Posting Details
Position Information
Position/Rank
Department Chair
Department
00198 - Parks Recreation and Tourism
City
Salt Lake City, UT
Track
Tenure Track
New Position to Begin
July 1, 2027
Details
Department Chair, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) in the College of Health at the University of Utah seeks an accomplished academic leader with a clear vision for advancing the PRT teaching, research, and community impact to serve as Department Chair. This is a unique opportunity to lead a well-established department at a flagship R1 institution and advance its role as a national leader across parks, recreation, tourism, hospitality, and sport through the lens of health, well-being, sustainability, and community impact. The Department includes 12 faculty members, 2 staff, 6 contract instructors per semester with ~30 adjunct instructors covering outdoor experiential (i.e., U-EXPLORE) courses each semester. The department hosts numerous students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs with approximately 255 total undergraduate students including 175 primary majors, ~40 declared 2nd area majors, ~40 minors, and 20 graduate students in Master's and Ph.D. programs.
The Chair will guide the Department through its next phase of growth, elevating its national reputation, strengthening interdisciplinary collaborations, and positioning PRT as a leader in advancing health, well-being, and sustainability through parks, recreation, sport, tourism, and hospitality.
The Department
The Department of PRT offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees, with undergraduate emphases in Outdoor Recreation Studies, Community Recreation and Sport Management, and Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Management, and minors in PRT, Hospitality Management, and Sport Administration. In addition, the Department offers U-EXPLORE; an outdoor experiential program for students to earn academic credit and for community members through the University of Utah Community Education offerings.
Faculty research addresses critical issues including health and wellness, human development, sustainability, issues of access, and community impact. The Department is housed in the College of Health and is well-positioned for collaboration across University of Utah Health and the broader campus.
Key Responsibilities
The Chair serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the Department and reports to the Dean of the College of Health.
Primary responsibilities include:
• Providing strategic, visionary, and collaborative leadership to advance departmental excellence and future growth
• Supporting faculty success in research, teaching, service, mentoring, and professional development
• Strengthening extramural funding, research productivity and scholarly impact
• Managing departmental resources, including budget, personnel, and facilities
• Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across the University and with community, industry, governmental, and other external partners
• Advancing a culture of inclusive excellence, transparency, and shared governance
• Recruiting, developing, and retaining outstanding faculty, staff, and students
• Enhancing the department's regional, national, and international visibility and reputation
This is a twelve-month position. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Opportunities and Challenges for the Next Chair
The next Chair will be positioned to:
• Develop and communicate a strategic vision for the future of the department and lead initiatives that enhance academic excellence, research productivity, student success, community engagement, and national visibility.
• Elevate national visibility and impact of the Department through strategic faculty hiring, research growth, and program innovation.
• Strengthen the connection between PRT and health sciences, leveraging the unique position within University of Utah Health.
• Expand interdisciplinary research and teaching collaborations across colleges and clinical partners
• Enhance external partnerships with public agencies, nonprofits, and industry leaders in recreation, tourism, and outdoor sectors.
• Grow and diversify revenue streams, including grants, contracts, and philanthropic support
• Advance inclusive excellence, ensuring the Department attracts, supports, and retains a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students.
• Innovate academic programming, including online/hybrid delivery, and integrated degree pathways that leverage growth and economic interests of the State of Utah that uniquely complement careers paths and research in PRT.
QualificationsRequired
• Earned doctorate or other terminal degree in parks, recreation, tourism, hospitality, sport management, or a closely related discipline.
• Record of scholarly achievement and academic leadership sufficient to merit appointment as a tenured Associate or Full Professor at the University of Utah.
• Demonstrated success in academic leadership, including experience with faculty development, strategic planning, program administration, resource stewardship, or comparable leadership responsibilities in higher education.
Preferred
• Experience leading an academic department, program, center, or other complex academic unit.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement a strategic vision for program growth and excellence.
• Experience recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining faculty and staff.
• Experience managing budgets, personnel, and other departmental resources.
• Demonstrated success in securing external funding and building productive partnerships.
• Ability to foster interdisciplinary collaborations in research, teaching, and service.
• Demonstrated commitment to collaboration, transparency, inclusive excellence, and shared governance.
• Strong commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service in an R1 research university environment.
The College of Health and University of Utah
The Chair will join a highly collaborative College of Health committed to innovation, interdisciplinary scholarship, student success, and community impact. The position offers the opportunity to shape the future of a nationally visible academic department while leveraging the extraordinary resources of an R1 research university and integrated academic health system.
The College of Health is a dynamic academic unit within University of Utah Health, supporting a broad portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. As part of the College of Health, the department benefits from extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships spanning public health, health promotion, population health, behavioral science, rehabilitation, and community-engaged research. This environment creates unique opportunities to advance the role of recreation, tourism, hospitality, and sport in promoting health and quality of life.
The University of Utah is an AAU member institution and a Carnegie-designated R1 university. Situated in one of the nation's premier regions for outdoor recreation, tourism, sport, and active living, the University offers a distinctive environment for advancing research, education, and community engagement across parks, recreation, tourism, hospitality, and sport. As part of an academic health system and the College of Health, the department is uniquely positioned to address critical challenges at the intersection of recreation, health, well-being, sustainability, and community vitality through interdisciplinary scholarship and innovation. The University is experiencing significant growth in research, innovation, community engagement, and collaborative partnerships, creating exceptional opportunities for the next Chair to build upon the department's strong foundation, expand its national visibility, and shape its future as a leader in preparing scholars and professionals who will positively impact communities locally, nationally, and globally. The department is well positioned to leverage the University's strengths in health, sustainability, community engagement, entrepreneurship, and innovation to address emerging opportunities in parks, recreation, tourism, hospitality, and sport.
Location
Salt Lake City offers an exceptional quality of life, with access to world-class outdoor recreation, a vibrant arts and culture scene, and a rapidly growing economy. The University campus sits at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, providing unparalleled access to year-round outdoor activities.
Application Instructions
Applicants must apply online at: https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/209367
Applicants should include the following materials:
• Cover letter addressing leadership experience and vision
• Curriculum vitae
• Leadership statement (up to 3 pages) describing the candidate's leadership philosophy, administrative experience, vision for the future of parks, recreation, tourism, and hospitality education and research, and commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative academic community. Please upload as a PDF under "Applicant Document - Other" category.
• Names, titles, and contact information (affiliation, phone number & email address) for three references.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until filled.
Preferred starting date is July 1, 2027.
Applications will be reviewed beginning immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Inquires
Inquires may be sent to:
Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer
Professor and Chair
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
College of Health
JulieB.Kraemer@hsc.utah.edu
