Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology

Position Overview

School / Campus / College: University of Washington, Tacoma

Organization: School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences

Title: Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology

Position Details

Position Description

Position Overview

The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Cognitive Psychology in Division of Social, Behavioral, and Human Sciences (SBHS) within the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (SIAS). This is a full-time (100% FTE), tenure-track position with a 9-month service period and expected start date of September 16, 2025. The initial appointment will be for a three-year term, eligible for reappointment after successful academic review.

The area of specialization within Cognitive Psychology for this position is open. Candidates from any area of Cognitive Psychology are encouraged to apply. Positive factors for consideration include, but are not limited to, individuals whose research program focuses on one or more of the following areas: sensation, perception, attention, language processing, problem solving, or learning; and those whose work includes the application of Cognitive Psychology to issues of equity and social justice.

Responsibilities

All faculty at the UW engage in teaching, scholarship, and service within their school, the University, and their professional community. UW Tacoma and SIAS are committed to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service activities.

The successful candidate will be expected to perform highly effective and inclusive teaching, using a variety of pedagogical techniques and technologies, in an urban-serving campus environment. Faculty at UWT are expected to teach in multiple modalities, including in-person, online, and hybrid courses. The successful candidate will also be expected to successfully mentor undergraduate students in an academic setting with diverse experiences and backgrounds.

The successful candidate will be expected to engage in robust research activity within the field of Cognitive Psychology and sustain research activity at UWT.

The successful candidate will be expected to provide high quality teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate level, including engaging students in research, and promoting the success of all students, including those from historically underrepresented groups. The Assistant Professor is expected to teach the equivalent of six undergraduate courses per academic year (September – June), usually scheduled as two classes per quarter. Assigned courses are expected in the following areas: foundation and core courses in Cognitive Psychology (e.g., cognition [TPSYCH 250], memory [TPSYCH 350], perception [TPSYCH 351], and decision making [TPSYCH 352]), as well as Research Methods (including data analysis) in Psychology (TPSYCH 209 & 309), and advanced courses in the candidate’s area of specialization.

 

Our campus has expanded significantly in the last two decades and the Psychology major is one of the largest majors at UWT. Our division includes psychologists and social scientists across areas of Social, Developmental, Community, Cognitive, Clinical, Counseling, and Health psychology. Our division values equitable scheduling and all faculty contribute to teaching foundational psychology courses. We are building a growing community of scholars to collectively support our psychology curriculum and add programs of research that are transformative and future-oriented.

About UW Tacoma

The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) is an urban-serving institution committed to providing a community-engaged education to a diverse student body. The UWT campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians within the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Established in 1990, our thriving downtown campus serves students of a wide range of ages and backgrounds; including an overall undergraduate population consisting of more than 50% first-generation college students.

The University of Washington Tacoma is one of three campuses of the University of Washington, providing faculty with access to the resources of a major, state-flagship research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. The University of Washington is among the 119 institutions of higher education in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation denoting institutional commitment to community engagement. UWT is a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) and a federally funded Asian American Native American Pacific Islander- Serving Institution (AANAPISI). In particular, the Tacoma campus is renowned for its community-engaged activities, wherein many of its faculty, students, and staff are taking an active role in transforming the city and region into a thriving and just collective of communities.

Faculty at UWT have access to the resources of a major research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. UWT consists of approximately 5,000 students, across seven schools, and offers a variety of professional and academic degrees and certifications. UWT’s commitment to equity and inclusion is central to maintaining an atmosphere wherein students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth.

Consistent with UWT’s urban-serving mission, our campus provides a unique environment for faculty to creatively develop their teaching, scholarship, and service portfolios, and to engage with the Tacoma community. UWT’s commitment to diversity and belonging is central to this mission, and to creating an atmosphere where students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth. For more information about UW Tacoma, visit www.tacoma.uw.edu.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The University of Washington Tacoma and SIAS are dedicated to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, social equity, and inclusion in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Creative scholarship agendas linking knowledge, community service, and professional practice are supported and encouraged. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and areas of practice to apply.

SBHS Division: We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive climate in our division, school, and campus. Our faculty are engaged in university-community research collaborations throughout the South Sound and have active research teams that include UWT undergraduate student researchers. You can learn more about us at: SBHS Mission Vision & Values | UW Tacoma

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $8,444 to $9,000 per month ($76,000 to $81,000 9-month academic year), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Other compensation associated with this position may include a one-time relocation allowance, if applicable, and professional/research funds. A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/.

Qualifications

This position requires an earned Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Psychology or related field and demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and research/scholarship in the candidate’s area of expertise.

In exceptional circumstances, candidates in the final stages of their terminal degree (pending conferral) may be selected and appointed on an acting basis.

Instructions

To apply, please submit the following, via Interfolio:

  1. Cover Letter (2 pages or less) detailing your interest in the position and outlining how your prior experiences and qualifications match both the position’s description and the academic environment of the division and the university.
  2. A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of courses taught, their frequency, and your role in each course (e.g., primary instructor vs. teaching assistant)
  3. A diversity statement (2 pages or less) describing your commitment to diversity, social equity, and inclusion, and how you have demonstrated or plan to demonstrate this in your teaching, scholarship, and service. Please describe how your work will further UWT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
  4. Statement of your research (2 pages or less) including a description of your current and anticipated research projects, how you envision these research plans being implemented at a primarily undergraduate institution, and how your research complements the mission, vision, and values of our SBHS Division and of UWT. Please include how you will involve and support the success of UWT students in your research and/or research area.
  5. Statement of your teaching philosophy (2 pages or less) including evidence of teaching effectiveness (this might include: sample syllabi, quantitative and/or qualitative student evaluations, and/or peer teaching evaluations from courses that demonstrate a readiness to teach the courses listed in the job ad) and a list of courses you are equipped to teach.
  6. Representative peer-reviewed reprint or preprint, or submitted manuscript.
  7. Names and contact information for three professional references, with letters available upon request.

All application materials must be submitted through Interfolio (http://apply.interfolio.com/154223). Application materials received via mail or email will not be considered. Screening of applications will begin on October 18, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. For further information or specific inquiries, please contact Dr. Amanda Sesko, search committee Chair, at aksesko@uw.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Benefits Information

A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).

Privacy Notice

Review the University of Washington Privacy Notice for Demographic Data of Job Applicants and University Personnel to learn how your demographic data are protected, when the data may be used, and your rights.

Disability Services

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.