Visiting Professor

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, nonprofit university located in the heart of Silicon Valley with a singular focus on mental and behavioral health education. For five decades, PAU has been dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging challenges affecting individuals, organizations, and communities, preparing practitioners and scholars to meet the evolving needs of contemporary society. With an enrollment of approximately 1,200 graduate students and a small cohort of undergraduate students, the University offers a comprehensive portfolio of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional programs delivered through innovative online, hybrid, and residential modalities.

PAU is distinguished by faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized for their contributions to research, teaching, and clinical practice. Through rigorous academic preparation, applied research, and extensive hands-on clinical training, PAU equips students with the knowledge, skills, and professional judgment required for meaningful impact in the behavioral health fields. Together, these elements define PAU’s mission-driven approach to education and its legacy of preparing confident, competent, and compassionate professionals who make a difference in the communities they serve.

Visiting Faculty, Department of Psychology

One-year appointment, potential for an additional year renewal

Full-time (preferred) or Part-time, Residential/in-person (Palo Alto, CA)

A locality adjustment is available for full-time faculty who reside in one of the following seven counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz.

Responsibilities:

The visiting faculty will be expected to teach in-person 36 units across core and specialization courses in the Psychology Department, primarily within the APA-accredited PhD Clinical Psychology Program. The courses may include research methods and statistics, assessment (personality, intellectual psychometric theory), psychological theory and biological bases of behavior, and clinical courses. Additional responsibilities include student advising and departmental and university service.

The visiting faculty member will contribute to the department’s mission of providing outstanding teaching and service; have an appreciation of diverse constituencies and add to the department’s and university’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; have the ability to collaborate productively with students and faculty at PAU; and have strong oral and written communication skills and effective interpersonal skills.

Teaching and Advising

• Teach 36 units per year over a 9.5 month academic year (3-4 classes per quarter)
• Advise/mentor doctoral students
• Collaborate with program leadership to ensure teaching psychology-wide competencies

Service and Engagement

• Engage in 9 units of service over a 9.5 month academic year (3 quarters during the academic year) by serving on program, department and university committees
• Participate in program, department and university faculty meetings
• All faculty are expected to attend university events, such as convocation, commencement, graduation, and other major events

Research and Scholarship

• Research/scholarship is not required (i.e., optional) for this faculty line

Experience:

The University is seeking candidates with a demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The successful candidate will be creative and will have a strong commitment to teaching in a learner-centered environment. The successful candidate will have the following:

• A doctoral degree in clinical psychology or related field;
• Expertise in and experience teaching a range of psychology courses, with preference given to candidates able to teach the priority course topics;
• Successful undergraduate and/or graduate teaching experience with diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic student population;
• A strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; and
• The ability to work well in a small, collegial environment.

Order of preference of teaching, research, and/or clinical practice experience: Teaching courses on statistics and research methods, assessment, psychological theory, and biological bases of behavior.

Minimum criteria:

An earned doctorate in Clinical Psychology or other closely related discipline, from an accredited institution (or foreign equivalent) is required; applicants nearing completion of the doctorate (ABD) may be considered. For an appointment, the doctorate must be completed by the date of appointment.

Start Date: Summer 2026 or Fall 2026

Application Procedures:

PAU is committed to providing an educational environment that supports a diverse, equitable, and inclusive population. In the cover letter, include information on how your background and experience have prepared you to thrive in an environment that prioritizes equity, inclusion, and innovation as core to its mission and values. Additionally, describe the level of expertise and/or experience teaching priority course topics.

The expected start date for this position is Summer or Fall 2026. Interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter of interest
• Curriculum Vitae
• One-page statement of teaching philosophy
• One-page statement of equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy
• A one-page list of 3-5 references with contact information
• One to three page summary of teaching evaluations and TA, student, and/or peer comments/observations of teaching.

Please direct all questions to Jenn Book, Psychology Department Manager, at jbook@paloaltou.edu

No Discrimination: The University is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and other employment practices and in the application of its personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, employment decisions will be made irrespective of the staff member's backgrounds of race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law.

As provided by law, and when it is requested to do so, the University will offer reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities, if the individual is otherwise qualified to safely and to the University's standards of quality of work, perform all essential functions of the position and if it will be done without undue hardship to the University.

PAU has a high-quality work environment that attracts and welcomes a diversity of backgrounds of its employees. In your application or in a cover letter, please include information on how your background and experience has prepared you to work at a high level of quality of work with co-workers from a variety of different backgrounds.