Salary/Position Classification

• $150,000+ annual, Exempt

Purpose of Position

The Department of Population Health at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) seeks a distinguished mission driven leader to serve as its next Director, Public Health Program.

The Mission of the University of North Dakota Public Health Program is to promote health and well-being and develop a culturally aware public health workforce through innovative and collaborative approaches to education, scholarship, and service within local communities, our region, and the world. The program vision is to improve population health in North Dakota, the Northern Plains, and beyond.

The Public Health Program is housed within the Department of Population Health at UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and offers the Master of Public Health degree with three specializations, dual degree options, and a Certificate in Public Health. The program prepares students to respond to the growing demand for public health professionals who can transform data into policies and programs to improve population health. The MPH is a 42/43-credit graduate degree with a 21-credit core curriculum, 15-credit specialization curriculum and six credits for an Applied Practice Experience (practicum) and culminating experience (scholarly project). UND offers three MPH specializations: Health Management & Policy; Indigenous Health; and Population Health Research & Analytics.

The number of students who enroll increases yearly, and the scope of the program's activities is expanding. The UND SMHS Department of Population Health and the Public Health Program is seeking to recruit a Director to direct the program and teach several courses in the MPH curricula. The appointed candidate will also serve as an academic advisor to multiple MPH students.

MPH courses are offered on-campus and in online synchronous and online asynchronous formats. Courses to be taught may include Public Health & Health Care Systems (Lead Instructor), Public Health Seminar (Lead Instructor), Student Advising and other courses as appropriate

This position will work in close collaboration with the public health program manager, faculty, and other staff to advance the MPH Program.

Duties & Responsibilities

Administration:

• Mentor MPH students and serve as an academic advisor.
• Mentor junior faculty in grant development.
• Responsible for the content of the Public Health Program, including faculty recruitment and retention.

Research:

• Collaborate with the Public Health faculty on developing externally funded projects based on professional public health expertise.
• Work with graduate students and create research assistantship opportunities.
• Generate 20% of salary from external sources for research and creative activity (within the first 3 years).

Teaching and Advising:

• MPH courses are taught on-campus and on-line in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Blackboard is the teaching platform. Synchronous courses use Zoom, and asynchronous courses use Yuja and VoiceThread technologies. Each 3-credit class counts as 10% effort and teaching aa 3-credit course in both synchronous and asynchronous formats counts as 20% effort.
• This position will serve as the Primary Instructor for MPH Core courses:
  • PH 510: Public Health & Health Care Systems This course introduces students to health care delivery systems, which provide diagnosis and treatment of health problems in societies. Topics include the organization, financing, and performance of health care delivery systems. Differences between rural and urban health systems, as well as international differences, are studied. Ethical issues related to the delivery of health care are discussed. 2 credit course - synchronous and asynchronous.
  • PH 590: Public Health Seminar The MPH Seminar in Leadership and Advocacy is one component of the MPH Culminating Experience. The course is intended to build skills that will help students effectively put their public health knowledge into practice in organizations and communities. Through development of leadership and advocacy skills, students also synthesize and apply knowledge acquired through previous coursework and other public health learning experience. 1 credit course - synchronous and asynchronous. Student advising and other courses as appropriate.

Service:

• Service includes contributions to the institution/school/department (e.g., committees), to the profession (e.g. professional organizations), and to the community (e.g., boards, etc.).

Minimum Requirements

• Terminal degree in public health, medicine, health systems, health administration, or closely related field.
• Demonstrated prior leadership experience gained within an academic environment, preferably in a CEPH accredited public health program.
• Proven record of proficient teaching at the graduate level.
• One-year experience and proficiency in using distance technologies for communications (webinars, online modules, or televideo, etc.)
• Track record of extra-mural research grant acquisition and management as Principal Investigator. NIH research grants (R21, R01) are the standard examples. However, success with peer-reviewed grants from other extra-mural agencies (e.g., American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association) could qualify.
• Successful completion of a Criminal History Background Check

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  This position does not support visa sponsorship for continued employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• MPH degree in addition to terminal degree.
• Expertise in a UND MPH specialization, including Indigenous Health, Population Health Research & Analytics and/or Health Management & Policy.
• Significant publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Broad understanding of opportunities and challenges in public health within the rural healthcare environment.
• Ability to recruit and retain outstanding faculty.
• Understanding of the current and emerging issues in public health in education, research, and service and how they potentially impact the mission and goals of SMHS and UND.

To Apply

Review of applications will begin on March 1, 2025. The position is open until filled. Applications must include the following materials:

• Letter of interest.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• Contact information for three professional references.