Job description

Job Class Code: 10031

FLSA: Exempt

Posting Number: FRGV2060

Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Division/Organization: Provost – Academic Affairs

Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position:
Tenure Status: Tenure Track

FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:
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.

Minimum Qualifications:
Applicants must hold a Ph. D. or equivalent terminal degree in Medical Humanities, Health Humanities, English, History, Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Communication, Cultural Studies, Disability Studies, Public Health, or another discipline closely related to Medical and Health Humanities.

Applicants who are ABD at the time of application will be considered, provided that all requirements for the doctoral degree are completed and the degree is officially conferred prior to September 1, 2027.

Candidates must demonstrate academic preparation to teach undergraduate courses in Medical and Health Humanities and courses within their area of specialization, as well as evidence of, or clear potential for, an active scholarly research agenda related to the human, social, cultural, ethical, or historical dimensions of health, illness, medicine, healthcare, or wellbeing. Candidates must also demonstrate the ability to work effectively within an interdisciplinary academic environment and a commitment to student mentorship and success.

Discipline Specific Required Qualifications:

Preferred Qualification:
Preference will be given to candidates whose research and teaching demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach to the human dimensions of health, illness, medicine, healthcare, and wellbeing. Particularly competitive candidates will demonstrate several of the following qualifications:

1. Expertise in health equity, community health and wellbeing, disability, environmental health, migration and health, border health, disaster and health, narrative medicine, medical improv, health communication, or related areas.
2. Experience conducting community-engaged scholarship, participatory research, public humanities, knowledge co-production, or collaborative research with communities, healthcare organizations, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, or other stakeholders.
3. Evidence of a strong or promising record of peer-reviewed scholarship and external funding, including potential to participate in collaborative interdisciplinary proposals.

4. Interest in developing collaborative scholarship with other UTRGV scholars addressing health challenges relevant to the Rio Grande Valley, U.S.-Mexico border region, and/or Gulf region.

Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience

License or Certification Required?: No

Number of Vacancies: 1

Desired Start Date: 09/01/2027

EEO Statement:
It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

Additional Information:
UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Please Note:
Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).Incomplete applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.

How to apply

To apply, visit