Department/Organization
208121 - Rural Programs
Rank
Assistant/Associate Professor
Position Summary
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) at the University of Alabama is excited to announce the availability of one 12 month, half time (0.50 FTE) Assistant/Associate Teaching Professor of Rural Programs – Dentistry position. This faculty member will lead the Rural Dental Scholars concentration within the Master of Science in Rural Community Health, a one-year post baccalaureate program designed to prepare rural students for success in dental school. This position will join a dedicated team of faculty within Rural Programs (https://cchs.ua.edu/rural-programs/). For over 30 years, its Rural Medical Scholars Program has been recognized as a national model for preparing students from rural communities to enter the medical profession and return to serve in rural practice. Building on this success, and at the request of the UAB School of Dentistry, Rural Programs expanded in 2023 to launch the Rural Dental Scholars Program. The selected faculty member will join this vibrant and mission-focused faculty to broaden opportunities for rural students and strengthen Alabama’s rural health workforce. This half-time faculty role is designed to complement the clinical practice of a licensed dentist and offers a balanced academic appointment within a supportive educational environment. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
Detailed Position Information
This faculty member will provide clinical knowledge, guidance, leadership, and oversight for pre-dental programs within the Rural Programs office. Responsibilities include teaching, providing student mentorship, and coordinating community-based learning experiences that expose students to rural dental practice and preparing students for successful matriculation into dental school.
The Teaching Assistant/Associate Professor of Rural Programs - Dentistry commensurate with qualifications, will be expected to provide:
Teaching & Instruction
• Deliver high-quality instruction at the graduate level for at least two courses in Rural Community Health – Dental concentration
• Plan and coordinate shadowing experiences for Rural Dental Scholars
• Provide structured mentorship to Rural Dental Health Scholars and Rural Dental Scholars, including guidance on professional development and preparation for dental school
• Contribute to ongoing improvement of the Rural Dental Scholars curriculum, including course refinement and incorporation of current best practices in rural dentistry and community health.
• Assess and report student outcomes data as requested.
Leadership & Administration
• Collaborate with Rural Programs leadership to maintain a coherent and high-quality dental concentration within the Master of Science in Rural Community Health
• Participate in recruitment activities for Rural Dental Health Scholars and Rural Dental Scholars, including applicant review, interviews, and outreach to rural communities and academic partners
• Foster a collaborative and innovative culture of excellence in teaching, practice, research, and service.
• Ensure effective internal and external communication with UA leadership, faculty, students, clinical partners, alumni, and community stakeholders.
Build and sustain a robust clinical education network, with emphasis on areas of need, including rural settings across Alabama.
• Contribute to annual program assessment activities related to the Rural Dental Scholars concentration (e.g., student learning outcomes, course evaluations, and placement feedback)
External Engagement & Scholarship
• Cultivate and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships with dentists, clinics, and community partners who host Rural Dental Scholar shadowing placements
• Support faculty and student scholarship and seek extramural funding where appropriate.
• Engage in scholarly or professional activities appropriate for clinical-track faculty (e.g., presentations, curricular innovations, community-engaged scholarship)
• Stay current with developments in dental education and oral care in rural settings
• Represent the Rural Dental Health Scholars and Rural Dental Scholars programs at relevant local, , state, regional, and national meetings or events to advance the visibility and reputation of the Rural Dental Health Scholars and Rural Dental Scholars Programs.
Minimum Qualifications
• Licensed dentist with an active, unencumbered license in a U.S. jurisdiction and eligibility for Alabama licensure.
• Doctoral degree in dentistry (e.g., DMD or DDS).
• Qualifications commensurate with Teaching Assistant or Associate Professor within CCHS
• Demonstrated interest in or record effective teaching, student mentorship, and scholarly activity appropriate to rank.
• Experience relevant to supporting clinical learning or community-based placements
• Record of professional activity appropriate for clinical-track faculty
Preferred Qualifications
• Rural background or demonstrated commitment to working with rural populations • Experience providing dental care to rural populations • Experience mentoring pre-dental or dental students • Experience in developing or contributing to curriculum refinement or educational program improvement • Experience collaborating with community partners, clinics, or health-related organizations
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
1. Cover letter. 2. Curriculum vitae. 3. Teaching philosophy statement. 4. Names and contact information for three references (references will be contacted only with candidate’s consent). Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For questions, contact Dr. Meghan Rivera, Assistant Director of Rural Programs at mmrivera4@ua.edu.
About the Division/College/School
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) was founded in 1972 by William Willard, MD, author of the “Willard Report” and considered the “Father of Family Medicine,” with a mandate to train family physicians for Alabama, particularly its rural areas. The College also provides medical student education as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the four-campus University of Alabama School of Medicine, based at UAB in Birmingham. The College’s mission focuses on improving the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high-quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.
CCHS is sponsor of the UA Family Medicine Residency and seven fellowships for family physicians. The Residency, a 16-16-16 program now in its 45th year, is the second largest family medicine residency in the country. Of the more than 470 Residency graduates, 85% practice in the five-state area of the Southeast, with half in rural areas, and comprise 1 of 7 family physicians practicing in Alabama. Nearly 900 medical students have completed their clinical training at the College since 1974, entering Family Medicine and primary care careers at more than twice the national average.
The College’s nationally recognized Rural Pipeline Programs and the Institute for Rural Health Research, along with basic sciences, social sciences, and health professional faculty and resources on the UA campus and innumerable specialty and medical research faculty among the School of Medicine faculty, create a uniquely resource-rich environment for a medical educator. The College’s clinical enterprise also conducts 150,000 ambulatory visits and more than 10,000 admissions a year to a broad patient population, including UA faculty and staff and the general population of West Alabama.
For more information about the College, visit http://cchs.ua.edu.
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
