Assistant Professor

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland, College Park invites applications from outstanding scholars to be appointed as Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Urban Environmental Health. We seek a scholar with a PhD in anthropology whose work explicitly examines the link between the environment and human health and wellbeing in urban and/or suburban environments. The candidate should possess environmental and/or medical anthropological expertise that addresses environmental health topics including, but not limited to, climate change, disaster management, nutrition and food security, water security, air pollution, sanitation and waste disposal, built environment, and/or the impacts of toxic chemical exposures, among other areas focusing on the intersections of health justice and environmental justice.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in environmental health with theory from ecological and socio-cultural/medical anthropology to examine the influence of social, structural, and behavioral factors related to social inequality and environmental and human health. Their research program should demonstrate a commitment to collaborative and interdisciplinary research that recognizes the intersectional health, racial, and environmental justice implications of their work. Candidates who use multiple forms of data, analysis, and research methods spanning health, biology, ecology, and other allied fields are of particular interest, but the candidate should demonstrate strong abilities in ethnographic methods. The overall geographic region is open; however researchers currently, or interested in, developing Mid-Atlantic regional-focused research are especially encouraged to apply, as well as those whose work focuses on the impacts of legacies of settler colonialism and chattel slavery on contemporary environmental health.

We seek a colleague with demonstrated and/or clear potential to develop an independent and robust research program in Urban Environmental Health in the Department of Anthropology. The successful applicant will have a track record demonstrated through a variety of pathways, such as publications, research funding, awards, teaching and mentorship, community engagement, policy development, knowledge translation, and interdisciplinary collaborations appropriate to the level of the scholar. Successful applicants should show a strong theoretical and methodological focus that complements existing faculty research and that is grounded in community-based, justice-oriented approaches to research. Candidates are also expected to have a commitment to teaching and mentorship at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including working with students and groups from underrepresented backgrounds. We particularly seek candidates who can concretely discuss how their scholarship, teaching, and public engagement work contribute to principles of diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

This position is part of a cluster hire in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) at the University of Maryland centered on social justice and inequality. The cluster hire will bring in new faculty in multiple departments, including African American Studies, Anthropology, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Government and Politics, Psychology, and Sociology. Faculty recruited through this initiative will join a larger community of scholars in BSOS conducting fundamental research on inequities as they arise as a function of race, gender, sexual orientation, economic, immigration status, and the intersectionality of these and other identities. The College envisions significant opportunities for cross-disciplinary discussion, collaboration, mentoring, and professional development within the cluster.

Candidates are expected to teach both undergraduate and graduate classes that contribute to our department’s core offerings and courses appropriate to their expertise. Such courses include: Introduction to Medical Anthropology and Global Health, Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Anthropology, Applied Urban Ethnography, Urban Anthropology, and Environmental Health.

This position is part of a cluster hire in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) at the University of Maryland centered on social justice and inequality. Faculty recruited through this initiative will join a larger community of scholars in BSOS conducting fundamental research on inequities as they arise as a function of race, gender, sexual orientation, economic, immigration status, and the intersectionality of these and other identities. The College envisions significant opportunities for cross-disciplinary discussion, collaboration, mentoring, and professional development within the cluster.

How to apply

• Please apply online at: https://ejobs.umd.edu (Position # 123712) Please submit a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae listing qualifications and experience, and the names and contact information for three professional references. Your letter should provide additional detail of your expertise and experience that speaks to job requirements and should discuss how you will contribute to our departmental commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.

Priority will be given to applications received by December 18, 2022. The position will remain open until filled. Questions may be sent to the search coordinator, Nadine Dangerfield, 301-405-4737 or at nadine@umd.edu. The Department of Anthropology is committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community.