Campus

OSU-Stillwater

Contact Name & Email

Dr. Sheila Kennison, sheila.kennison@okstate.edu

Work Schedule

TBD

Appointment Length

9 months or less

Hiring Range

Commensurate with education and experience

Priority Application Date

While applications will be accepted until a successful candidate has been hired, interested parties are encouraged to submit their materials by October 15, 2026, to ensure full consideration.

Special Instructions to Applicants

To apply, please submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, and contact information from a minimum of three professional references.

About this Position

Assistant Professor of Psychology

The Department of Psychology at Oklahoma State University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor of Psychology with an anticipated start date of August 2027. We seek a scholar with a program of high-quality research in neuroscience, neurobiology, biological basis of behavior, or a closely related area who can teach courses in neurobiological bases of behavior at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Area of specialization is open, and we welcome candidates from cognitive, social, developmental, health, clinical or related areas.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be expected to establish and maintain a competitive and productive program of high-quality research, leading to scholarly professional publications, presentations, and grantsmanship. Candidates should be strongly committed to excellence in both research and teaching. The candidate will also be expected to teach courses in Neurobiological Psychology at graduate and undergraduate levels and provide research training and mentorship for doctoral and undergraduate students. Responsibilities will also include service to the department, college, and university.

About the Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology at Oklahoma State University is committed to research, teaching, and outreach. The Department currently houses 22 tenured/tenure-track and 11 career-track full-time faculty and offers undergraduate programs in Psychology and Graduate programs in Experimental and Clinical Psychology. The Experimental Program has concentrations in Developmental, Comparative-Neurobiological, Cognitive, and Social-Personality Psychology and is home to the Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN). The Clinical Program, continuously APA-accredited since 1971 and PCSAS-accredited since 2018, is based on a clinical science model of training, and has subspecialties in Clinical Child, Pediatric Psychology, Health/Behavioral Medicine, and Adult Psychopathology. The Department is also home to the Center for Pediatric Psychology (https://cas.okstate.edu/psychology/center_for_pediatric_psychology), reflecting OSU’s 30+year history of dedication to training clinical psychology graduate students wishing to specialize in the field of pediatric psychology. The Department oversees and supports a large student body of approximately 50 doctoral students and 1300 undergraduate majors. Several of our current faculty maintain active research and training collaborations at both the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and the OSU College of Medicine in Tulsa, offering rich opportunities for access to medical specialty populations and collaborations. Additionally, OSU Stillwater, OSU College of Medicine, and OSU Tulsa partnered to host the interdisciplinary OSU Brain Initiative (https://tulsa.okstate.edu/brain-initiative) in Tulsa, OK, where the most advanced MRI system in the state is located, OSU Biomedical Imaging Center at the Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience: https://osumedicine.com/location/biomedical-imaging-center/. Several current faculty maintain active research and training collaborations at the Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience, offering opportunities for access to medical specialty populations and collaborations. For more information about our department, please see our website (http://psychology.okstate.edu).

About Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University is a Carnegie R1 research institution with a 130-year legacy as one of the nation’s model land-grant universities. Its beautiful Stillwater campus serves as the flagship of the OSU system, which enrolls more than 34,000 students. The College of Arts and Sciences offers exceptional strengths across the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities, complemented by institutional excellence in engineering, agriculture, and business. Together, these strengths support a collaborative intellectual environment and OSU’s longstanding commitment to research, teaching, and public engagement.

Home to approximately 50,000 residents, Stillwater offers the welcoming atmosphere and affordability of a college town within an hour’s drive of two major metropolitan areas, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The city benefits from a vibrant, university-centered intellectual and cultural community, with lectures, performances, exhibitions, Cowboy athletics, and traditions such as OSU’s signature Homecoming and Walkaround traditions. The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts brings internationally renowned artists and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, to Stillwater, while the OSU Botanic Garden, Block 34 park and amphitheater, Main Street, locally owned restaurants and breweries, parks, trails, and abundant outdoor recreation contribute to the city’s quality of life. Stillwater Regional Airport’s new passenger terminal and multiple daily flights to Dallas–Fort Worth provide convenient connections to destinations across the world.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Psychology or closely related field (degree must be conferred on or before agreed upon start date).
• Evidence of high-quality research with a trajectory of building a national profile.
• Evidence of successful college or university-level teaching and/or mentorship.
• Evidence of an ability to effectively mentor and collaborate with students.

Skills, Proficiencies, and/or Knowledge:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Specialization in cognitive, social, developmental, health, clinical or related areas.