Job Details

Assistant Professor, Developmental Psychology CAHSS

Position Number: 6578449
Location: Denver, CO
Position Type: Liberal Arts - Psychology

Assistant Professor, Developmental Psychology CAHSS

Job No: 498319
Work Type: Faculty Full-Time
Location: Denver, CO
Categories: Faculty

As the University's largest and most varied academic unit, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) is comprised of artists, learners, performers, scholars, scientists, and teachers across 21+ departments, programs, schools, and centers and acts as a central hub where many of the University's disciplines intersect. Nearly all 6,000 undergraduates at the University take liberal arts courses with us, and about one-third of these students declare a first major in a CAHSS program. Most of our departments, programs and schools offer masters or doctoral programs. CAHSS scholars, artists, instructors, staff, and students collaborate in a shared quest for knowledge about the human condition and the development of skills to improve our local and global communities. The broad scope of CAHSS allows our students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed at nearly any career in today's global society.

The Department of Psychology at the University of Denver (DU) is a research-oriented unit, valuing a collaborative and integrative approach to psychological science that fosters intellectual curiosity and innovation and invests in people in a supportive and inclusive environment. Our mission is to advance psychological science by generating and sharing new knowledge through collaborative scholarship, educating and mentoring student scholars, and contributing to the public good. We are a highly collaborative, research-oriented department that values interdisciplinary perspectives and connections across traditional department areas (see www.du.edu/psychology for more information).

Our department's vision is to be an inclusive intellectual community that fosters discovery and innovation. Students and faculty in the Psychology Department actively engage in best practices in inclusive teaching, research, and service. Our department is home to two research institutes - the Stress, Early Experience, and Development (SEED) Research Institute ( https://liberalarts.du.edu/psychology/seed) and the Relationship Science Institute. The departments PhD program is currently ranked 62 in the nation.

Our Developmental Psychology Area has a broad research and training program that encompasses prenatal through adult development, addresses important psychological, social, and health outcomes, and integrates research across the developmental, clinical, neuroscience, stress physiology, and artificial intelligence (AI) areas of study. This area is also a core part of the SEED Research Institute, which fosters rigorous interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research with collaborative community partners to promote intergenerational health, well-being and resilience.

Position Summary

We seek candidates for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning September 1st, 2026, in the Developmental Psychology area of the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. We are particularly interested in individuals doing work on cognitive development, focusing on its intersection with social and emotional development. For example, this work could include topics such as (a) the effects of positive and/or adverse early experiences on cognitive developmental outcomes, (b) the social and emotional correlates of executive function, and (c) the effects of social and cultural contexts on social-cognitive outcomes. We anticipate that a wide range of research programs beyond these specific examples would match the position, and we encourage applications on diverse cognitive, social, and emotional topics in developmental psychology.

Our department values a developmental approach with many of our faculty across areas having interests in human development, especially during the prenatal period, infancy and early childhood, middle childhood/school-age, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Many faculty members share an interest in understanding stress, early experiences, and development and are members of the Stress, Early Experience, and Development (SEED) Research Institute. We welcome possibilities for candidates to connect with our department's current research at many methodological levels.

Successful applicants will have an outstanding record of research achievement and a strong commitment to both undergraduate and graduate education, including classroom teaching and mentoring. Candidates should describe how their research connects to and complements the existing research strengths of our developmental faculty and other departmental faculty. Candidates should also be committed to working with all student and community populations, and have demonstrated skills and knowledge in inclusive research and teaching practices.

We welcome your questions directed to our department chair, Professor Kateri McRae, at Kateri.McRae@du.edu.

Essential Functions

All candidates should have a strong commitment to research and to both undergraduate and graduate education and demonstrated aptitude for excellence in teaching, including classroom teaching, and mentoring.

Maintain an ongoing research program.
Teach 4 course equivalents per year (across 3 academic quarters) as assigned, divided among graduate and undergraduate courses; including University and department core requirements, and elective and specialized courses.
Supervise graduate student research projects, theses, and dissertations.
Participate in department, college and university citizenship and service activities commensurate with a full-time faculty member.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Research skills commensurate with area of study.
Strong potential for high-quality teaching and mentoring.
Expertise in inclusive pedagogical practices.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong ability to work independently and collaboratively in teams.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, or related degree
ABD considered with completion date before 09/01/2026. If dissertation is not complete, individual will hold the title of Instructor at a reduced salary.
Strong research skills appropriate for area of study, evidenced by authorship on at least one manuscript published or in-press at a peer-reviewed journal
Potential to pursue research funding appropriate for area of study, as evidenced by experience in, or specific plans for, developing funding proposals.
Strong potential for high-quality teaching and mentoring, as evidenced by training or experience in teaching and mentoring.

Preferred Qualifications

Strong programmatic research portfolio, evidenced by experience leading research projects and authorship on multiple peer-reviewed publications
Evidence of funding commensurate with career stage.
Evidence of high-quality teaching and mentoring.
Strong quantitative skills, evidenced by use of multiple analytic techniques appropriate to research questions.
Evidence of working effectively across various settings and populations in both research and teaching.

Working Environment

Standard office environment.
Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.

Work Schedule
While the University's administrative offices are open Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, faculty schedules vary from term to term and are based on courses taught, service commitments, and research agendas. The University's academic calendars are posted on the registrar's website (the law school is on a semester system and has a different academic calendar).

Application Deadline
For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) October 17, 2025.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $88,000-$93,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

C.V.
Letter of interest (cover letter) that includes information on the candidate's training, demonstrated knowledge, experience, and skills in inclusive teaching and research, working toward public good, and/or community engagement (1-2 pages)
Research statement (2-4 pages)
Teaching statement that includes discussion of teaching philosophy, experience, and effectiveness (~1 page)

Three reprints/preprints.

Names and contact information of three individuals who can provide letters of recommendation.

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker's Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non-Discrimination-Statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.

To apply, visit https://jobs.du.edu/en-us/job/498319