Open Rank

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 University of Georgia is the state's flagship institution of higher education and a Carnegie-classified research university located in Athens, Georgia. The School of Social Work serves more than 500 students through its CSWE-accredited B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs, Ph.D. program, and Master of Nonprofit Management and Leadership program. The School also offers joint M.S.W. degree programs with the School of Law, the College of Public Health, and the Terry College of Business through its M.B.A. program. Nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in research, teaching, public service, and international programs, the School of Social Work is committed to hiring faculty who work toward advancing social and economic disparities through scholarship/research, teaching, public service and/or administrative responsibilities.

Posting Type: External

Employment Type: Employee

Benefits Eligibility: Benefits Eligible

Underutilization: Minorities & Females

Advertised Salary: Commensurate with Experience

Anticipated Start Date: 08/01/2027

Job Posting Date: 09/28/2026

Open until filled: Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicants should upload:

• A cover letter describing their research agenda and teaching philosophy;
• A curriculum vitae; and
• A list of references with contact information.

Three letters of reference addressed to the University of Georgia School of Social Work Faculty Search Committee will be required at the time of interview.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to Dr. Hee Yun Lee, Search Committee Chair, at heeyunlee@uga.edu. Please include “Faculty Search” in the subject line.

Location of Vacancy: Athens Area

EEO Statement

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning, as well the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 08.02.18.01.02.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 06.05 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom.

Classification Title: Open Rank

Faculty Rank: Open Rank

Contract Type: Academic (9 mo.)

Tenure Status: Tenure Track or Tenured

Minimum Qualifications

A Ph.D. in social work or cognate discipline (e.g. psychology, sociology, public health, neuroscience, economics).

Position Summary

The University of Georgia School of Social Work invites applications for one tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor. The successful candidate will hold a joint appointment in the School of Social Work and the newly established School of Medicine.

We seek a scholar who will establish and lead an externally funded program of human-subjects research focused on the design, evaluation, implementation, and scaling of evidence-based digital interventions and clinical decision-support tools for prevention, treatment, and recovery. Areas of inquiry may include digital therapeutics; mobile- and web-based interventions; conversational agents for psychoeducation, screening, or triage; EHR-enabled measurement-based care; sensors and other digital biomarkers; and recovery platforms that connect individuals with treatment, peer support, and harm-reduction resources.

The successful candidate may employ rigorous and responsible artificial intelligence methods, including natural language processing, predictive modeling, risk stratification, relapse forecasting, recommender systems, and just-in-time adaptive interventions, to improve early detection, treatment engagement, care coordination, and sustained recovery. Related areas of research may include artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted clinical documentation and workflow optimization, digital phenotyping, integration of multimodal clinical and patient-reported data, and safe and transparent clinical decision support.

The joint appointment will create opportunities for close collaboration with clinical, behavioral, and data science investigators in the School of Medicine while advancing a Social Work research agenda focused on community-based implementation, behavioral health equity, practice integration, recovery-oriented care, and the ethical and responsible use of digital technologies and AI.

Teaching responsibilities may include undergraduate and graduate courses in digital behavioral health, SUD and co-occurring conditions, implementation science, research methods, and the ethical and equitable delivery of digitally enabled care. The faculty member will also contribute to the development of new curricula, certificates, and short courses that translate emerging research and technologies into practice-ready competencies.

The successful candidate will mentor students and trainees across social work, public health, medicine, nursing, informatics, and data science programs and support interdisciplinary research and career development. The faculty member will also be expected to build and sustain partnerships with hospitals, federally qualified health centers, health departments, community-based organizations, and peer-led recovery programs. Through these partnerships, the faculty member may co-design, pilot, implement, and evaluate digital interventions and lead dissemination activities that produce practical resources such as implementation toolkits, train-the-trainer materials, and evaluation dashboards.

The successful candidate will join an exceptionally talented and committed community of scholars and staff. Opportunities for collaboration within the School of Social Work include the Center for Human Trafficking Research & Outreach; the Center for Social Justice, Human and Civil Rights; and the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations. Across the University, faculty collaborate with colleagues in the College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, newly established College of Nursing, College of Engineering, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Mary Frances Early College of Education, and School of Law. Additional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration are available through the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and other university centers and institutes.

Faculty are expected to engage in teaching, research, field liaison duties and/or academic advising, and service. They may teach across the educational continuum at our Athens, Gwinnett, and Online campuses. The successful candidate is expected to share the University and School's commitment to excellence in teaching, research, service, and engagement.

Additional Requirements

• Candidates for the Assistant Professor rank must have a Ph.D. in social work or cognate discipline (e.g. psychology, sociology, public health, neuroscience, economics).
• Candidates for the Associate Professor rank must also be engaged in teaching, research, and service consistent with an appointment at the rank of associate professor.
• Candidates for the Professor rank must also be engaged in teaching, research, and service consistent with a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of a tenured professor.
• Tenure on appointment must be approved before hire, the faculty member must be appointed as an associate or full professor, must have already been tenured at a prior institution, and must bring a demonstrable national reputation to the institution.

Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification

An M.S.W. degree with two years post master's practice experience strongly preferred but not required.

We welcome applications from strong candidates in two areas: (1) Digital Mental Health and (2) Digital Behavioral Health for Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

The candidate selected for this faculty position will be an outstanding scholar and teacher. Applicants must demonstrate exceptional research capacity and potential for external funding.

We welcome applications from scholars whose research advances digital behavioral health, with particular attention to substance use disorders (SUD), co-occurring mental health conditions, and recovery across the lifespan.

Is this a Position of Trust?: No

Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources?: No

Does this position require a P-Card?: No

Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position?: No

Is driving a responsibility of this position?: No

Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care?: No

Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications): No

Credit and P-Card policy

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

Background Investigation Policy

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities

Serve as instructor for courses in the BSW, MSW, and/or PhD programs and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in digital mental health, SUD science, co-occurring conditions, implementation methods, and research ethics and equity in digital care; and develop new curricula and short courses that translate emerging evidence into practice-ready skills, and serve as student advisor.

Percentage Of Time: 45

Engage in independent research agenda in areas of human-subjects research that advances digital mental health across the lifespan, and develop, evaluate, and scale digital behavioral health tools. Disseminate findings and pursue external funding as appropriate and available.

Percentage Of Time: 45

Provide service to the School, university, community, and profession.

Percentage Of Time: 10