DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY TRANSFORMATION (CHET) UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine invites applications and nominations for the position of director to lead the dynamic and rapidly growing Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET). CHET is a transdisciplinary research and training center focused on developing the most innovative and impactful research and training portfolio that will advance health equity for all.

The UK College of Medicine seeks a visionary director with a successful record of research achievement focused on the advancement of equity in cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and other related neurological diseases, diabetes and obesity, substance use, or other health conditions. Exceptional accomplishments as a researcher and academic are necessary, as the director’s duties will include continuing their own research program as well as supervising trainees and maintaining service activities. We are seeking a senior (associate or full professor) research and leadership-focused faculty member for this tenured or tenure-track, Regular Title Series, full-time (12-month) position. It is anticipated that the academic appointment for this position will be located in the UK College of Medicine Department of Behavioral Science.

The predominant criteria for appointment as director include a national reputation for research and a strong track record of mentoring faculty while training future leaders in this area. A successful candidate will be a prominent academic leader and role model with a national reputation in equity-focused research, education, and mentorship.

The successful candidate should demonstrate leadership skills as a listener, decision-maker, and equity- oriented scholar and be an effective advocate for the center and its faculty, trainees, and staff. The candidate should have experience developing collaborative initiatives and the skills needed to promote, foster, and facilitate the trust of colleagues and the broader University faculty. The successful applicant should demonstrate impeccable integrity and be an effective communicator. Prior extensive administrative experience as a department chair, director, vice chair, or director of graduate studies or equivalent is preferred.
 

Professional Experience/Qualifications:
 

	♦	PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent in behavioral sciences, public health, social sciences, communication, health services research, bioinformatics, health sciences, or other related fields and be eligible for appointment at an associate or full professor rank
	♦	Strong record of extramural funding and peer-reviewed publications in health equity/disparities research
	♦	Demonstrated leadership in administrative positions
	♦	Documented record of inclusive recruitment, mentorship, and retention of academic scholars
	♦	Demonstrated commitment to mentorship and career development of trainees across the career stages—undergraduates, professional and medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty
	♦	Recognized involvement in academic and professional societies at a national level

 

The College of Medicine seeks qualified applicants who value its missions and share its commitment to creating an environment in which inclusion is imperative and belonging is foundational. As an Equal Opportunity Action Employer, we strive to foster a community in which individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The selected faculty member will be expected to conduct innovative, rigorous, grant-funded research and engage in scholarly activities (peer-reviewed publications, presentations, etc.) and to provide leadership for CHET’s faculty, staff, and trainees. They will contribute to the research training of UK students and postdoctoral scholars, including mentorship programs, workshops, and supervised research. As a comprehensive and collaborative campus, the faculty member is expected to engage in broader research and training initiatives across all 19 colleges of the University of Kentucky, including Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, Communication and Information Sciences, Health Sciences, etc. These initiatives include grant consultation and review; a dynamic speaker series and other enriching events; pilot project competitions; and outreach to the lay public.
 

Percentage of Time and Effort
Research/scholarly activities	75%
Leadership and administration	20%
Instructional activities	3%
Service to center, college, University or professional organizations ANTICIPATED DUTIES	2%

This position is established in keeping with the mission statement of the UK College of Medicine.

Mission Statement

The College of Medicine promotes a diverse and inclusive environment that provides excellence in education, equitable health care, and transformative research to improve the health and wellness of Kentuckians and beyond.

Scope of Role

As a position of oversight, the director of the CHET serves as the most visible advocate for center activities. The director will ensure that faculty and trainees work in conjunction with one another and with other groups across the college and campus, sharing research resources whenever possible. The director will also provide administrative, scientific, and mentoring support to center faculty, staff, and trainees. The director will work to uphold and expand the reputation and mission of the center at the University and in the community while also serving as a leader for the College of Medicine.
 

Specific Responsibilities:
 

	♦	Provide oversight for the research and training portfolio of CHET, encouraging the growth of health equity research through scholarly dissemination (publishing, presenting, submitting, and obtaining extramural funding) and promoting training programming.
	♦	Support an inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and trainees within the center.
	♦	Promote mentoring of faculty, staff, and trainees in research and professional development.
	♦	Facilitate an environment of collaborative research and conduct, including maintaining records of accomplishments and supporting the acquisition of external funding.
	♦	Maintain and expand University-wide and external partnerships to advance CHET’s mission and initiatives, including pursuing philanthropic partnerships.
	♦	Manage center resources and space to ensure effective and productive utilization.
	♦	Sustain and grow the national and international reputation of the center in the field of health equity through professional, societal, and advocacy activities and the development of complex center grants.

