Director and Chief Economist, Center for Regional Economic Research

Director and Chief Economist, Center for Regional Economic Research

Gary W. Rollins College of Business

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga



The Gary W. Rollins College of Business at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ( UTC) invites applications for a non-tenure track Professor of Practice to serve as Director and Chief Economist of the newly created Center for Regional Economic Research (CRER) to begin August 1, 2023. This appointment is renewable given satisfactory performance and budget.

The CRER seeks to be a leading resource for economic research, development and entrepreneurship in Chattanooga and the surrounding region. The Center connects the Gary W. Rollins College of Business with the local community and serves an academic mission to educate students and energize research on local economic issues by mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in real-world local projects while they complete their degree programs.

The mission of the CRER is to serve as a think-tank that conducts high-quality, data-focused economic research, analysis, and visualization on Chattanooga and the regional economy as a public service and on a fee basis for clients from the community.

1. Develop and maintain a regional economic model

2. Conduct economic and fiscal impact studies, and feasibility and cost-benefit analyses

3. Collect and maintain regional economic data

4. Support research in regional studies

5. Produce semi-annual reports on center activities

6. Make presentations to the local community

7. Offer a course in Regional Economics

Strong candidates will be proficient in writing grants, conducting economic and fiscal impact studies, modeling the regional economy, and liaising with the community. The candidate must have experience leading and executing research projects, and must display excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, as well as the ability to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines.

Applicants must have a doctoral degree in Economics (or closely-related field) or be in the ABD stage of their doctoral studies, with expected completion of the doctoral degree prior to their start date. Demonstrated ability to provide instruction in various modalities throu gh graduate studies, training, or experience, is also required.

Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should prepare to submit the following information within UTC’s online application system for consideration:

· a letter of interest

· CV (Curriculum Vitae), including up-to-date personal contact information (e-mail, phone, etc.)

· Unofficial transcripts

· Relevant research samples

· Evidence of teaching effectiveness

· list of names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses for three (3) references for confidential letters of recommendation to be requested

Applications must be submitted electronically through the UTC Faculty Career site .

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is the second-largest campus in the University of Tennessee System and serves a diverse student body of more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five academic colleges. Since its founding as Chattanooga University in 1886, UTC has established a reputation for excellence built on a unique blend of the private and public traditions of American higher education. Today, UTC brings a passion for excellence in all pursuits and is dedicated to making a difference in our community and in the lives of our students.

At UTC, we welcome and cultivate diverse perspectives and populations—whether shaped by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, intellectual diversity, political beliefs and other life experiences and ideologies—and embrace equity and inclusion.

UTC is a university distinguished by respect for the dignity, uniqueness, and value of every individual. We foster a campus community that is welcoming and inclusive of all. We value diversity in our workplace and learning environments, benefiting from the varied backgrounds and abilities of our campus community. The diversity of our voices and experiences is vital to our pursuit of excellence and fulfillment of our mission.

UTC is in the heart of Tennessee’s fourth-largest city, located in the southeastern part of the state near the border with Georgia and at the junction of four interstate highways. Conveniently situated within just a two-hour drive from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville and Birmingham, Chattanooga offers the opportunity to live and learn in an exciting and enchanting environment. Dubbed the ‘Scenic City,’ and endowed with incredible vistas and popular area attractions, the city has been recognized nationally for its downtown renaissance and a revitalized riverfront that has become the blueprint for other cities to emulate. Chattanooga achieved the first gig internet capacity in the country, and today has the nation’s fastest internet service with a 100% fiber network that links every residence and business in a 600-square mile area.

The city is home to companies such as Unum, McKee Foods, U.S. Xpress, Volkswagen, Coke United, and Amazon, and a number of tech startups attracted to its blazing fast internet and low cost-of-living. Thousands of visitors are drawn yearly to the Tennessee Aquarium, Lookout Mountain, Civil War battlefield sites, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center—Chattanooga African American Museum, Creative Discovery Museum for Children, Riverbend Festival, and the weekly Nightfall Summer Concert Series held in the heart of downtown. Chattanooga also has a long and rich history interwoven with the Civil Rights movement and Native American heritage. The Trail of Tears National Historic Route runs through the city and is on the traditional territory of Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East).

Whether it’s Chattanooga’s ideal geographical location with comfortable temperatures year-round to suit an active lifestyle, its cultural and culinary diversity, reasonable cost of living, world-class healthcare facilities, reputable educational institutions like UTC, or countless other reasons, it’s no wonder more and more people are choosing to make Chattanooga their home.

The University of Tennessee Chattanooga is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.

Qualifications :