
Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor
School/Department Name: Department of Public Health
Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $ 89,760 -$ 103,116
Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.
Target Start Date: August 17, 2026
Application Deadline: February 27, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)
Position Description
The Department of Public Health at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an Assistant Professor, beginning in August 2026. We are seeking a candidate with expertise in the intersection of Public Health and technology and artificial intelligence. Experience with artificial intelligence includes but is not limited to machine learning for predictive modeling, genomic and environmental data to identify risk, surveillance of disease spread from climate, travel, and social media data.
The Department of Public Health awards B.S. degrees in Public Health and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in community health education. Both our undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in on-campus and fully online formats. Our department is social justice oriented and our programs are student-centered with curricula designed to meet the complex, dynamic needs of our diverse student body. Our curricula values hands-on experiential learning and high impact practices, and faculty and students are engaged in and with our local community through research and practice.
The Department of Public Health and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.
We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.
Required Qualifications
- Doctoral degree in public health or closely related field; MPH or doctoral degree from a CEPH accredited program.
- Demonstrated experience or potential for teaching excellence, including in areas such as (but not limited to) health policy, health justice, multicultural health, health communication, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, or qualitative methods;
- Active public health research agenda with substantial potential for publications and funded research, including but not limited to using transdisciplinary, community-engaged, and/or applied research;
- Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a multicultural population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching and other comparable experience.
- Candidates should also have research, teaching, and/or practice experience relevant to how Public Health intersects with artificial intelligence, health technology, for health equity. The successful candidate will teach, conduct critical research, and engage in public health scholarship that advances equity and justice in the tech-driven world.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of disciplinary trends regarding issues that center race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration, and underserved communities;
- Experience working with racially diverse students in the classroom, and an understanding of how historical patterns of exclusion of groups within higher education and the profession shape patterns of participation and outcomes;
- Ability to effectively design, teach, and evaluate graduate and undergraduate courses, in traditional, online, and hybrid formats;
- An active and well-articulated research agenda, coupled with interest and ability to secure external grant funding;
- Demonstrated ability or potential to conduct both undergraduate and graduate advising and mentoring;
- Demonstrated leadership skills;
- Ability to work collegially on department accreditation as well as contribute to the department’s strategic planning.
Key Responsibilities
- Teach courses in undergraduate and graduate Public Health programs (on campus and online, including synchronous and asynchronous formats) (Department Overview and Curricula);
- Leadership in the Public Health programs, including oversight for ongoing assessment of student learning objectives and program outcomes, student advising, alignment of online and campus courses, continuous improvement of teaching and learning, and adherence to all CEPH accreditation requirements;
- Conduct research, develop successful grant applications, present academic/professional papers, regularly publish in academic/professional journals, and contribute to the scholarship of public health;
- Engage in community and university outreach to develop and maintain practicum/internship sites, curriculum resources, service-learning opportunities, alumni engagement, and development/advancement opportunities;
- Participate in analysis of and planning for the changing ecology of higher education and the public health workforce, including the development and implementation of a strategic plan, professional development, and program accreditation;
- Demonstrate awareness and experience understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, cultural background, ethnicity, primary language, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advising.
- Demonstrate a strong record of service to the department, college, university, and broader community, including committee leadership, program development, and contributions that advance departmental goals.
- The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
- Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
- The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advising.
Other Duties
Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.
Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.
Application Procedure
Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents [departments may specify length of items below (e.g. 2 pages)]:
- letter of interest
- curriculum vitae
- institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
- statement of teaching interests/philosophy
- research plans
- three references with contact information.
Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair, Monica D. Allen, DrPH, MPH monica.allen@sjsu.edu, or Search Committee Chair, Marcelle Dougan, ScD, MPH, Meng, marcelle.dougan@sjsu.edu.
Conditional Offer
The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.
San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.
Equal Employment Statement
San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.
Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.
Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.