Ideal Candidate Experience and Attributes:
 

	♦	A strong visionary and inspirational leader who conveys a long-term vision for the center and is skilled at implementing a detailed plan to achieve that vision. Highly approachable and compassionate; a record of promoting a culture of innovation, inclusivity, collaboration, teamwork, respect, and honesty; a professional and personal commitment to integrity, graciousness, humility, genuineness, empathy, and sincerity; and a passion for the organization’s mission and objectives.
	♦	Exceptionally team-oriented; skilled at working well and partnering with scientists across the college and University to identify, build, and negotiate “win-win” relationships and collaborations; politically astute yet apolitical with an ability to break down silos and ensure a collegial and productive work environment.
	♦	Demonstrated commitment to community engagement and sustainable partnerships through research, institutional initiatives, or service.
	♦	Highly adept and at ease managing the day-to-day operational details with the ability to make well-informed and timely decisions when needed while at the same time creating unity within a diverse center comprising faculty from several departments.
	♦	Able to conceptualize and analyze complex business and development opportunities and to understand the finances of an academic research center and apply that knowledge to appropriately manage all aspects of the center.
	♦	Actively develop the center’s mission, strategies, and practices to support a diverse and inclusive workplace.
	♦	Actively embody, encourage, and support the five College of Medicine DIReCT values to help guide actions, behaviors, and decision-making to foster a cohesive work culture focused on patient-Centered care. The DIReCT values are:
		■	Diversity: We foster a people-centered environment that is inclusive of all.
		■	Innovation: We embrace continuous learning and improvement to drive positive change.
		■	Respect: We value our patients and families, our community, our co-workers, ourselves, and the resources entrusted to us.
		■	Compassion: We express empathy for the needs, thoughts, and feelings of those we serve and with whom we work.
		■	Teamwork: We cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships to create positive outcomes.

 

THE CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY TRANSFORMATION (CHET)

Vision:

To achieve health equity locally, nationally, and internationally Mission:

To foster innovative, transdisciplinary, and impactful research and training to improve the health of the most vulnerable residents of Kentucky and beyond

Values:

	♦	Academic excellence and productivity
	♦	Collaboration and partnership
	♦	Opportunity and social justice
	♦	Impact and innovation
	♦	Integrity and respect

Goals:

	♦	To conduct impactful research that has the potential to reduce well-documented health disparities in cancer, substance use, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, and related risk factors
	♦	To train the next generation of health equity researchers in a rigorous, inclusive, and congenial environment
	♦	To collaborate with community partners to guide and inform CHET’s research and training programs

In 2018, CHET was founded to tackle the leading health conditions experienced by Kentuckians through innovative and impactful research and training. The justification for CHET’s focus is all too easy to make: Kentucky has a declining life expectancy and among the highest national rates of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, substance use, diabetes, and obesity. Moreover, the burden of these diseases is not evenly distributed; suffering falls disproportionately on rural, racially and ethnically marginalized, and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as those with disabilities and those from lower socioeconomic status groups.

CHET is comprised of a diverse and transdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, and trainees who engage in community-focused, translational research. The spirit of collaboration and positive energy that helped to build CHET over the past five years has grown ever stronger. From our humble origins of one faculty member and one graduate student in 2018 to now 10 primary faculty members, 20 core faculty affiliates, over 200 faculty members, and eight graduate research assistants in 2023; with $102.5 million in annual grant funding; four health equity training programs; and a full roster of speakers, workshops, sponsorships, pilot grant competitions, award programs, and more, we have become a preeminent health equity research and training environment. We invite you to learn more about us at: https://medicine.uky.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/CHET%205-Year%20Report%20-%20Compressed.pdf

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Established in 1960, the College of Medicine produces highly qualified, caring physicians and biomedical scientists to serve the people of Kentucky and the nation. In Fall 2023, the college tallied 801 medical students among its main campus and three regional campuses, along with 839 ACGME-accredited program residents and fellows, and nearly 300 graduate students. It is one of six health-related colleges at the University (Dentistry, Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health), encompassing a combined 25 basic science and clinical departments and more than 1,200 full-time faculty members.

In the past two years, the college has expanded its educational and research efforts, adding two new regional campuses in Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky with educational opportunities that complement those offered at the main campus in Lexington. The college also has a campus in Morehead, a component of its effort to address the Commonwealth’s physician shortage by offering third- and fourth-year medical students a curriculum that emphasizes rural medicine.
 

In recent years the College of Medicine has put a heavy focus on research. In fiscal year 2023, the college’s research funding totaled more than $211.8 million, with its National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding doubling since fiscal year 2017. With 923 active awards conducted by 357 PI/MPIs in 2023, the UK College of Medicine is dedicated to alleviating the health issues Kentuckians face through cutting- edge research.

ABOUT UK HEALTHCARE

UK HealthCare, the College of Medicine’s clinical enterprise, is an award-winning, nationally recognized health care system dedicated to patient-focused care. Its designation as a Level 1 trauma center and its reception of Magnet status means its team of more than 9,000 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals is heavily qualified to treat Kentucky’s sickest patients. The hospital system, which includes more than 80 specialized clinics and 140 outreach programs, reported more than 41,500 discharges of patients and 1.8 million outpatient visits in fiscal year 2019. Under the leadership of co-executive vice presidents for health affairs, Drs. Robert DiPaola and Eric Monday, and the chief physician executive, Dr. Jay Grider, UK HealthCare has been named the No. 1 hospital in Kentucky by U.S. News & World Report for the past nine years.

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

The University of Kentucky is a public land grant university and Kentucky’s flagship institution with a mission to serve the Commonwealth through excellence in education, research, creative work, service, and health care.