Assistant Professor, Developmental Psychology CAHSS

As the Universitys largest and most varied academic unit the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) is comprised of artists learners performers scholars scientists and teachers across 21 departments programs schools and centers and acts as a central hub where many of the Universitys disciplines intersect. Nearly all 6000 undergraduates at the University take liberal arts courses with us and about one-third of these students declare a first major in a CAHSS program. Most of our departments programs and schools offer masters or doctoral programs. CAHSS scholars artists instructors staff and students collaborate in a shared quest for knowledge about the human condition and the development of skills to improve our local and global communities. The broad scope of CAHSS allows our students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed at nearly any career in todays global society.

The Department of Psychology at the University of Denver (DU) is a research-oriented unit valuing a collaborative and integrative approach to psychological science that fosters intellectual curiosity and innovation and invests in people in a supportive and inclusive environment. Our mission is to advance psychological science by generating and sharing new knowledge through collaborative scholarship educating and mentoring student scholars and contributing to the public good. We are a highly collaborative research-oriented department that values interdisciplinary perspectives and connections across traditional department areas (see for more information).

Our departments vision is to be an inclusive intellectual community that fosters discovery and innovation. Students and faculty in the Psychology Department actively engage in best practices in inclusive teaching research and service. Our department is home to two research institutes - the Stress Early Experience and Development (SEED) Research Institute ( and the Relationship Science Institute. The departments PhD program is currently ranked 62 in the nation.

Our Developmental Psychology Area has a broad research and training program that encompasses prenatal through adult development addresses important psychological social and health outcomes and integrates research across the developmental clinical neuroscience stress physiology and artificial intelligence (AI) areas of study. This area is also a core part of the SEED Research Institute which fosters rigorous interdisciplinary policy-relevant research with collaborative community partners to promote intergenerational health well-being and resilience.

Position Summary

We seek candidates for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning September 1st 2026 in the Developmental Psychology area of the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences. We are particularly interested in individuals doing work on cognitive development focusing on its intersection with social and emotional development. For example this work could include topics such as (a) the effects of positive and/or adverse early experiences on cognitive developmental outcomes (b) the social and emotional correlates of executive function and (c) the effects of social and cultural contexts on social-cognitive outcomes. We anticipate that a wide range of research programs beyond these specific examples would match the position and we encourage applications on diverse cognitive social and emotional topics in developmental psychology.

Our department values a developmental approach with many of our faculty across areas having interests in human development especially during the prenatal period infancy and early childhood middle childhood/school-age adolescence and emerging adulthood. Many faculty members share an interest in understanding stress early experiences and development and are members of the Stress Early Experience and Development (SEED) Research Institute. We welcome possibilities for candidates to connect with our departments current research at many methodological levels.

Successful applicants will have an outstanding record of research achievement and a strong commitment to both undergraduate and graduate education including classroom teaching and mentoring. Candidates should describe how their research connects to and complements the existing research strengths of our developmental faculty and other departmental faculty. Candidates should also be committed to working with all student and community populations and have demonstrated skills and knowledge in inclusive research and teaching practices.

We welcome your questions directed to our department chair Professor Kateri McRae at .

Essential Functions

All candidates should have a strong commitment to research and to both undergraduate and graduate education and demonstrated aptitude for excellence in teaching including classroom teaching and mentoring.

• Maintain an ongoing research program.
• Teach 4 course equivalents per year (across 3 academic quarters) as assigned divided among graduate and undergraduate courses; including University and department core requirements and elective and specialized courses.
• Supervise graduate student research projects theses and dissertations.
• Participate in department college and university citizenship and service activities commensurate with a full-time faculty member.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Research skills commensurate with area of study.
• Strong potential for high-quality teaching and mentoring.
• Expertise in inclusive pedagogical practices.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong ability to work independently and collaboratively in teams.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology Child Development Neuroscience Clinical Psychology Human Development and Family Studies or related degree
• ABD considered with completion date before 09/01/2026. If dissertation is not complete individual will hold the title of Instructor at a reduced salary.
• Strong research skills appropriate for area of study evidenced by authorship on at least one manuscript published or in-press at a peer-reviewed journal
• Potential to pursue research funding appropriate for area of study as evidenced by experience in or specific plans for developing funding proposals.
• Strong potential for high-quality teaching and mentoring as evidenced by training or experience in teaching and mentoring.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong programmatic research portfolio evidenced by experience leading research projects and authorship on multiple peer-reviewed publications
• Evidence of funding commensurate with career stage.
• Evidence of high-quality teaching and mentoring.
• Strong quantitative skills evidenced by use of multiple analytic techniques appropriate to research questions.
• Evidence of working effectively across various settings and populations in both research and teaching.

Working Environment

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.

Work Schedule
While the Universitys administrative offices are open Monday Friday 8:00 am 4:30 pm faculty schedules vary from term to term and are based on courses taught service commitments and research agendas. The Universitys academic calendars are posted on the registrars website (the law school is on a semester system and has a different academic calendar).

Application Deadline
For consideration please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) October 17 2025.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $88000-$93000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate departmental budget availability internal salary equity considerations and available market information but not based on a candidates sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits including medical dental retirement paid time off tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex (including sex stereotypes sex characteristics sexual orientation gender identity and gender expression) marital family or parental status pregnancy or related conditions national origin disability or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color national origin ancestry age religion creed disability sex (including sex stereotypes sex characteristics sexual orientation gender identity and gender expression) marital family and parental status pregnancy genetic information military enlistment or veteran status and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal state or local law regulation or ordinance in any of the Universitys educational programs and activities and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Workers Rights (POWR) Act; and any other federal state and local laws regulations or ordinances that prohibit discrimination harassment and/or retaliation. For more information please see the University of Denvers NonDiscriminationStatement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.