Organization: H0128 Hobby School of Public Affairs

Salary Commensurate with experience  

The Hobby School of Public Affairs and Department of Economics at the University of Houston (UH) seek to hire a Presidential Frontier Faculty tenure-track faculty member at the rank of assistant professor in the fields of public health and health policy, to begin in the Fall of 2022. The Presidential Frontier Faculty program is a university-wide integrated interdisciplinary hiring campaign that is overseen by central university leadership, and encompasses hiring a large cohort of convergence research faculty to work on health, energy, sustainability and security. This search is part of a university-wide, multi-year, integrated, visionary hiring campaign to attract top scholars to support the University of Houston’s research focus on building an infrastructure for sustainable communities. We are interested in applicants who will bring fresh ideas, practical experience, and an interdisciplinary mindset. Our faculty include experts in theoretical, practical, and analytical disciplines associated with public policy and economics. We seek to complement that collective expertise with this hire. 

Competitive candidates will have expertise in areas including, but not limited to, health policy, public health, the economics of healthcare markets, and determinants of individual health outcomes with a focus on economic and social disruptions in the face of global climate change. Their approach to research may include, but is not limited to, survey methods, randomized control trials, policy evaluation, and structural and quantitative models.  

About the Hobby School and Department of Economics:

The Hobby School of Public Affairs was created in 2016 by the University of Houston System. Incoming faculty will have the opportunity to join existing faculty in building and shaping the direction and culture of the school. The Hobby School emphasizes advanced social science methodology, leadership development, and ethical analysis in its teaching, training, and research. It is the home of UH’s Center for Public Policy, Survey Research Institute, and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center for Ethics and Leadership. The Hobby School offers: (1) a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree, (2) a dual degree program combining public policy with degrees in other fields—multidisciplinary studies (UH’s Honors College), business, economics, law, psychology, and social work, (3) certificate programs in data analytics, energy policy, health care policy, public policy, and public administration, and (4) BS and BA degrees in public policy starting in January, 2022. We are in the planning process for launching a PhD program. The Hobby School also runs the Institute on the Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM) and offers workshops in social science methods under the Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Summer Institute.

The Department of Economics is a research-oriented department which operates at the frontier of the profession. It has strength in applied microeconomics with specialists in labor markets, health, public economics, and development, as well as a group of macroeconomists with a focus on time-series analysis, international trade and finance, risk-sharing, and growth. Faculty members are associates of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), and serve on editorial boards at general interest and top field journals. The department offers a PhD program, a Master’s in Applied Economics, and undergraduate BA and BS degrees that includes a Quantitative Certificate for students undertaking more rigorous coursework. In addition to regular seminars with leading economists from around the world, the department co-organizes conferences on international economics with the Federal Reserve and Bank of Mexico, macroeconomics with other research universities in Texas, and applied microeconomics with other Texas universities with support from the Stata Institute. 

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One research institution and is the flagship campus of a state-assisted higher education system that enrolls over 70,000 students. The University of Houston is recognized as one of the most racially and ethnically diverse research institutions in the nation. As such, we welcome candidates whose experience in teaching, research, or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. 

Houston itself is a laboratory for the future. The city reflects what is happening in the United States and around the world in terms of demographic, cultural, political, and economic trends. Moreover, Houston (www.houston.org) boasts a high quality of life with the following attributes: (1) a growing economy, including a vibrant energy sector, robust manufacturing, a bustling port that serves as a hub for international trade, the Johnson Space Center, and the Texas Medical Center—the world’s largest medical center, (b) rich traditions in music, theatre, art, and sports, (c) a diverse population, (d) award-winning restaurants reflective of many cultures, and (e) a relatively low cost of living among large cities. 

Application Instructions: Interested individuals should apply at jobs.uh.edu and provide: (1) a letter of interest, (2) evidence of teaching effectiveness and commitment to mentoring students, (3) a statement of research specialization and interests, (4) three names and email addresses of prospective writers of letters of recommendation, (5) a curriculum vita, and (6) up to three representative papers. Upon receiving applications, referees may be contacted via the online application system to submit letters directly for junior applicants but not for senior applicants (we will inform applicants prior to asking for letters in that case). Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. 

The University of Houston is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members.

Committed to the active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, the search committee anticipates holistically assessing the many qualifications of each applicant and will favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For the complete UH nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see the Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Statement at http://www.uh.edu/af/universityservices/policies/sam/1GenAdmin/1D5.pdf.

PhD or Doctorate in related fields required.

In the selection process, the search committee will prioritize collaborative scholars who: (1) engage in nationally-recognized, interdisciplinary work on significant public health and health policy issues, (2) work with diverse populations, communities, and organizations, (3) demonstrate an eagerness to contribute to undergraduate and graduate education and student success, and (4) pursue grants, awards, and other sources of funding to support research, academic programming, student success, community engagement, and impact.

Employee Status: Regular/Benefits