Tenured/Tenure-Track: Assistant or Associate Professor

The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications (ALEC) and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University invite applications for one full-time, 9-month, Assistant or Associate Professor faculty position with academic, scholarly, and professional credentials and accomplishments in Applied Youth Development (AYD).  The anticipated start date for this opportunity is August 1, 2026. The successful candidate will contribute to the continued growth of the ALEC academic programs, specifically the AYD minor, the AYD Master's degree, and the PhD in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications. Candidates for Assistant Professor will be tenure-track and candidates for Associate Professor will be considered for either tenure-track or tenure upon hire depending on their qualifications. The position carries a Division of Effort of 50% research, 40% teaching, and 10% service. The person in this position is expected to obtain federal, state, industrial, and/or foundation funding to support and sustain a vigorous research program.

Applicants should have an interest in interdisciplinary research with our departmental faculty, undergraduate and graduate education, and community-engaged outreach. We welcome applicants whose scholarship bridges research and practice in the field of positive youth development, particularly those applying research to intervention, prevention, and promotion programs; informing governmental and organizational policies; and advancing community and civic engagement. Areas of scholarly interest may include but are not limited to the mental and physical health of youth and families across local, state, national, and global contexts; pathways, barriers, and opportunities for well-being in rural and urban communities; managing and marketing youth-serving organizations; and the social, cultural, and structural factors shaping developmental outcomes. Importantly, we seek a scholar whose work centers on strength-based approaches to engage youth, families, and communities around critical issues of youth and youth-serving organizations.

Serious consideration will be given to applicants with experience in non-profit youth organizations; youth organizations such as 4-H Extension and the National FFA Organization; youth engagement in rural settings; youth camps and training programs; and Youth/Adult partnerships. Furthermore, the applicant should be familiar with the Land Grant Mission, established by the Morrill Act of 1862.

The AYD program (housed in ALEC) currently serves approximately 60 undergraduate minors and 30 graduate students in its Master of Applied Youth Development program. Current faculty members engage in research and outreach that directly inform practice and address the needs and strengths of children, adolescents, families, and policymakers to promote overall health and well-being. Program faculty place a high value on collaboration within the program and across disciplines in the department, college, and university.

The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications is housed in the heart of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The department is home to nearly 1,300 undergraduate students, 300 graduate students, and over 30 faculty scholars from around the globe. The department website provides extensive information about the work being conducted.

Required qualifications:

• Ph.D. or equivalent in  Agricultural Education, Extension Education, Agricultural Leadership, Human Development, Developmental Sciences, Educational Psychology, Family Studies, Education, Psychology, Public Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Park and Recreation Management, or other closely related disciplines from an accredited institution obtained by August 1, 2026.
• Evidence of research productivity, including publications and externally funded research is required for consideration of appointment at the Associate Professor rank.
• Strong evidence of research productivity, including publications and potential for externally funded research is required for consideration of appointment at the Assistant Professor rank.
• Evidence of successful teaching and applied experience required at both ranks
• A range of methodological expertise essential to success of a youth development scholar, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods required at both ranks
• Experience working with youth and youth programming, such as a non-profit or classroom/extension program setting required at both ranks.

Preferred qualifications: 

• Demonstrated ability or potential to develop curriculum, teach, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
• Evidence of strong communication, perspective-taking, and collegiality aligned with effective service at the departmental, campus, and professional levels.
• Experiences with community-based participatory research and/or youth participatory action research.
• Experience working on interdisciplinary projects, program evaluation, and the application of advanced developmental methods and statistics in the integration of research and practice.
• Passion for pursuing the scholarships of discovery, integration, application, teaching, and outreach in the context of youth development through agriculture, foods and nutrition, and physical activity.