This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

The administrative appointment, for an initial five-year term, begins in the summer of 2023.

Location - North campus. This role is in-person

Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Health Sciences

The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs, and research stations are primarily located on the traditional territory of Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, and Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe nations; lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations. 

Position summary

The Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine invites applications for the position of Chair, Department of Physical Therapy. The successful candidate will be hired as a full-time tenured Associate Professor or Professor in the department, commensurate with experience. The U of A is committed to fostering equitable, diverse, and inclusive work and learning spaces and encourages interest from candidates who can contribute to the further diversification of ideas, processes and innovation in the Department of Physical Therapy. The administrative appointment, for an initial five-year term, begins in the summer of 2023.

The University of Alberta’s Department of Physical Therapy is one of three departments within the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (FRM), College of Health Sciences. The department offers a 28 month entry-level, course-based MSc degree in Physical Therapy, participates in the thesis-based, interdisciplinary MSc and PhD degree programs in Rehabilitation Science, and offers a combined MBA/MScPT program. Using a distributed educational model, the department offers the MScPT Program simultaneously on two campuses in Alberta – Edmonton (86 students) and Calgary (24 students) – facilitating and fostering innovation, responsiveness, and accountability in education to 110 new students annually.

The successful Chair will join a dynamic department recognized for excellence in research, teaching, scholarship, service, and professional leadership, with strong clinical partnerships in education and research. The Chair works closely with the Associate Chair to further the professional program and support students. The department currently consists of 21 full- time faculty members, (11 in research-intensive, tenure-track positions; 10 in academic teaching-intensive positions), 2 department support staff, with a centrally (Faculty level) supported Academic Services Unit, and Human Resources/Finance Unit

Duties

The successful candidate for Chair will be a leader who can align goals and vision to strengthen the department’s outstanding educational programs, research endeavors, and community partnerships. In addition, the successful candidate will be able to engage and inspire faculty, staff, and students, communicate and make decisions in a transparent, inclusive and collaborative manner. They must be highly knowledgeable and innovative in thinking about the future of the discipline and profession of physical therapy and be a champion for equity, diversity, inclusivity and Indigenous initiatives.

Research in the department spans foundational science through implementation science across the life span, including globally recognized research programs in musculoskeletal health, cancer rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation, and others. Specific infrastructure in the Department/FRM include laboratories dedicated to activity and functional measurement, orthopedic research, gait, balance and mobility, cancer rehabilitation, rehabilitation robotics, sports physical therapy, and a student-led physical therapy clinic with a mandate to support research. The Department has formal affiliations with numerous clinical sites including the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Cross Cancer Institute, the University of Alberta Hospital Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic, and the Indigenous Wellness Clinic (Alberta Health Services). Department members also have research partnerships with the University of Alberta’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, and other faculties within College of Health Sciences.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must have a PhD in a relevant discipline and a scholarly record in teaching, research and service.

How to Apply:

Candidates are requested to prepare a letter of interest that includes the candidate’s leadership experience, a curriculum vitae, and a statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity and Indigenous Initiatives (1-2 pages in length; see here for format). Please send the application package to Noriko Hessmann (nmajor@ualberta.ca).

The Committee will begin considering candidates on February 28, 2023 with the new Chair to take offce in the summer of 2023. Interviews will begin April 2023. This position will remain open until filled. This position will be located at the University of Alberta, Corbett Hall, 8205-114 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G4.

To assist the University in complying with mandatory reporting requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (R203(3) (e)), please include the first digit of your Canadian Social Insurance Number in your application. If you do not have a Canadian Social Insurance Number, please indicate this in your application.