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THE ELIOT-PEARSON DEPARTMENT OF CHILD STUDY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Applied Developmental Science, with a focus on infant and/or early childhood development and families in global and international contexts with expertise in quantitative developmental methods to begin September 1, 2026. 

We seek a colleague who shares our holistic, strengths-based, community-engaged perspective and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. The department is well-known for applied research and learner-centered teaching that prepares undergraduate and graduate students for careers working in clinical, educational, community-based, and policy-oriented settings with children, youth, families, and communities. See http://as.tufts.edu/epcshd/ for more information about the department, its programs, and research centers.

We invite applicants whose scholarship represents the integration of research and practice, including the application of research to prevention and intervention programs, governmental and organizational policies, and community and civic engagement. Areas of scholarly interest may include (but are not limited to): infancy and early childhood development; early childhood/family mental health and well-being; social disparities in well-being and the systemic issues serving as barriers (e.g., lack of access to resources) or supports to infant thriving; family centered (two-generation) programs addressing infant health and well-being; social policy and programs and their impact on infant health and well-being in marginalized communities. Importantly, we are searching for a scholar who emphasizes strengths-based approaches to engaging with families and communities impacted by inequities (e.g., due to structural, institutional, and systemic racism, segregation, colonization, xenophobia) related to issues of infant health and wellbeing. It is imperative that the scholar’s approach includes an asset-based lens that invites and engages partnerships by recognizing and leveraging the strengths present among people and communities that have been marginalized. We are also interested in colleagues who embrace a multidisciplinary approach and a systems orientation, recognizing the interconnections of different levels of human ecology.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess a doctorate in child/human development, psychology, family studies, education, or a related field. Candidates must demonstrate evidence of research productivity or strong evidence of such potential, including publications and the potential for externally funded research as well as evidence of successful teaching and applied experience. A range of methodological expertise relevant to quantitative developmental methods would fit. For example, analyses of intensive longitudinal data, leading-edge quasi-experimental research designs, and mixed methods approaches for examining program and policy impact, methods of causal inference, and integrative, empowering, and equitable approaches to measurement and program evaluation. Experience working on interdisciplinary projects, program evaluation, and the application of advanced developmental methods and statistics in the integration of research and practice is highly desired. The successful applicant will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses, comprising both core courses in the curriculum and more specialized courses in the area of the candidate’s expertise.

Application Instructions

All applications are submitted via Interfolio, at http://apply.interfolio.com/.  Interested candidates should send a letter of application; curriculum vita; statements on research, teaching, and service; three representative scholarly publications, and confidential letters from three colleagues. For questions, please contact Mary Ellen Leone, Department Manager, at maryellen.leone@tufts.edu. Review of applications will begin October 15, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. All offers of employment are contingent upon the completion of a background check.