Assistant/Associate/Full Professor - Physical Therapy

Mission or Goal of Unit:

The vision of VCU Department of Physical Therapy; “Optimizing movement and health through leadership in education, scholarship and service.”

The mission of the College of Health Professions (CHP) is to create influential leaders in health care who embrace equity and model excellence through inclusive teaching and learning, thoughtful advancement of cross-cultural knowledge, meaningful service to others, innovative technologies, and scientific discoveries that promote health and health equity and eliminate health disparities.

The mission of VCU Department of Physical Therapy is to serve the Commonwealth of VA and the nation by:

• Advancing excellence in entry-level and post entry-level education
• Generating innovative scientific discovery
• Impacting the health of the community through leadership

Chief Purpose of this position:

The College of Health Professions invites candidates to apply for a position as a core faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy with an appointment in the Department of Neurology within the School of Medicine. The primary responsibility of this role is to research muscular dystrophy in collaboration with the Muscular Dystrophy Translational Research Program (MDTRP), teach the Pediatric physical therapy practice in the DPT Program and to participate in service to the departments, college and university.

Position Responsibilities:

• Research –
  • Engage in scholarly activity with the Muscular Dystrophy Translational Research Program (MDTRP).
  • Lead the development of protocols for the testing and development of clinical outcome assessments for the muscular dystrophies. These outcome measures may include standard functional measures but also could expand to measures of activity, patient reported outcomes, or biomarkers.
  • Support the drafting and design of the grant and/or protocol to conduct the study.
  • Develop the evaluator manual and serve as the lead evaluator.
  • Perform the evaluations for certain studies, or work directly with the evaluators at VCU.
  • Support data analysis and manuscript preparation.

• Teaching –
  • Teach pediatric physical therapy practice (Lifespan I) and a pediatric elective module.
  • Demonstrate advanced skill and judgement, and actively contribute as a collective team member related to course design, development and integration.
  • Provide constructive and timely evaluation of students.

• Service –
  • Faculty member will serve on Department, College and/or University committees.
  • Serve as the PT liaison to VA-LEND.
  • Collaborate with faculty of the pediatric residency program.

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate from an accredited Physical Therapy program.
• Assistant Professor candidates will have an established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding.
• Associate and Full Professor candidates will have a developed scholarly/research portfolio with evidence of interdisciplinary applications and external funding.
• Eligible for licensure to practice physical therapy in Virginia.
• Academic doctorate (PhD, EdD, DrPH or DSc) in a relevant field. ABD would be acceptable.
• Ability to write scientifically for grant and manuscript preparation.
• Ability to teach pediatric physical therapy courses.
• Knowledge of outcome assessment development.
• Ability to complement and expand the existing expertise in the Department.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
• Familiarity with neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophies.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse environment for faculty, staff and students and a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 2-3 years of teaching experience in a Physical Therapy entry-level program.
• APTA Board Certified Clinical Specialist in pediatrics.
• Membership in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
• Experience in optimizing inclusive education and mentoring students from under-represented minority and/or historically marginalized communities.
• Strong leadership and analytical skills.

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Open
Months: 12
Department: Physical Therapy

ORP Eligibility: Yes
Salary: Commensurate with experience

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Peter Pidcoe
Contact Email: pepidcoe@vcu.edu