Executive Director of the Georgia Center for Developmental Science

Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America and is the state's flagship university (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 240 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University's main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University's enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly established School of Medicine.

The Georgia Center for Developmental Science is a university-wide hub that integrates expertise across developmental science, developmental cognitive neuroscience, public health, prevention science, and clinical and quantitative psychology. GCDS supports faculty across multiple colleges and departments through shared infrastructure for grant development, methodological consultation, data science and computational resources, and collaborative initiatives spanning basic, translational, and applied developmental science. The Center sustains active partnerships with rural communities across Georgia and advances research that addresses the social, environmental, and biological determinants of youth health, well-being, and resilience. In April 2026, GCDS hosted its inaugural conference, Pathways of Risk and Resilience: From Neuron to Neighborhood, signaling the Center's commitment to multilevel, multimethod, and translational developmental science. The Center's portfolio includes federally funded longitudinal neuroimaging and biobehavioral studies of youth growing up in adversity, secondary analyses of large-scale consortium data (e.g., the ABCD Study), and community-engaged prevention research, with active funding from NIH institutes including NIDA, NIAAA, NICHD, and NIMH.

The College of Family and Consumer Sciences, sixth largest at UGA in terms of undergraduate enrollment, is a student-centered college that emphasizes holistic student development and has grown rapidly in recent years to a current total enrollment of about 2,027 students. There are approximately 110 total faculty members in the College, where undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in all areas of family and consumer sciences, as well as collaborative programs with other schools, colleges, centers, and institutes at the University. The College provides a comprehensive graduate program, offering master's and doctoral degrees in all four departments with a current enrollment of about 250 graduate students. Administratively, the College is comprised of four academic departments (Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics; Nutritional Sciences; Human Development and Family Science; and Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors) and houses the Georgia Center for Developmental Science as a College- and University-wide research hub. International opportunities are strongly supported in the College and the University. Programs of outreach and public service, including outstanding Cooperative Extension initiatives, extend the resources of the College and University to the general public and targeted audiences. Faculty in the College manage significant external grants and contracts for research and public service from NIH, USDA, DOD, NIMH, NIDA, DOE, CDC, and GEFA, among others. Additional information about the College of Family and Consumer Sciences is available at https://www.fcs.uga.edu/.

This is an internal search restricted to current University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences faculty who hold tenure at the rank of Professor. Applicant screening will begin immediately. Candidates should submit their materials by Thursday, September 10, 2026. The application packet should include a cover letter detailing how the applicant's credentials and experience meet the needs, responsibilities, and qualifications stated above; a current curriculum vitae; a statement of research and leadership vision for GCDS (3-5 pages); and contact information for three references (who will not be contacted without further correspondence with the applicant).

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR ( hrweb@uga.edu).

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning, as well the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 08.02.18.01.02.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 06.05 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom.