Assistant Professor of Anthropology (Native Studies)

The Department of Anthropology at William & Mary, a public university of the Commonwealth of Virginia founded in 1693 that is located on lands originally inhabited by ancestors of the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Upper Mattaponi, and Rappahannock tribes, seeks applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level in Native Studies.

William & Mary’s Native Studies program is an interdisciplinary minor housed in the Department of Anthropology that interfaces with Linguistics, Hispanic Studies, Latin American Studies, American Studies, Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies, Africana Studies, History, Sociology, Art and Art History, the Muscarelle Museum, and the Institute for Integrative Conservation. While the Native Studies program is recently established within the context of wider diversity initiatives on campus, it is embedded in a long and complex history of relationships between William & Mary and Indigenous communities, ranging from the Brafferton Indian School built in 1723 to today’s American Indian Resource Center that partners with descendant communities and tribal members in Virginia and beyond.

We seek a candidate with an active research program centered on Indigenous communities in the Americas to join a four-field department with a longstanding commitment to Native Studies and historical anthropology. We welcome applicants working on a range of topics, including but not limited to language revitalization and reclamation, sovereignty, health, gender and sexuality, political economy, interculturality, visual and expressive culture, social movements, Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies, environmental governance, and education. The department is interested in the theoretical, comparative, methodological, and applied and/or restorative dimensions of the candidate’s engagement with Indigenous communities. 

Duties include research, teaching, and service to the University, including the enhancement of ties to Indigenous communities. The applicant is expected to establish and maintain a vibrant research program that inspires a highly motivated undergraduate student body in Native Studies, Anthropology, and beyond, as well as Master’s/Ph.D. students in the Department of Anthropology. Appointment will begin August 10, 2023.

 Teaching expectation is two courses per semester. Successful applicants must possess the skills to teach compelling courses that serve Native Studies as well as Anthropology more broadly.

 Required Qualifications: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in anthropology, Native and Indigenous Studies, or a related field at the time appointment begins (August 10, 2023).

 Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience in teaching and mentoring successful undergraduate and graduate research is preferred, as is evidence of scholarly achievement or demonstrated potential as a scholar. 

 Applicants must apply online at https://jobs.wm.edu. Submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter, a statement describing previous professional experience or future plans (or both) that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion, a statement of teaching interests, and a statement of research interests. You will be prompted to submit online the names and email addresses of three references who may be contacted by the system with instructions for how to submit a letter of reference.

For full consideration, submit application materials by the review date, November 1, 2022. Applications received after the review date will be considered if needed.

William & Mary values diversity and invites applications from underrepresented groups who will enrich the research, teaching and service missions of the university. The university is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and encourages applications from women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities. William & Mary conducts background checks on applicants being considered for employment.   

Information on the degree programs in the Native Studies Program and the Department of Anthropology may be found at https://www.wm.edu/as/anthropology/ and

https://www.wm.edu/as/anthropology/undergraduate/minor/native-studies/index.php.