Description

This college-level cluster search is designed to deepen C&IS’s capacity to study the communication and information processes that shape health and human well-being. We seek scholars whose work explains how health information moves through people, institutions, technologies, and public life, shaping what individuals and communities understand, trust, and do.

We welcome applicants whose research advances the broad approved scope of Health Communication & Information. Areas of interest include but are not limited to: health communication, public health, health information behavior, health literacy, information quality, misinformation and information integrity, patient-provider communication, health campaigns, risk and crisis communication, narrative medicine, informed decision-making, digital health, health informatics, HCI/UX design for health technologies, artificial intelligence, deep learning, AI-supported robotics, social and assistive robotics for health, data privacy and security, algorithmic trust, data analytics, accessibility, health and accessibility, information policy, rural and community health, aging, caregiving, mental health, chronic disease, health equity, and disparities.

The strongest candidates will show evidence of a strong research agenda, appropriate to career stage, with a record of or clear potential for external funding, national or international visibility, interdisciplinary collaboration, and meaningful scholarly, public, professional, or community impact. Special priority will be given to candidates with interdisciplinary interests and accomplishments that connect communication and information with health, healthcare, public health, technology, policy, or community well-being.

Successful candidates will teach two courses each fall and spring semester, which may include undergraduate, master's, and doctoral courses in areas related to communication and information sciences, research methods, and areas related to the candidate's expertise. Candidates should be prepared to mentor doctoral students and contribute to the College's interdisciplinary research culture.

Appointments may be made in Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Studies, Journalism and Creative Media, or Library and Information Studies, with the tenure home determined by the candidate’s expertise and fit within the College.

Applications submitted by September 20, 2026, will receive full consideration, and review of applications will continue until the positions are filled.  Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Dr. Rebecca K. Ivic, at rebecca.ivic@ua.edu.

Requirements

Applicants must have:

•  A Ph.D or other terminal degree in communication, information, medicine, public health, healthcare, or related fields
•  A record of scholarly research in health communication, health information, or a closely related area;
•  Scholarly achievements consistent with expectations for appointment at the relevant rank;
•  Evidence of or potential for effective teaching and mentoring;
•  Evidence of or potential for collaborative, interdisciplinary work.

Preferred qualifications include one or more of the following:

•  A research agenda that connects communication and information with public health, population health, clinical communication, community health, health systems, health policy, or health-related institutions
•  A record of secured external funding or sustained contributions to externally funded research appropriate to the field and level of appointment
•  Expertise in one or more methodological approaches relevant to communication, information science, public health, informatics, computing, engineering, human-computer interaction, media studies, journalism, advertising/public relations, social science, data science, or a closely related field
•  Experience translating research for public, professional, organizational, policy, or community audiences

 Applicants must submit:

• Cover letter addressing research, teaching, and fit with the Health Communication & Information cluster
• Curriculum vitae
• Research statement
• Teaching statement
• Names and contact information for three references. Letters may be requested later in the process.

The College of Communication & Information Sciences has four academic units, approximately 110 full-time faculty members, and serves approximately 3,500 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including approximately 95 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program. The college’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute dedicated to addressing societal and cultural issues related to communication and information research. The ICIR collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. The College is also home to the Public Opinion Lab, equipped with the Sprinklr data warehouse and custom data collection and management resources; a biometrics lab outfitted with state-of-the-art iMotions software and associated hardware; and the near-term development of an interactive VR/theater lab, among others. The college is also home to the Holle Center for Communication Arts, whose mission is guided by a commitment to advance narrative justice through innovative and arts-informed research, community engagement, and creative co-operation. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to Alabama Public Radio and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market.