Assistant Professor of Communication

CompanyUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
LocationFayetteville
Category-
Seniority-
Workplace-
Posted2026-09-15
Viaworkday

Description

Current University of Arkansas System employees, including student employees and graduate assistants, need to log in to Workday via MyApps.Microsoft.com, then access Find Jobs from the Workday search bar to view and apply for open positions.

Students at all University of Arkansas institutions will view open positions and apply within Workday by searching for “Find Jobs for Students.”

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville students will view open positions and apply within Workday by searching for “Find Student Jobs at UAF.”

All Job Postings will close at 12:01 a.m. CT on the specified Closing Date (if designated).

If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application process will be saved as a draft. You will be able to access and complete the application through “My Draft Applications” located on your Candidate Home page.

Closing Date:

##
Type of Position:
Faculty - Tenure/Tenure Track

Workstudy Position:

No
##
Job Type:
Regular

##

##
Work Shift:

Sponsorship Available:

Yes
##
Institution Name:
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

If you have a disability and need assistance with the hiring process, please submit a request via the Disability Accommodations | OEOC | University of Arkansas (uark.edu) : Request an Accommodation. Appli­cants are required to submit a request for each position of which they have applied.

For general application assistance or if you have questions about a job posting, please contact Human Resources at 479.575.5351.

##
Department:
Department of Communication

Department's Website:

http://communication.uark.edu
##
Summary of Job Duties:
The Department of Communication in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the area of Health Communication to start in August 2027. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment.

In addition to having a research and teaching focus in areas pertaining to Health Communication, the ideal candidate should exhibit strengths in qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods. The ideal candidate will demonstrate evidence of community-engaged and applied scholarship.

This faculty position is part of the Arkansas Health Research and Solutions cluster hire at the University of Arkansas. Driven by three Fortune 500 companies, booming steel and lithium sectors, world-class museums, and rich natural beauty, Arkansas is transforming into a vibrant hub of opportunity and innovation. Yet Arkansas also faces significant health challenges. Too many Arkansans experience chronic disease, high rates of infant and maternal mortality, mental health crises, and limited healthcare access. Through this cluster hire initiative, the University will advance its land-grant mission by expanding capacity to address our state’s most pressing challenges. Building on existing campus expertise, these new faculty members will advance their research agendas through collaborative research—both with other scholars and with communities in the state—that results in peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and new approaches to healthcare. The successful candidate for this position will join a multidisciplinary community of scholars committed to confronting major issues, generating new knowledge, and providing research-based solutions that improve health outcomes for people living in Arkansas and beyond.

Competitive applicants will also demonstrate an ability to provide strategic direction and collaboration with our Center for Communication Research, as well as success in working with interdisciplinary research teams, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and engaging regional, state, and national funding agencies. Duties will include developing classes and teaching effectively at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and providing service to the Department, University, and discipline.

This is an in- person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in- person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

About the Department:
The Department of Communication is committed to excellence in scholarship, instruction, and expression of human communication. We nurture a thriving intellectual community by bridging the humanities and social sciences. Discovery, learning, diversity, and engagement are the hallmarks of this community. Visit https://communication.uark.edu/

The Department hosts the Center for Communication Research (CCR) which facilitates collaborative, interdisciplinary social research within the University of Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas region, and broader intellectual community. The CCR seeks to stimulate and support interdisciplinary collaborations; provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate participation; engage regional, state, and national funding agencies; and acquire and maintain the equipment necessary to support research endeavors. The CCR manages a research lab space that includes state-of-the-art technology for studying all facets of communication.

Duties will include:

  • 40% Teaching or Professional Performance
  • 40% Research/Scholarly and/or Creative Activities
  • 20% Academic Service Activities

##
Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

-
A terminal degree in Communication from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the date of initial appointment

-
Evidence of an active research program in health communication

-
Demonstrated experience and competency in the classroom related to coursework in health communication, as evidenced in the CV and evidence of teaching effectiveness

##

Preferred Qualifications

-
Research commensurate with institutions holding the highest Carnegie classification and with the level of appointment

-
Evidence of an interdisciplinary research program

-
Evidence of potential to work in a lab-based setting, collaborative research teams, and/or with community stakeholders

-
Demonstrated ability to conduct externally funded research

-
Experience publishing in top peer reviewed outlets

-
Experience teaching lower and upper-level courses in health communica