Assistant Professor - Healthful Living & Fitness Education

The School of Health and Applied Human Sciences, within the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), seeks an outstanding faculty member for an Assistant Professor, nine-month tenure-track position in the School's Healthful Living & Fitness Education degree program beginning August 2025.

The successful candidate will be a talented generalist who can teach a variety of courses in the Healthful Living & Fitness Education undergraduate program and the affiliated MED and MAT programs in Physical Education and Health. Specifically, the successful candidate will be tasked with developing and teaching new courses within the Lifetime Fitness & Health concentration. Further, the successful candidate will conduct research, publish, present at conferences, write grants, recruit and mentor students, and provide community engagement and professional service.

This is a non-remote position. The candidate will work in a collaborative interdisciplinary academic setting.

Ph.D. or Ed.D. in Kinesiology, Healthful Living, Human Performance, Physical Education, Health Education, Wellness / Wellbeing, or closely related field.

NOTE: Applicants who are ABD for the terminal degree may be considered if the doctoral degree is conferred by August 1, 2025 to be eligible for employment.

In addition to the minimum qualifications, preference will be given to candidates who possess the following:

The Healthful Living & Fitness Education major (or HFE, formerly Physical Education & Health) is designed for students wanting to (a) enter K-12 teaching in healthful living and fitness education, or (b) the health, wellness, and fitness industries. HFE students' complete core major courses in Healthful Living & Fitness Education and then choose from one of two specialty options: K 12 Teacher Licensure Specialty or Lifetime Fitness & Health Specialty.

The Master of Education with specialization in Physical Education and Health (PEH), is designed for candidates who are teaching Physical Education and Health at the public school levels pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Graduates of the program pursue advanced education in teacher education programs within the discipline, as well as to work in professional and leadership positions within public and private school settings. The Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with a specialization in Physical Education and Health is a 33-hour program for students who are seeking initial teaching certification in Physical Education and Health.

The Healthful Living and Fitness Education program is housed within the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences (SHAHS) which is a large and growing academic unit with over 1750 students and 54 full time faculty. See: https://uncw.edu/shahs .

The School of Health and Applied Human Sciences (SHAHS) has six undergraduate degree programs:
* Public Health
* Exercise Science
* Healthful Living and Fitness Education
* Tourism, Recreation, & Sport
* Recreation Therapy
* Respiratory Therapy

The SHAHS also has Graduate degree programs in:
* Athletic Training
* Healthcare Administration
* Gerontology with 4 1 options with Exercise Science, Psychology, Public Health, Recreation Therapy, and Tourism, Recreation & Sport.
* Masters of Arts in Teaching in Physical Education and Health (MAT) in conjunction with the Watson College of Education
* Masters of Education concentration in Physical Education and Health (MED) in conjunction with the Watson College of Education

Minors are offered in:
* Gerontology
* Whole Health & Wellness Studies
* Tourism, Recreation, & Sport
* Yoga Studies
* Assistance Dog Training

The SHAHS is also home to the Physical Activity and Wellness program (WPA/L) which delivers courses that fulfill University Studies requirements and serves 2,000 students per semester.

The College of Health and Human Services was created in July 2010 to provide UNCW with a new mechanism to link and focus its health-related research, professional continuing education, and health knowledge dissemination and application. In the formative stage of development, the CHHS is currently home to three professional schools: School of Health and Applied Human Sciences, School of Nursing, and School of Social Work. This is an outstanding opportunity to join a dynamic College that seeks to be nationally recognized for its inter-professional collaboration, community engagement and impact, and implementation science. The faculty, staff and students of the CHHS are committed to the pursuit of excellence and enhancing health and quality of life across the lifespan for individuals, families and communities in southeastern North Carolina and beyond.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation's only bachelor's degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university's efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents - except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate(s) selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required. Please note that a minimum of three professional references are required for all applications.

Please note that the following is required: