Director of DEI and Community Engaged Scholarship
Position overview
Application Window
Open date: August 1, 2024
Most recent review date: Sunday, Sep 1, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.
Final date: Thursday, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description
The Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California Davis (UCD) School of Medicine envisions a healthier and more equitable world. In service to this vision, the mission of the Department is to advance the field of family medicine through innovative education, person-centered care, research and other forms of scholarship, community engagement, and advocacy, to improve population health and equity.
To help advance this mission, the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UCD School of Medicine is recruiting for a highly skilled, engaging, and visionary full-time faculty member and leader in the Professorial, ClinX, HSCP or In-Residence series at the Associate or Full Professor rank, to serve as the Department’s inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Community Engaged Scholarship. This position reports to the Department Chair and provides Department level leadership across all our programs and represents the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the UCD School of Medicine and in the leadership teams of community-based organizations we partner with in care and training.
Faculty in the Clinical X series are expected to engage in professional competence and activity, teaching, research and creative work, and University/public service. Faculty in the Health Sciences Clinical Professor series are expected to engage in teaching, professional competence and activity, scholarly or creative activities, and University/public service. Faculty in the In-Residence/Professorial series are expected to engage in teaching, independent research and creative work, demonstrate professional competence and activity, and provide University and public service.
The Department of Family and Community Medicine is located on the UCD Health campus in Sacramento, California, and headquartered at the UCD School of Medicine, which US News and World Report ranked #3 nationally for student diversity, #5 for family medicine, and #6 for primary care in 2023. The Department includes 22 faculty physicians (7 in research-oriented positions), 6 staff physicians, and 42 resident physicians. We are a diverse group of clinicians, educators, and scholars who strive to deliver outstanding care to all our patients, improve the way primary care is provided, and educate the next generation of clinicians including family physicians, all pursued through an equity lens.
Under the leadership of Department Chair Anthony Jerant, MD, the Department of Family and Community Medicine is in an exciting phase of its 50-year history at a time of rapid transformation in healthcare. Known for outstanding education, clinical care, and ground-breaking research, the Department also has had longstanding and meaningful engagement with DEI and antiracism efforts, a sampling of which are summarized on the Department website: https://health.ucdavis.edu/family-medicine/about/dei/. There is also broad recognition among our Department members that there is much more work to do in these aspects, and strong commitment to further growth and continual improvement in this realm as a way of being, informing all of our endeavors. The inaugural Director of DEI and Community Engaged Scholarship will be the key Departmental agent providing vision and leadership to successfully pursue this approach.
We are in Sacramento, the capitol of trend-setting California - a highly diverse and growing community (metropolitan area population 2.4 million), and a great place to live and work. The city and its surrounding communities are booming with many cultural activities, world-renown farm to table dining, and a plethora of outdoor activities to enjoy. Over the past 6 years, the Department has greatly expanded its presence in the local community. In the realm of research and scholarship, several faculty members who are MD/PhD trained medical anthropologists are pursuing exciting community-engaged research, leveraging UC Davis resources such as the Public Scholarship and Engagement and Health Equity Resources and Outreach (HERO) programs. Further, with Department leadership, financial, and administrative support, the MD/PhD faculty have launched a Social Medicine Symposium series to build community, increase collaboration, and support training among faculty, students, trainees, and scholars with expertise in health-related social sciences and humanities locally and beyond, and to help in pursuing the eventual establishment of a Social Medicine Center at UC Davis.
Our faculty are both productive and impactful in their published research and scholarship: according to the latest UCD School of Medicine Publication Metrics Report, from 2017 to 2022, collectively our faculty had 115 peer-reviewed publications indexed in SciVal and/or Scopus (with 1755 total citations, an average of 16 citations per document). 38% of these articles are in the top 10 most cited journals in the field and 20% of publications are among top 10% most cited articles in the field worldwide. Much of this work is focused on addressing disparities in health and healthcare and social influences on health: https://health.ucdavis.edu/family-medicine/research/research-faculty.
In the clinical and clinical training realms, the Department has forged several mutually beneficial and successful clinical and training relationships with partner organizations, including three federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) (two of which are ACGME-approved continuity training sites for our residents), and has continued its longstanding relationship with the local Veteran’s Administration medical center. These partnerships are designed both to ensure excellent training of our students and residents in caring for underserved and vulnerable patients most in need of care, and to improve the health of individuals, families, and communities locally, regionally, and beyond.
For the full position description and to apply, visit https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06296
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic
excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment, UC Davis conducts a refence check
on all first choice candidates for Academic Senate Assistant Professor, Steps 4, 5, or 6. The reference check involves contacting administration of the applicant’s previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantial findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search for assistant professor to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled "Authorization to Release Information" into Recruit as part of their application. If the candidate does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete
application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists considered for Academic Senate Assistant Professor, Steps 4, 5, or 6 will be subject to reference checks.
