Andy D. Holt Endowed Professor of Education

The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is seeking a colleague for a tenure-track associate or full professor of education to join the unit of Language, Culture, and Teacher Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education (TPTE) in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) at the University of Tennessee for a nine-month position beginning either January 1, 2027 or August 1, 2027, negotiated upon offer. The successful candidate will be a nationally recognized scholar in the field of teaching and/or teacher education and will hold the Andy D. Holt Endowed Professorship that provides additional support for high-quality scholarship. We seek a preeminent scholar who will contribute to the advancement of the department’s reputation in research and who will provide leadership in research and teacher preparation related to teaching pedagogy.  

Duties and responsibilities include:

·         Sustaining a nationally recognized, high-impact research agenda demonstrated through multiple indicators, such as publication in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, acquisition of competitive external funding, authorship of influential books or reports, invited presentations, and recognition by professional associations.

·         Providing mentorship and research guidance for Theory and Practice in Teacher Education graduate students, fostering their scholarly productivity and professional development.

·         Mentoring junior faculty to support their scholarly productivity, external funding success, and professional advancement.

·         Supporting undergraduate and/or graduate programs in the unit of Language, Culture, and Teacher Education or others in the College through high-quality teaching, research-informed advising, and curriculum innovation.

·         Engaging actively in professional associations at the local, state, regional, and national/international levels, including presenting research, holding leadership positions, and contributing to the advancement of the field.

·         Providing meaningful service contributions to the department, college, university, and broader educational and professional communities.

·         Collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to advance interdisciplinary research, program development, and collective scholarly initiatives.

·         Demonstrating a strong commitment to the mission of the university, college, and department.

The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences (CEHHS) is a multidisciplinary unit with over 200 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, housed in six departments. Theory and Practice in Teacher Education is the largest of these departments and houses three separate units, one of which is Language, Culture, and Teacher Education. This unit includes fields such as teacher education; elementary, middle, and secondary education; literacy education; cultural studies; deaf studies; and more. 

Located near the beautiful Smoky Mountains, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was founded in 1794 and is one of the oldest public universities in the country. UTK is a vibrant and diverse urban campus, located in the heart of Knoxville. It is the flagship campus for the UT system, a participating institution of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and is officially designated as a Research (Very High Research Activity) and Community Engagement University by the Carnegie Foundation. For more information about UTK and Knoxville, please visit: http://www.utk.edu/aboutut/.

Qualifications

Required qualifications include:

·         Earned doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in education or a related field, with a record of scholarly research focused on teaching and/or teacher education that aligns with one of the program areas in TPTE. 

·         Evidence of teaching effectiveness in undergraduate and/or graduate-level programs, demonstrated by course evaluations, teaching awards, course syllabi, or documented instructional innovations.

·         Documented record of collaboration and engagement, as demonstrated through co-authored publications, interdisciplinary projects, participation in community-engagement initiatives, or service/leadership roles.

·         Experience in multiple modes of instruction, including face-to-face, hybrid, and online formats, as evidenced by course development, delivery, or professional training in instructional technologies.

·         Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

Required qualifications for Associate Professors include:

·         Meet the qualifications for appointment as an Associate Professor as defined in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Faculty Handbook and the TPTE bylaws (e.g., evidence of sustained contributions in research, teaching, and service).

·         Established research agenda and record of scholarly productivity as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, monographs, invited presentations, editorships, or leadership roles in professional associations.

·         Evidence of success in securing external funding, such as serving as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on funded grants/contracts, receiving fellowships, or contributing substantively to externally supported projects.

·         Evidence of mentoring doctoral students documented by co-authored publications and/or dissertation supervision.

Required qualifications for Full Professors include:

·         Meet the qualifications for appointment as a Full Professor as defined in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Faculty Handbook and the TPTE bylaws (e.g., distinguished record of research, teaching, and service).

·         Extensive record of scholarly productivity, demonstrated by a sustained pattern of peer-reviewed publications, books or edited volumes, invited keynote addresses, leadership roles in professional associations, and other indicators of national/international recognition.

·         Extensive record of securing external funding, including documented experience serving as principal investigator (PI) or lead investigator on major federal, foundation, or state grants/contracts, with evidence of managing funded research projects.

·         Documented record of mentoring doctoral students and junior faculty toward successful scholarly careers, as evidenced by co-authored publications, dissertation supervision, external grant collaborations, and the professional placement/advancement of mentees.

Preferred qualifications include:

• A record of scholarly research and teaching aligned with one of the fields in the unit of Language, Culture, and Teacher Education named above.

• Research studies that contribute to the preparation of teachers or to instruction in K12 schools.

• Demonstrated record of leadership within their department or college and/or through active roles in professional associations at the regional, national, or international level.

• Evidence of impact on the field or practice, demonstrated through invited talks, briefs, consulting, or advisory board service.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should submit:

1. A letter of interest outlining how the applicant meets the stated qualifications;

2. Curriculum vita;

3. Up to three representative publications/writing samples; and

4. The contact information for three references.

Application materials must be submitted electronically via the Interfolio portal.

General inquiries may be directed to Dr. Marianne Rice, search committee chair, at Show email.

Priority review of materials will begin on April 1, 2026, with interviews scheduled for August 2026. The search will continue to review materials until the position is filled.

Application Process 

This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.