About Virginia Commonwealth University

Work Life @ VCU

At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), we are UNCOMMON and UNLIKE any other university. We are a premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers in Virginia. VCU is a great place to work. It’s a place of opportunity where your success is supported and your career can thrive.

A few reasons to consider choosing VCU as your next best place to work…
● UNSTOPPABLE commitment to growth and development - we want to help you take your career to the next level!
● UNDERSTANDING culture of care and appreciation - the university is dedicated to providing you with the resources and support you need to achieve a healthy work- life integration!
● UNEQUALED resolve to help employees thrive - from health plans and retirement savings, to tuition benefits and employee discounts, to short-term and long-term disability and maternity leave, our benefits support VCU employees with a wide range of needs and lifestyles!

Research @ VCU

VCU is a leading public research institution committed to serving both its students and the broader community. Energized by its urban setting in Richmond, VCU is a hub of innovation—pushing boundaries, challenging convention, and embracing bold, forward-thinking ideas. As a Carnegie ranked - R1 institution ranked among the top 50 public research universities nationwide, VCU secured more than $506 million in sponsored research funding from federal and other sources in FY2024, a nearly 50% increase since FY2020. We strive to provide research opportunities at all levels of learning as One VCU with opportunities in undergraduate and graduate programming - we believe that every VCU Ram is a Researcher! The central heart of research innovation and infrastructure at VCU is the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation (OVPRI), whose mission is to foster transformative research, discovery and innovation through excellence in service. In addition to supporting schools and departments throughout the research lifecycle. OVPRI leads the Research Development Advisory Council (ReDAC), which brings together Associate Deans for Research across the University to ensure strong communication about research related infrastructure and needs, as well as to make policy recommendations to the VP for Research and Innovation.

Community Engagement @ VCU

As a Carnegie Classified Community Engaged University since 2005, VCU fosters a deeply collaborative environment, leveraging cross-disciplinary partnerships across its schools and departments to drive discovery and deliver real-world impact. Through our Division of Community Engagement, led by the Vice Provost and School of Public Health faculty member, we strive to build collaborative community partnerships that support shared goals and contribute to transformative learning, impactful research, and mutually beneficial outcomes for the community. As part of VCU’s engaged mission, the division supports two place-based sites: the Mary and Frances Youth Center providing programming and training to enhance the lives of youth in the Richmond metro area, and the VCU Health Hub at 25th, an education and wellness and activity center located in the East End of Richmond with the goal of providing activities that promote community health and well-being while learning together.

About the School of Public Health

The School of Public Health at VCU was established in July 2023 and offers four doctoral degrees in biostatistics, epidemiology, healthcare policy, and social and behavioral sciences, as well as a Master’s of Public Health (in-person & online), and a Master’s of Science in Biostatistics. Our 54 full-time faculty provide our 138 students with the opportunity to engage in developing real-world solutions to overcome long-standing local, regional and national health inequities. Faculty and students conduct research focused on improving the quality of life among populations in Virginia, the broader region and also internationally. The School of Public Health is a member of the thriving academic and research communities within VCU and is tied to an academic health system with a teaching hospital, children’s hospital, NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center and an NIH-funded center for clinical translational science. VCU Health is also the largest safety net health system in Virginia, and its robust health sciences campus – with programs in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and health professions – offers an ideal setting for the School of Public Health’s commitment to interdisciplinary public health education and scholarship.

About the Department of Epidemiology

The Department of Epidemiology is a growing department within the VCU School of Public Health, committed to advancing population health through rigorous research, innovative teaching, and meaningful community engagement. Richmond provides a dynamic setting with strong connections to state and local public health agencies, healthcare systems, and community partners.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Department of Epidemiology in the VCU School of Public Health invites applications for a faculty position in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the open rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor (tenure-track or tenured, commensurate with experience). This recruitment reflects the department’s strategic priority to build and expand infectious disease epidemiology as a core area of strength in both teaching and research, with particular interest in an incoming Faculty who will apply innovative and emerging epidemiological methods to the study of infectious diseases.

VCU offers a unique and highly collaborative environment for infectious disease research and education, anchored by a strong and nationally recognized Division of Infectious Diseases within VCU Health. The Faculty member will hold a primary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology, with the opportunity for a secondary appointment in the Division of Infectious Diseases, facilitating close collaboration across population, clinical, and translational research domains.

• Develop and sustain an independent, externally funded research program in infectious disease epidemiology, with an emphasis on the application of novel, advanced, or non-traditional epidemiological methods.
• Contribute to and help shape the infectious disease epidemiology curriculum, including the development and teaching of graduate-level courses that incorporate modern analytic, computational, or methodological approaches.
• Collaborate with faculty in the Division of Infectious Diseases, VCU Health, and across the university on interdisciplinary and team based research initiatives.
• Mentor graduate students, including MPH and PhD students, and serve on doctoral committees.
• Participate in service activities that support the growth of the Department of Epidemiology and the School of Public Health.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, or equivalent) in epidemiology or a closely related field
• Demonstrated expertise in infectious disease epidemiology
• A scholarly/research portfolio appropriate to rank with a demonstrated or a clear potential for external funding to complement and expand existing expertise in the department
• Evidence of multidisciplinary applications or clear potential for collaborative and interdisciplinary research
• Commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring at levels  appropriate to rank and experience
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated use of innovative or emerging epidemiological methods, including advanced causal inference (e.g., target trial emulation, time-varying causal processes, quasi-experimental designs), machine learning or data science applications, genomic or molecular epidemiology (e.g., phylodynamics, pathogen sequencing), spatial or spatiotemporal modeling, network-based analyses, digital epidemiology leveraging non-
  traditional data sources (e.g., EHRs, mobility data, wastewater surveillance), and implementation science approaches for infectious disease prevention and control
• Experience collaborating with clinical, public health, or community partners
• Experience teaching or developing graduate-level courses
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary, translational, and team-based research

Application Instructions
Applicants should submit the following materials with their application:
1. Curriculum vitae
2. Cover letter
3. Research statement (current and future directions)
4. Teaching statement
5. Recent teaching evaluations (if available)

Review of applications will begin upon receipt and continue until the position is filled.

Salary Range: Commensurate

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Rank: Open

Tenure: Open

Months: 12

Contact Information:
Contact Name: SOPH HR 
Contact Email: Brookst10@vcu.edu