EXPECTATIONS
Reporting structure: The Founding Director of DEI and Community Engaged Scholarship reports to the Department Chair, with secondary “dotted line” reporting to the DFCM Vice Chairs for Clinical Affairs, Education, and Research.
• Responsibilities: The founding Director of DEI and Community Engaged Scholarship will be recognized as an institutional leader by UCD Health, UCD School of Medicine, and community organizations in relation to community engagement and related research and scholarship, and in DEI and antiracism advocacy and efforts.
Research and mentoring responsibilities (40% effort)
• Plan, implement, oversee, support, and evaluate community engagement efforts and bi-directionally beneficial and impactful community-engaged research and scholarship stemming from those efforts.
• Serve as a role model, mentor, and sponsor for other DFCM faculty and learners who are leading, participating in, or aspire to involvement with community-engaged research and scholarship.
• Support and strengthen collaboration between academic researchers and community partners throughout the entire arc of research (planning, conducting, dissemination).
• Support and promote equity focused research.
Leadership and administrative responsibilities (40% effort)
• Provide vision and leadership for DEI and antiracism initiatives across the department’s various missions and sites, aligned with the Departmental and institutional strategic plans.
• Serve as Chair of the DFCM Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE) Committee, and as our key representative on the UCD SOM IDARE Committee: https://health.ucdavis.edu/diversity-inclusion/committees/departmental-committees-index.html
• Liaison with and, where appropriate, serve on other School of Medicine, health system (e.g., Community Review Board), and community organization committees and represent the DFCM by advocating for our patients, communities, clinicians, and learners, and working collaboratively to develop mutually beneficial community-engaged initiatives and projects.
• As a member of the department’s executive leadership team, contribute to the development and implementation of departmental strategic planning, budgeting, management, and operations.
• Meet regularly with leaders from UCD Health and community partner organizations, to help align DFCM’s strategic vision with the goals of the health system and those of our community partners.
• Develop and monitor metrics applicable to the Department’s DEI and antiracism goals. This includes periodically assessing, qualitatively and quantitatively, the productivity and success of programs, policies, and services, with presentation of periodic progress reports to the Department and its leadership.
• Participate in or lead efforts to identify, recruit, retain, develop, and increase the diversity, representation, and inclusion of our faculty and staff, addressing and mitigating bias in the recruitment and selection processes.
• Act as lead point of contact for faculty and staff in addressing concerns regarding discrimination because of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religious identity, or disability.
Clinical and teaching responsibilities (20% effort)
• Build and provide top quality outpatient primary care to an outpatient panel of size proportionate to clinical effort.
• Develop curricula for residents, medical students, and potentially other trainees (e.g., nursing students), with a particular focus on the topics of community-engaged scholarship, social medicine, disparities in healthcare access and delivery, health and healthcare equity and advocacy, structural competency, and related topics.
• Oversee ongoing faculty and staff development education in DEI topics and structural competency
Desired characteristics:
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust and longstanding relationships
• Approachability, honesty, and transparency
• The ability to articulate a vision, recruit support for achieving it, and convey genuine passion for the organization’s mission and objectives
• A collegial, consultative, and diplomatic management style that respects and facilitates interdisciplinary/inter-professional cooperation
• Analytical skills and conceptual thinking that embraces challenges, identifies opportunities, and catalyzes action
• Ability to thrive in a complex matrix organization with the typically high levels of uncertainty and ambiguity inherent to such organizations
• Adaptability to change and the ability to conceive of alternative approaches to achieving results
• Strong sense of self and emotional intelligence, political acumen, and personal humility
• Unquestioned personal integrity
Qualifications
• Current M.D. or D.O. medical license
• Active board certification in Family Medicine
• Medical licensure or eligible for licensure in the state of California
• Track record of progressive success in the conduct, leadership, administration of, and mentoring in community engaged research and scholarship and DEI and antiracism initiatives and programs– preferably in the academic healthcare environment and encompassing partnerships with community-based organizations
• Demonstrated experience and success working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and learner environment
Though not a requirement, a PhD degree in anthropology, sociology, public health or another relevant social sciences discipline and expertise in qualitative methods is highly desired.
Application Requirements
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Cover Letter
Statement of Research
Statement of Teaching
Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/faculty-equity-and-inclusion for guidelines about writing a statement and why one is requested.
Authorization to Release Information Form - A reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the first choice candidate. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form: https://aadocs.ucdavis.edu/your-resources/forms-and-checklists/forms/ARF.pdf
- 3-5 required (contact information only)
Help contact: gmharwood@ucdavis.edu
About UC Davis
UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).
We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.
For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20
For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination
Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their "Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.
The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.