Africana Studies Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, 2023-25

Africana Studies Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, 2023-25

The Department of Africana Studies at Williams College seeks to appoint a two-year postdoctoral fellow, to begin July 1, 2023. While we welcome a range of areas of expertise, we are especially interested in scholars whose research thoughtfully explores the intersections between Native American and Black Studies; between race and public health; and/or between land and education (including especially land matters such as conflicts and the impact of said conflicts upon educational institutions).

We acknowledge that Williams College stands on the ancestral homelands of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past and present.


Qualifications

Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary department that critically and systematically examines the cultures, histories, and experiences of people of African descent globally. Drawing from an array of courses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, students who earn a concentration or major in Africana Studies practice intellectually rigorous research, writing, and analysis of Africana culture that is also grounded in activism and life experience.

Applicants should be committed scholars with a Ph.D. in hand (granted no earlier than 2018) or expected no later than August 2023. The teaching load is one course per semester (1-1). As we recently had a major approved, candidates should be prepared to teach courses that would meet the curricular requirements for our core departmental electives. Information about the department and current curriculum can be found at: https://africana-studies.williams.edu/ .

As one of the goals of this fellowship is to provide recent PhDs with an introduction to faculty work and life at a liberal arts college, it is expected that the fellow will be present and active on campus in Williamstown. The salary for this position is $58,000 per year. The fellow will also be provided with full benefits including health and dental insurance, plus an allowance of $3,500 per year for research and professional travel. This position is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Mellon postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to participate in the college’s professional development program First3 and the offerings of the Rice Center for Teaching and Learning.


Application Instructions

Candidates should submit to the department chair, Professor James Manigault-Bryant, via Interfolio , the materials below. Where applicable, candidates should include (as relevant) how diversity, inclusion, and equity connect to their teaching, scholarship, and service:

• A cover letter of no more than two pages that identifies two courses to be taught during the Fellowship and the key questions driving your research; and
• A curriculum vitae.

The review of applications will begin on March 15, 2023. As the search advances, the committee plans to virtually interview the semi-finalists, and those candidates will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation and a writing sample of no more than 25 double-spaced pages. Additionally, candidates who advance to the final stage in the process should be prepared to run a 30 to 40-minute seminar or guided discussion on an aspect of their research, to be chosen by the candidate. We anticipate completing the search process by the end of April.

We recognize that these are uncertain times with changing health and safety restrictions given the endemic nature of COVID-19 and other viral illnesses. This search will follow all state and college policies, and we anticipate collaborating with candidates to best navigate health and safety during the recruitment process.

All offers of employment are contingent on the completion of a background check. Further information is available at: http://dean-faculty.williams.edu/prospective-faculty/background-check-policy/ .

Position begins

July 1, 2023

Application deadline

March 15, 2023

Apply online

https://apply.interfolio.com/121408

Williams College is a liberal arts institution located in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. The college has built its reputation on outstanding teaching and scholarship and on the academic excellence of its approximately 2,000 students. Please visit the Williams website ( http://williams.edu ).

Beyond meeting fully its legal obligations for non-discrimination, Williams College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn and thrive.