Washington State University (WSU) Health Sciences and the Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences (DMECS) of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine (ESFCOM) invite applications for an Assistant Professor, a full-time, 12-month tenure-track position located in either Seattle, WA or Spokane, WA. The faculty member’s primary responsibility will be to participate in a collaborative, extramurally funded program of research focused on Native health within the portfolio of the Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH), as well as to develop new areas of research aligned with their interests.

IREACH includes a multidisciplinary faculty who conduct extramurally funded research in the areas of Native Health (including American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander), health disparities, and more recently rural health. IREACH is a unit with both core senior and junior faculty, and about 60 staff. It has its own methods unit with epidemiologists and biostatisticians, fiscal unit, an in-house editor, and a dedicated IRB coordinator. Junior faculty receive support and considerable mentoring from senior mentors. More about the work of IREACH can be found on their home page (https://ireach.wsu.edu/).

Position Details
This position will work closely with diverse scientists to conduct research with a primary focus on improving health in Native, minority, and other underserved populations. The successful candidate’s personal research focus is flexible but must relate in some way to advancing public health, population science, or reducing health disparities in Native, minority, rural, or other underserved populations. Specific areas of need within IREACH include advanced quantitative research methods; study design and methods; qualitative methods; social epidemiology; dissemination and implementation science; behavioral economics; health technology; and translational science. However, individuals with other research interests relevant to the IREACH mission are encouraged to apply.

The expectation is that the successful candidate will plan, obtain funding, and conduct research broadly related to one of the above areas, often through a Diversity Supplement or a K Award. Publication in peer reviewed journals, presentation at professional societies, and engagement with relevant community groups is expected. This position also requires that the candidate contribute to academic life, including participating in IREACH, ESFCOM, DMECS service activities, including mentoring graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. The position also requires that the candidate participate in college and university committees and contribute to IREACH service activities.

As a faculty member, you are expected to participate in all required DMECS faculty development opportunities and to monitor your WSU issued email account for official college communications. The majority of the successful candidate’s time, typically 80% to 90%, will be focused on extramural research. Academic service and teaching in the form of mentoring graduate students and post-doctoral fellows will make up the remaining effort. Classroom teaching is not required or expected, but may be negotiated if desired.

Occasional travel (<10%) is required.

Compensation/Benefits
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. WSU has comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance. We offer excellent retirement programs and a generous leave program.

Minimum/Required Qualifications
• An earned PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, the Social Sciences, an MD, or in another field relevant to public health research by the time of hire, and postdoctoral training or three years’ equivalent experience at an academic institution of higher learning. Applicants must have some extramurally funded research and peer-reviewed publications.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research in Native Health, rural health, agriculture and health, behavioral health/addictions, health technology, social determinants of health, environmental health or similar disciplines.
• At least three (3) years’ experience working with underserved populations, preferably American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations.
• Demonstrated high level organizational/multi-tasking competencies. Demonstrated experience mentoring students and/or postdoctoral fellows. Demonstrated ability to interact with large groups and individuals at all work levels.

Preferred Qualifications
• Demonstrated experience engaging community organizations and academic constituents.
• Demonstrated experience engaging community groups in the research process. Demonstrated sensitivity to and desire to promote diversity and health equity.
• Proficiency in the use of computers and software applications.

The University
Founded as the people’s university in 1890, WSU fulfills that commitment by transforming lives through education, research, and community outreach. In 2015, the University celebrated 125 years of delivering life-changing knowledge and discoveries to citizens across the state, region, nation, and around the world. The state’s only land-grant institution and one of two public research universities, WSU provides a world-class education to nearly 30,000 students through its multi-campus, statewide locations and online. The University strives to ensure that higher education is accessible at an affordable cost—a decadeslong WSU commitment to the state’s citizens. The University offers more than 200 undergraduate fields of study and 127 graduate and professional degree programs. Many academic programs win recognition nationally for excellence. WSU is one of just 108 public and private universities in the United States—out of more than 4,500—singled out for its “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University’s research agenda is focused on addressing challenges in health, sustainability, smart systems, national security, and opportunity and equity. WSU is a major driver of Washington’s economy, partnering with many of the state’s leading industries, including agribusiness, aerospace, health care, software, and construction. The University is responsible for nearly 20,600jobs statewide and generates an overall economic impact of more than $3.3 billion annually. The institution’s operating budget expenditures total nearly $2 billion annually.

The College and the Department
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is Washington’s premier community-based medical school. It is named after the university’s late president, Elson S. Floyd. Dr. Floyd believed that Washington State University, as the state’s land-grant institution, should train doctors to serve all of Washington. The mission of the School is to: Develop practical solutions to challenging problems in disease prevention, health care access and delivery; Train primary care physicians who will work in Washington and help alleviate a shortage of doctors, especially in rural and under-served areas; and Develop a strong research component, with faculty members who work on innovative projects, sharing what they know with students in classroom and research settings.

The Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences is a unique department within the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine that aims to prepare insightful and compassionate physicians. Designed to ensure faculty unity and continuity across a range of clinical disciplines and specialties, members of the department work to establish educational goals, plan and teach course content and conduct research.

The department’s primary focuses include:
• Delivering the MD program
• Fostering scholarship
• Providing service to the university and community
• Serving as the academic home for clinicians and researchers

The Area
Seattle Located on the Puget Sound in northwestern Washington, Seattle is a large city home to over 650,000 residents, as well as Fortune 500 companies and a lively performing arts and sports scene. Known as the “Emerald City” due to the lush surrounding greenery, the city’s proximity to mountains and forest also make it an eclectic mix of urban and rural living. Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. It is the home to major philanthropic organizations, many institutions of higher learning, a large diversity of cultural events, restaurants, parks and recreational opportunities, and international corporations such as Amazon, Facebook, Starbucks, and Boeing.

IREACH’s office in Seattle is located in the middle of Seattle’s three major urban hot spots – South Lake Union, the Central Business District, and Capitol Hill – and is easily accessible from almost anywhere. On-site perks include green space and patio gathering spots, complimentary citywide shuttle, EV charging stations, on-site showers/locker rooms, and bike storage. The Seattle office is linked to both the Spokane and Pullman campuses through a sophisticated videoconferencing system that makes attending meetings and even teaching classes possible at a distance

Spokane
Located in the University District along the riverfront in downtown Spokane, WSU Spokane is the University’s health sciences education and research campus. The campus is home to the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, scheduled to welcome its charter class in August 2017. The University has relocated all of its health sciences disciplines and built new facilities on the campus in recent years. Among the new construction: an $80 million Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building and a $34.6 million Nursing Building. Nearly 1,500 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students pursue degrees at the 48-acre campus, which also houses programs offered by Eastern Washington University and is located just across the Spokane River from Gonzaga University.