Description

The University of Texas at El Paso

Department of Social Work

Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure-Track)

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Department of Social Work in the College of Health Sciences invites applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor. This is a 9-month appointment with potential for summer teaching or grant-supported summer salary. Job responsibilities include demonstrating excellence in teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate level, establishing a strong research portfolio, and service to the department, college, university, and profession. Anticipated appointment date is Fall 2026.

The University of Texas at El Paso is on the U.S.-Mexico border with Juárez as its sister city. This bi-national and bi-cultural community gives our students a unique perspective on social work. The Department of Social Work is committed to educating culturally competent practitioners who can serve the border region and beyond.

The UTEP Department of Social Work offers both a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) that prepares students for generalist practice and a Master of Social Work (MSW) that prepares students for advanced practice with a concentration in Social Work in the Border Region. An Online Master’s in Social Work (MSW) is now being offered.

This position represents an excellent opportunity for an outstanding scholar to build on a program of research that includes external funding. The applicant should demonstrate a commitment to social justice and social work practice, education, and research with a record of or potential for a strong research agenda in the fields of substance use, disorders, mental health, immigrant studies and community-based research. We are particularly interested in applicants with teaching, practice and research experience with underserved individuals, families and communities. Tenured/Tenure Track faculty members of the Department participate with the college’s Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences.

Required qualifications 

• PhD in Social Work, DSW, or earned doctorate in closely related field (all-but-dissertation doctoral candidates who are close to completion by May 2026 will be considered).
• An MSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
• A minimum of two years of post-MSW experience as a practicing social worker.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and research in the areas of substance use disorders, metal health and immigrant studies.
• Demonstrated commitment to scholarship through a record of scholarly publications, capacity for obtaining funded research, and teaching effectiveness.
• Experience working directly with people from population demographics reflective of our region.
• Licensure or eligibility for licensure as an LMSW or LCSW; and
• The ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, mentor students, and community stakeholders from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in a Hispanic Serving Institution.
• Knowledge of and experience with CSWE accreditation guidelines.
• Bilingualism in English and Spanish.
• A record of service in graduate and doctoral education.
• An understanding of and commitment to community and globally engaged scholarship.

Department of Social Work

The department has been educating social workers for over four decades. The BSW and MSW Programs are accredited by the Council of Social Work Education. The MSW Program - the only such degree in the country with a concentration on Social Work in the Border Region. The student body is highly diverse, comprises a Hispanic, bilingual majority, and includes a significant number of first-generation and international students.

The highly diverse departmental faculty is active in research programs in behavioral health, child welfare, migrants and refugees, intimate partner violence, aging, and health disparities. In addition to active research programs and scholarly engagement with the community, social work faculty participate as chairs and members on Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences committees and direct doctoral dissertations.

The department’s website can be found at: https://www.utep.edu/chs/sw/

College of Health Sciences

The College of Health Sciences prepares the next generation of health and human service professionals to improve quality of life and address health disparities in their communities. The College offers five undergraduate degrees in Clinical Lab Science, Health Promotion, Rehabilitation Sciences, Social Work, and Kinesiology.  There are four master’s degrees in the college: Speech-Language Pathology, Public Health, Social Work, and Kinesiology. There are currently three doctoral programs in the College: Doctor of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy Doctorate, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. High impact educational experiences enable students to develop leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, as well as a strong sense of social responsibility through community and global engagement opportunities.

Faculty and students engage in teaching, research, and service incorporating Boyer’s Model of the scholarship of discovery, integration, application/engagement, and teaching and learning, all related to the applied health sciences (https://www.utep.edu/chs/). The College’s facilities and programs are designed to promote interprofessional teaching, learning, research, and community & global engagement initiatives. The College of Health Sciences enjoys a strong and collaborative relationship with a range of local, national, and global community partners.  Graduate and undergraduate students participate actively with clinical and research faculty mentors in conducting a variety of projects relevant to addressing health inequities and improving quality of life in the Paso del Norte region and beyond.  

The University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Carnegie R1, opportunity, and community engaged university at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico border region that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education and economy of the community we serve. UTEP enrolls more than 25,000 students, 85% of whom are Hispanic and half of whom are the first in their families to attend college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, El Paso is set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert in one of the largest binational communities in the world. A family-oriented community that is one of the safest large cities in the U.S., the cost of living in El Paso is very reasonable with an average home value of $224,000 in 2025, and Texas has no income tax. The region’s rich culture includes a vibrant street art and mural scene, art galleries, a new children’s museum and science center, the state’s longest-running symphony orchestra and a full schedule of seasonal events and festivals. Sports fans will enjoy Division I college athletics, Triple-A baseball affiliate the El Paso Chihuahuas and professional soccer team El Paso Locomotive FC, and outdoor enthusiasts will be drawn to year-round hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing in nearby state

For more information about UTEP, please visit our website: www.utep.edu.    

El Paso, Texas

Set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert, UTEP’s award-winning, sustainably designed campus landscape and unique Bhutanese architecture create an energizing and tranquil oasis in the bustling El Paso-Juárez metroplex of more than 2 million residents. El Paso is a highly livable, bicultural community of more than 800,000 people that offers affordable homes and attractive neighborhoods. It has been repeatedly named among the safest large U.S. cities and is one of the largest bilingual, binational, multicultural communities in the Western Hemisphere.

El Paso experiences almost 300 days of sunshine annually, and residents enjoy outdoor activities year-round. The City of El Paso is adjacent to the state of New Mexico and the country of Mexico, making it an ideal venue for academic programs and research studies on topics of national interest, such as bilingual education/language acquisition, border environment and immigration, environmental sustainability and infrastructure, health disparities, and international trade and commerce.

El Paso’s active arts and culture community features the state’s longest-running symphony orchestra, a nationally recognized chamber music festival, art galleries, museums, and a full schedule of seasonal events and festivals. UTEP adds to the arts and entertainment scene with an award-winning dinner theater, music and dance productions, contemporary and student art galleries, and a natural history museum. 

For sports fans, the UTEP Miners offer exciting Division I college athletics at several campus venues including Sun Bowl Stadium, the Don Haskins Center, Kidd Field, University Field and the Helen of Troy Softball Complex. Southwest University Park, located a mile away in lively downtown El Paso, is home to the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, and the El Paso Locomotive, a professional soccer team founded in 2019.

Application instructions

Applicants must submit the following information: 

• Letter of application describing their interest in the position and experiences in social work (or closely related discipline) practice, education, and research – highlighting how their credentials and experiences align with required qualifications and any applicable preferred qualifications.   
• Curriculum vitae.
• Abbreviated research philosophy and plan (2 pages or less).
•  Brief teaching philosophy (2 pages or less).
• A sample of research publications or scholarship productivity; and
• Names and contact information of three references (references will not be contacted until an applicant has been selected for an on-campus visit).

Review of applications will begin immediately. Preliminary interviews will be conducted by video conference call fall semester 2025 with on-campus finalist visits to follow. The position will remain open until filled. The successful applicant will commence duties mid-August 2026.

For questions about the position, contact Jennifer J Salinas, PhD, LMSW, jsalinas7@utep.edu, Search Committee Chair, UTEP Department of Social Work.  

To apply, please visit https://www.utep.edu/employment

Additional Information

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Salary will be competitive for rank and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position comes with a start-up package and excellent fringe benefits.

Hiring decisions are contingent upon budget approval.

In keeping with its access, excellence, and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee’s or prospective employee’s right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.