Professor or Advanced Associate Professor of School Mental Health and the Science of Learning

Advertising Summary: The Virginia Commonwealth University
(VCU) School of Education (SOE) is seeking a preeminent scholar who
works at the intersection of child development, school mental
health, implementation science, and machine learning (transcending
at least two of these areas) with an August 10, 2027 start date
(negotiable).

Unit: School Of Education MBU

Department: SOE Deans Office Deans Suite

Duties & Responsibilities:

At VCU, we provide UNcommon learning, research, creativity, service
and discovery — the hallmarks of the VCU experience. A premier,
urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of
the best employers. VCU is a great place to work. It is a place of
opportunity, where your success is supported and your career can
thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths
for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do
mission-driven work

At VCU, we believe that bringing different perspectives, expertise,
experiences, and approaches together strengthens research,
teaching, and solutions to complex problems. This philosophy drives
our recruitment process, so we welcome applicants whose
scholarship, teaching, professional experiences, and collaborative
work contribute to a supportive and intellectually vibrant
community of faculty, staff, and students.

The SOE’s commitment to responsive, needs-driven and research-based
educational practices that transform lives aligns with One VCU
Research’s overarching mission to enrich the human experience,
advance societal wellbeing, and optimize health through
transdisciplinary, collaborative research. By grounding educational
inquiry in evidence-based, community-focused research and
leveraging cross-disciplinary partnerships, SOE faculty contribute
directly to One VCU’s strategic priorities of innovation, social
impact, and transformative change across health, education, and
social domains. The SOE recognizes that educational, developmental,
and mental health outcomes are shaped by individual, cultural,
institutional, and contextual factors and values scholarship that
examines how these factors influence access, engagement,
implementation, and outcomes across populations and settings.
Furthermore, our faculty within

the SOE and affiliated centers (e.g., Partnership for People with
Disabilities; Research, Rehabilitation and Training Center) conduct
federally funded, impactful research that contributes to University
Research Clusters, including Pedagogy, Learning and Community
Advancement; Neuroscience, Pain, Addiction and Mental Health;
Children and Women’s Health and Wellbeing; AI, Quantum Technologies
and Data Science; and Robotics, Machine Learning and Virtual
Reality.

The current faculty search, which leverages our Culture of
Collaboration, prioritizes a nationally/internationally renowned
scholar with expertise and funding that transcends at least two of
the following areas that align with both the One VCU Priorities and
the University Research Clusters: the Science of Learning and
Individual Development (SOLID), School Mental Health,
Implementation Science and/or Machine Learning. Applicants with
exceptionally strong records of research, teaching and leadership
work experience within interdisciplinary teams are encouraged to
apply.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of

respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty,
staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a
commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

• An earned doctorate in education or related field closely

related to SOLID, school mental health, implementation science
and/or machine learning.

• A distinguished record of teaching, scholarship, and

professional service commensurate with tenure at the rank of
advanced associate or full professor at a research-intensive
university.

• A well-developed scholarly/research portfolio appropriate to

complement existing expertise in the SOE.

• A scholarly record that demonstrates sustained impact via high

quality publications.

• A track record of securing external funding to support

research.

• Record of effective leadership and capacity to promote a strong

collegial culture and climate.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct and/or translate research that

is responsive to the needs and experiences of varied populations
and contexts, with attention to access, implementation, engagement,
or outcomes.

• Ability to develop and support collaborative relationships

across the university and community, including school systems,
state agencies, research institutes, and policy networks.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading or partnering with large center grant

proposals

• Evidence of collaborations with research centers, institutes

and/or community agencies/organizations

• Evidence of service and leadership in national or international

professional associations

• Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration in research

program

• Experience working effectively across cultural, disciplinary,

institutional, and community contexts.

Benefits : All full-time university staff are eligible for
VCU’s robust benefits
package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual
and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning
and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs,
employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities
for career development and advancement, and more.

Salary Range: $180,000-260,000

Rank: Open

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 1

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Tenure: Tenure Track

Months: 9 months

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Dr. Kevin
Sutherland

Contact Email: kssuther@vcu.edu