Description

Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professorship in Early Childhood Education

The University of Georgia Department of Educational Theory and Practice (ETAP) invites applications for the Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professorship in Early Childhood Education. The candidate for this endowed position must be eligible for appointment at the rank of Full Professor at the University of Georgia beginning August 2027 (or a date to be negotiated with the candidate). 

The successful candidate will conduct high-impact, collaborative research and provide intellectual leadership in the Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFECOE) and beyond. We seek an established scholar and leader in early childhood education with expertise in grades PreK-5. The candidate will have a strong, sustained record of research, including outstanding scholarly accomplishments through publications and presentations, as well as an active research agenda that includes developing proposals for external funding and overseeing project implementation. The candidate will also demonstrate a strong record of professional service and leadership within national and international professional organizations in the field. 

The Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professor will receive endowment support to engage in innovative teaching and scholarship, including mentoring graduate students, preparing teachers and other educational professionals, and collaborating with faculty on research related to the mission of the Department of Educational Theory and Practice and the MFECOE. 

Required Qualifications:

      Earned doctorate in early childhood education, elementary education, or a related field

      Established program of research through strong publications and presentations

      Record of externally funded research 

      Record of service and leadership in national and international organizations in the field

      Eligibility for tenure and appointment at the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice

Please review the Department of Educational Theory and Practice’s promotion and tenure guidelines for more information on requirements for tenure and the rank of Professor

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(https://provost.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/ptu-criteria-educational-theory-practice.pdf). Any request for tenure must be approved before hiring.

Applicants should submit: Letter of application

      Curriculum Vitae

      Five recent publications, combined and uploaded as one pdf

      Contact information for five references. References will not be contacted until the candidate, if a finalist, has been notified.

All materials should be submitted electronically via: https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/506708

Applications received by Monday, October 26, 2026 will be assured full consideration, but this position is open until filled. Address questions to the search committee chair, Dr. Kyunghwa Lee (kyunghwa@uga.edu).

Elizabeth Garrard Hall was an extraordinary Georgia native whose experiences growing up during the Great Depression shaped her into a hardworking, resourceful, and deeply compassionate person. After earning her B.A. in Latin from the UGA College of Arts and Sciences in 1934 and beginning her career as a high school teacher in Fayetteville, GA, she and her husband, a chemist with the Coca-Cola Company, shared a commitment to expanding educational opportunities for young people. Having supported an orphaned child, she later continued this effort by generously helping impoverished children in Haiti. Ms. Hall’s love for education, respect for intellectual curiosity, and innate pragmatism has been honored through this permanent endowment.

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. 

As the 4th largest public college of education in the country and the 3rd largest college at UGA, the MFECOE improves the lives of residents of Georgia and beyond through our instruction, research, and service. The MFECOE is a comprehensive college with disciplines focused on teacher preparation, counseling and human development, communication sciences, human movement sciences, career development, student affairs, and educational administration and policy. We place significant emphasis on graduate education with approximately 40% of our students at the graduate level, making us the second largest college at UGA with respect to graduate education. 

ETAP has contributed to this stature locally, nationally, and internationally. The department is characterized by critical, forward-thinking research and innovative, dynamic teaching. ETAP is committed to making equity, access, and belonging visible in its courses, programs, policies, and practice. Our outreach and research include a variety of multifaceted collaborations, including those with  local school districts and local community-based informal education projects, as well as projects that extend across the state of Georgia, the United States, and a variety of international contexts. Information about the department is available at https://coe.uga.edu/directory/educational-theory-and-practice/. 

The Elementary Education program at UGA, which includes Early Childhood Education, has been ranked among the nation’s top 10 elementary education programs by U.S. News and World Report for more than a decade. Our mission in the Elementary Education program is to blend theory and practice grounded in our shared philosophy of critical pedagogy. Upon program completion, we expect our students to demonstrate teaching competencies related to habits of reflexive practice, integrating scholarship and research, engaging in professional collaboration, and appreciating and supporting multiple backgrounds and perspectives. These elements of thought and action are viewed as key to supporting critically informed and equitable teacher decision-making. The Elementary Education program is designed to offer theoretically and clinically rich experiences in diverse environments. By the end of the program, teachers are prepared to enact these commitments as leaders in their classrooms, schools, and communities. The Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professor will be expected to advance and extend the program’s national and international visibility and reputation by producing high-quality and rigorous research and actively participating in the broad community of scholars in education in general, and early childhood/elementary education in particular. 

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website (https://hr.uga.edu/employment/new-employee-orientation/before-you-start/). 

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).