The Department has excellent resources, facilities, and collaboration opportunities in exercise science. Information about the department can be found at www.coe.uga.edu/kinesiology. Faculty are supported through a wide-range of strategies when developing their research agenda, including – but not limited to: start-up funding, internal funding, lab space, grant writing workshops, and existing equipment. Kinesiology faculty have demonstrated track records in applying for and securing extramural funding to support their research, providing an ideal mentorship environment for junior faculty. The Exercise Science Program now offers a PhD in Human Movement Science, offering the opportunity to recruit and mentor doctoral students.
The Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE), one of the nation’s largest colleges of education, consistently ranks in the top ten national Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction programs. The College offers significant possibilities for interdisciplinary research collaborations, program development, and school-community partnerships. The college’s Research Office provides strong pre- and post-award grant support. The College is named for the University of Georgia’s first African American graduate, a pioneering educator who played an integral role in the campaign for racial equality in Georgia and across the South. The department and college are recognized leaders in developing partnerships with local communities and schools to provide pre-service and in-service professional development, and to expand students’ experiential learning and service-learning opportunities.
As the 4th largest public college of education in the country and the 3rd largest college at UGA, the Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE) improves the lives of residents of Georgia and beyond through our instruction, research, and service. The MFE COE is a comprehensive college with disciplines focused on teacher preparation, counseling and human development, communication sciences, human movement sciences, career development, student affairs, and educational administration and policy. We place significant emphasis on graduate education with approximately 40% of our students at the graduate level, making us the second largest college at UGA with respect to graduate education.
As a Research I university, UGA provides an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Shared research resources available to investigators include the Bioimaging Research Center, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and numerous core facilities that support advanced research across the biomedical, engineering, agricultural, and social sciences. These resources foster cutting-edge scholarship and facilitate collaborations that accelerate scientific discovery and translation.
Athens is known for its music, art, and food as well as its accessibility to the Atlanta area (see www.visitathensga.com and http://www.georgia.gov/).
The Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Exercise Psychology, beginning in Fall 2027. The Department seeks to hire a faculty member who will engage in high-quality research, instruction, and service.
Position Information
- Classification Title: Assistant Professor
- Faculty Rank: Assistant Professor
- Contract Type: Academic, 9-month
- Tenure Status: Tenure Track
- Anticipated Start Date: 08/01/2027
- Minimum Qualifications: An earned doctorate (PhD or equivalent) in kinesiology, or related field.
- Develop and maintain a rigorous research program addressing important and novel exercise psychology-related problems
- Seek extramural funding to support research
- Provide high-quality instruction to undergraduate and/or graduate students
- Mentor undergraduate and/or graduate students in research
- Provide high-quality service to the University, state of Georgia, and the field of Kinesiology
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification: A degree program emphasis on psychological aspects of physical activity, exercise, and/or sport.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies: Demonstrated ability to develop an outstanding research program, or evidence of potential to do so, based on a strong research record including, but not limited to, multiple first/senior authored, peer-reviewed publications related to psychological aspects of physical activity, exercise or sport, engagement in extramural funding, and presentation of research at profession-related conferences.
Established record of teaching undergraduate and/or graduate kinesiology courses with evidence of teaching excellence.
Applicants should submit the following:
- Cover letter: addressing qualifications in the areas detailed above
- Curriculum vitae
- Research statement: Detailing past and planned research activities (3-page maximum)
- Teaching and mentoring statement: Detailing abilities, approaches, and interests, including how to effectively meet the needs of today’s students (2-page maximum)
- Names and contact information for three references will be collected as part of the application process. Letters of recommendation will be requested for finalists automatically via the UGA application system. Finalists will be unable to schedule an on-campus interview until all three letters have been received.
- Applications received by September 21, 2026 are assured of full consideration. Questions may be addressed to the search committee chair, Dr. Julianne Schmidt, at schmidtj@uga.edu. Transcripts and letters of reference will be required only from finalists.
About the University of Georgia
Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America and is the state’s flagship university (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 240 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly established School of Medicine.
About the College/Unit/Department
The Department of Kinesiology has 31 full‐time faculty members and offers B.S., M.S., M.S.A.T., and Ph.D. programs in the academic areas of exercise science, athletic training, sport management, and health and physical education. Department faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized for their scholarly accomplishments, teaching excellence, and service to their professional disciplines. The Department has excellent resources, facilities, and collaboration opportunities in exercise science. Information about the department can be found at www.coe.uga.edu/kinesiology. Faculty are supported through a wide-range of strategies when developing their research agenda, including – but not limited to: start-up funding, internal funding, lab space, grant writing workshops, and existing equipment. Kinesiology faculty have demonstrated track records in applying for and securing extramural funding to support their research, providing an ideal mentorship environment for junior faculty. The Exercise Science Program now offers a PhD in Human Movement Science, offering the opportunity to recruit and mentor doctoral students.
The Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE), one of the nation’s largest colleges of education, consistently ranks in the top ten national Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction programs. The College offers significant possibilities for interdisciplinary research collaborations, program development, and school-community partnerships. The college’s Research Office provides strong pre- and post-award grant support. The College is named for the University of Georgia’s first African American graduate, a pioneering educator who played an integral role in the campaign for racial equality in Georgia and across the South. The department and college are recognized leaders in developing partnerships with local communities and schools to provide pre-service and in-service professional development, and to expand students’ experiential learning and service-learning opportunities.
As the 4th largest public college of education in the country and the 3rd largest college at UGA, the Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE) improves the lives of residents of Georgia and beyond through our instruction, research, and service. The MFE COE is a comprehensive college with disciplines focused on teacher preparation, counseling and human development, communication sciences, human movement sciences, career development, student affairs, and educational administration and policy. We place significant emphasis on graduate education with approximately 40% of our students at the graduate level, making us the second largest college at UGA with respect to graduate education.
As a Research I university, UGA provides an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Shared research resources available to investigators include the Bioimaging Research Center, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and numerous core facilities that support advanced research across the biomedical, engineering, agricultural, and social sciences. These resources foster cutting-edge scholarship and facilitate collaborations that accelerate scientific discovery and translation.
Athens is known for its music, art, and food as well as its accessibility to the Atlanta area (see www.visitathensga.com and http://www.georgia.gov/).