Head of the Department of Disability and Human Development

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is seeking a dynamic, experienced, and visionary leader to serve as the Head of the Department of Disability and Human Development within the College of Applied Health Sciences. The ideal candidate will foster an environment that promotes the core values of the department, college, and university. This position will be located on the Chicago campus with a preferred but negotiable start date of June 16, 2026.

About the Department of Disability and Human Development

The UIC Department of Disability and Human Development is a leader in disability research, scholarship, and education. Our interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach provides opportunities for educational, scientific, and scholarly advancement for students with a wide range of interests and backgrounds. Our internationally recognized faculty and staff integrate expertise from various health and human service professions, the social sciences, and from the arts and humanities. Students attending our programs gain individualized access to faculty as scientific and scholarly mentors and as purveyors of disability-related resources and social-professional networks. The UIC Department of Disability and Human Development values individual differences, self-determination, and social justice. These values underpin our training, public service, and research activities.

We are an internationally recognized department for the interdisciplinary study of disability. We conduct scholarship and community-engaged service across the spectrum of disability, including advocacy, culture, education, history, policy, technology, physical and mental health across the lifespan.

Specifically, DHD uniquely provides a comprehensive range of academic programs that center disability studies at its core within the broader context of disability and human development. We offer an undergraduate Minor in Disability Inclusion, an undergraduate Major in Disability and Human Development, a Master of Science in Disability Access and Inclusion, an accredited Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Assistive Technology, and a PhD in Disability Studies. Our academic programs are highly interdisciplinary, cutting across three main areas: 1) arts, culture, and the humanities, 2) policy, technology, and social sciences, and 3) inclusive health and biomedical sciences. Faculty maintain strong ties to local, national, and international community organizations.

Research Excellence

The Department of Disability and Human Development is home to a robust portfolio of nationally funded research, service, training, and dissemination centers and programs, such as Assistive Technology Unit (ATU), the Great Lakes ADA Center, Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (IL LEND), Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD), the Program on Disability Arts, Culture, and the Humanities (PDACH), and University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD).

Clinical Services

The Department of Disability and Human Development also provides clinical services. For example, DHD houses a multi-disciplinary clinic with interdisciplinary expertise in developmental disabilities, including autism. The Clinic supports people across the lifespan with autism and other developmental disabilities through services including occupational, physical, speech, and mental health therapies.

About the University of Illinois Chicago

Located in one of the world’s greatest cities, the University of Illinois Chicago is Chicago’s largest university and only public research institution. Its 16 academic colleges serve nearly 34,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. UIC is committed to providing the broadest access to the widest range of students from our local Chicago neighborhoods and beyond. . UIC serves over 34,000 students. Around 80% of undergraduates receive financial assistance. With one of the largest colleges of medicine in the nation, and colleges of dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, social work, and applied health sciences, UIC is the state’s principal educator of health professionals and a major healthcare provider to nearby Chicago communities. UIC students become professionals in ?elds ranging from business and engineering to education, liberal arts and sciences, urban planning, law, and social work, as well as architecture, design, and the arts. UIC is an integral part of Chicago's educational, technological, and cultural fabric.

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities receiving over $485 million in research funding during the 2024 fiscal year, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. The UIC campus is located just west of Chicago’s loop, integrated into historic residential neighborhoods and the urban environment. The ongoing accomplishments of faculty and staff within the department reflect UIC’s mission https://www.uic.edu/about/ and strategic priorities (https://strategicpriorities.uic.edu/).

Chicago has a long history of disability activism. DHD has played a key role in this history with close ties to independent living centers and community organizations.

Clinical and Community Connections

The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System is UIC’s academic health center and the state’s major public hospital. Located in the heart of the Illinois Medical District, UI Health includes a 462-bed hospital, the Children’s Hospital of the University of Illinois, 26 outpatient clinics, and 14 Mile Square Health Centers located in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. The NIH funded Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) bridges the academic and clinical enterprise by offering a wide range of support for accelerating and sustaining clinical research. The department’s close affiliation with UI Health and CCTS creates opportunities for innovative approaches for research, clinical education, and faculty practice initiatives through sustained inter-organizational collaboration with a range of external medical systems and practice sites within the Illinois Medical District and in the broader Chicago Metropolitan area.

The Position

The Head is the designated executive officer who sets the vision for all academic efforts in the department and guides research, education, and service to realize the mission. The Department Head is responsible for:

• providing leadership through strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of all programs of the department to increase the capacity and effectiveness of the department;
• overseeing fiscal and academic administration of the department, in collaboration with experienced academic program directors and clinical managers;
• supporting the professional growth of all faculty, administrative staff, and students within the department;
• facilitating communication and implementation of university and department policies and procedures; and
• representing faculty, staff, and student needs to the college and campus administration

The Department Head is expected to maintain an independent program of research/scholarship by identifying funding opportunities, participating and leading collaborative research teams in developing grant proposals, and executing funded applications. Additionally, the Department Head is expected to demonstrate ongoing scholarship as evidenced by participation at national and/or international professional association meetings, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and/or other related activities. Expertise in teaching, curriculum development, and promoting student success via initiatives involving inclusive excellence and universal design stand as core values for the Head. 

Qualifications

Required:

• Earned doctorate (PhD or equivalent)
• A national and international reputation for scholarly contributions that have advanced their profession/discipline
• Demonstration of engagement in disability-related research, education, policy, and/or practice
• A scholarly record sufficient for appointment as a full Professor with tenure.
• Sustained record of support for research, creative activities, and/or scholarship, including external and/or internal grants (where appropriate).
• A strong record of high-caliber refereed publications
• History of administrative or other leadership experience that includes financial and personnel management
• Experience mentoring others, such as faculty, graduate students, and staff, in the development of their programs of research, scholarship, and/or advocacy
• Record of excellence in teaching, course, or curriculum
• A record of substantive professional service at the local, state, national, and/or international level

Preferred:

• Experience serving as a faculty member in an academic department
• Experience working in an interdisciplinary /interprofessional department/environment
• Knowledge and understanding of disability studies as an academic discipline
• Ability to work effectively with program directors of graduate and undergraduate academic programs.
• Strong communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to learn and adapt to evolving institutional and departmental systems, policies, and processes.

This is a full-time, tenured position with a 9-month appointment and a summer stipend. Academic year requirements include teaching, research, and service.

Salary and benefits: The budgeted salary range for the position is $175,000 to $225,000. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Application: Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and the names of three professional references via the UIC Job Board. Applications received by January 5, 2026, will receive fullest consideration. For questions regarding this position, please contact Renee Taylor, Search Committee Chair, at rtaylor@uic.edu.

UIC is an EOE including Disability/Vets.

Offers of employment by the University of Illinois may be subject to approval by the University’s Board of Trustees and are made contingent upon the candidate’s successful completion of any criminal background checks and other pre-employment assessments that may be required for the position being offered. Additional information regarding such pre-employment checks and assessments may be provided as applicable during the hiring process.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899