Direct Supervisor: Dean of the College of Allied Health
FTE: 100%
Appointment Type: Associate/Full Professor, Consecutive
Title/Rank: Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences - Associate Professor or Professor 
Primary Location:  OU Health Science Center in Oklahoma City, OK

POSITION DESCRIPTION:  This position will serve as Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, which consists of professional programs in Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Occupational Therapy, an advanced practice Doctor of Science program in Rehabilitation Sciences and a PhD program in rehabilitation sciences. Additionally, the department houses the Lee Mitchener Tolbert Center for Developmental Disabilities and the Center for Human Performance Measurements.

The Chairperson of the Department will provide strategic leadership to cultivate a visionary future for the department and will play a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for innovation, inspiration, and sustained growth. Responsibilities include leading departmental short-term and long-term strategic planning for administration, research, teaching, and community service as well as providing administrative oversight to current and future Department Center(s) of excellence. Also critical to the Chair’s success is their ability to develop and articulate a clear vision and strategy for the department aligned with the broader organizational goals, champion transformative initiatives, and drive change to move the department forward, and maintain positive relationships with College and Campus leadership and community stakeholders as well as operating within the overarching, faculty-driven strategic plan and its pillars, which includes:

• Become a Top-Tier Research-Driven Academic Health Center
• Lead Health Workforce Development in Oklahoma
• Improve Health Outcomes and Reduce Health Disparities in Oklahoma
• Be a Place of Belonging for All Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Patients
• Drive Economic Growth Through Translation of Research into Commercial Enterprises The full details of the strategic plan can be access plan can be accessed through this Link

The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences is a progressive leader in the College for inter-professional education, multidisciplinary research, and scholarly activity. Nationally recognized for innovation in the use of technology in education, the department has a culture of research support, including human performance movement and neurological plasticity in a developmental disability with strong collaboration with researchers in a variety of departments. For ongoing research see https://alliedhealth.ouhsc.edu/Research-Centers-Labs/Faculty-Research-Labs-and-Programs/Rehabilitation-Sciences.

The department has two fully endowed chairs and one endowed professorship. All programs are fully accredited and include an enrollment of approximately 330 students annually, with nearly 40% located on the Tulsa campus. Additional information is available on the departmental website: https://alliedhealth.ouhsc.edu/Departments/Rehabilitation-Sciences.

Scope and Responsibilities:

Value Proposition: To holistically grow Rehabilitation Sciences research portfolio and the department’s impact through its direct access and interconnectivity with OU’s clinical and academic enterprise including the College of Medicine, Stephenson Cancer Center (10^th in the nation for clinical trials), and the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center.

Leadership and Administration: Facilitate, develop, and sustain:

• Strategic Vision: Develop, nurture, and sustain visionary leadership within the Department, College, and University. Collaborate effectively with the Dean and campus executives to elevate the prominence of rehabilitation sciences in research and clinical realms.
• Holistic Excellence: Oversee the department's research, teaching, and service initiatives, aligning these pursuits with strategic goals to maintain a commitment to excellence.
• Financial Stewardship: Ensure responsible management of departmental finances, crafting financial strategies that drive growth, sustainability, and holistic departmental development.
• Empowering Environment: Foster a nurturing and stimulating atmosphere that supports the professional and personal growth of faculty, staff, and students.
• Global Recognition: Cultivate a robust reputation for the department on local, state, regional, national, and international levels.
• Outcome-driven Approach: Instill an outcomes-focused methodology in teaching, service, and scholarship, engaging stakeholders, including community partners, for collective success.
• Quality Assurance: Uphold departmental practices to ensure program quality and accreditation requirements are rigorously met.
• Research: Develop and maintain an environment conducive to faculty obtaining intramural and extramural funding by promoting and fostering:

• Departmental research and other scholarly activities including an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and scientific rigor.
• Interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and translational research and scholarship towards a holistic approach to rehabilitation sciences research.
• Research partnerships and collaborations both within our university and across the wider community to leverage shared resources, enhance research capacity, and contribute to a vibrant research culture on the OUH campus.
• Teaching: Inspire and support:
• Curricular evolution and excellence in post-professional programs to ensure course content remains robust, relevant, and responsive to the ever-evolving field of rehabilitation sciences.
• Faculty development in innovative teaching methodologies; effective use of student and peer-educator feedback; development of educational scholarship to enhance faculty teaching proficiency, creativity, and adaptability.
• Excellence in professional and post-professional academic programs to foster intellectual growth and empower students for careers in clinical, community, and research endeavors.
• Service: Guide and facilitate:  

• Collaborative relationships between practice communities and departments.
• Community and academic partnerships.
• Collaboration to enhance and grow inter-professional clinical practices.
• Department participation in University and College service as well as representation in regional and national professional activities.
• Community Engagement: Promote and advocate:
• Department engagement with alumni.
• Relationships with existing donors and the identification and cultivation of future donors.
• The department, through fostering strong external relationships within the community.

Required:  The ideal candidate for this position will have an exemplary track record in research, teaching, and scholarship, as well as proven academic leadership skills, including mentoring junior faculty. Substantial experience in guiding the education and training of graduate and professional students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty is expected. The Chair will foster a collaborative, welcoming, and transparent environment to promote and define overall strategic interests and growth within the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. These efforts will involve close collaboration with the Dean and other senior leadership within the College of Allied Health (CAH) and across OUHS campus to promote core missions within research, education, and service. Appointment will be at the Associate/Full Professor level. A qualified applicant for this position must have earned a post-professional doctoral degree from an accredited university, with a preference for academic leadership in Rehabilitation sciences or other health professions field. A strong candidate for this position will have a track record of extramural funding and research collaborations.

• Ability to recruit and hire faculty to take advantage of the rapidly growing research and clinical opportunities across campus in the NCI-Designated Stephenson Cancer Center, Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, Biomedical Engineering, seven professional colleges, and the Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging.
• A record of research accomplishments, including extramural grant funding and scholarly dissemination.
• Evidence of effective teaching and mentoring of students.
• Advancing faculty teams; inter-professional endeavors and developing and implementing strategic planning.
• Experience with online education.
• Strong team building and interpersonal skills.
• Proven experience in a leadership role, preferably within a complex and evolving environment.

All applicants are required to provide a cover letter, CV, and letters of references.

If there are any questions pertaining to this position, please call Deborah Martin at (405) 271-2288, ext. 43419 or email at [email protected].