Director, Center for Research, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Transformative Engagement(s) - CREATE(s).

Position description

Position Overview

The University of California, Merced is seeking a dynamic and visionary Director to lead the Center for Research, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Transformative Engagement(s)-CREATE(s)- a new interdisciplinary research center at UC Merced.

CREATE(s) aims to advance understanding and effective responses to social inequality from multiple perspectives, with a focus on intersectional, community-engaged research that will be especially relevant to the San Joaquin Valley.

The Director will work closely with the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) and the Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence (EJIE), and will collaborate with various campus units and centers to foster transformative scholarship and intellectual community.

The center will seek to convene scholars to study and apply knowledge that helps appreciably transform our campus, region, and the world.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership : Provide visionary leadership to shape the mission, goals, and activities of CREATE(s) in alignment with the center’s interdisciplinary ethos and the university’s commitment to equity, justice, and inclusive excellence.
• Research Development : Promote and support theoretical and applied research by all members of the academic community, emphasizing ethnic studies, anti-racist scholarship, critical race studies, women, gender, and sexuality studies and social justice initiatives.

Through collaboration and engagement with the campus and external scholars, lead the center to foster new ways of thinking about inequality, injustice, power, language, culture, oppression, and exploitation and facilitate working groups focused on research, education, and grant-writing.

Collaboration and Partnerships : Collaborate with existing campus units and centers, including, but not limited to the Community and Labor Center, the Center for Climate Justice, the UC Merced Resource Center for Community Engaged Scholarship, theCenter for the Humanities, and the Health Sciences Research Institute.

Lead and motivate the center to build and strengthen partnerships with community groups and organizations to enhance research on underserved communities and implement community-relevant projects.

Resource Hub : Establish CREATE(s) as a resource hub for research projects and grants, providing support and training to graduate and undergraduate students in community-engaged and translational research.

Facilitate access to funding opportunities and promote scholarly capacity-building through workshops and grants.

Fundraising and Grant Management : Lead and champion fundraising initiatives to secure resources for CREATE(s) from diverse sources, including philanthropicorganizations, government agencies, and individual donors.

Manage the entire grant lifecycle, from identification and application to administration and reporting, ensuring that funds are utilized efficiently and in line with the center’s mission and objectives.

Event Planning and Coordination : Provide strategic leadership to the center and team to organize and oversee various programs and initiatives, including focused research, seminars, faculty fellows, distinguished lectures, conferences, symposia, and community conversations.

Ensure broad dissemination of findings and actionable recommendations through collaboration with campus climate committees and related organizations.

Administration and Management : Provide oversight and direction to the team in managing the day-to-day operations of CREATE(s), including budget oversight, staff supervision, and resource allocation.

Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment that values diverse perspectives and promotes interdisciplinary scholarships.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications

Qualifications

Strong academic record that merits appointment at the rank of full professor.

PhD or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant field, with a strong record of research and scholarship related to social inequality, equity, anti-racism, ethnic or gender studies, or related areas.

Demonstrated leadership experience in an academic or research setting, including strategic planning, program development, and team management.

Knowledge of and commitment to intersectional approaches to research, community engagement, and social justice.

Experience working collaboratively with diverse communities and stakeholders, fostering partnerships, and implementing community-engaged projects.

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage and collaborate with scholars, students, community members, and external stakeholders.

Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage resources effectively.

Institutionally-minded approach to goal setting, mentoring, vision, and problem solving.