Assistant Professor in Medical Anthropology

Rank/Title:  Assistant Professor Tenure Eligible 
Position Number:  5773
The SMU Department of Anthropology invites nominations and applications for a tenure-track position in medical anthropology. SMU ranked 72 among national colleges in 2023, and is a private, secular research institution. This is an opportunity to be involved in shaping innovative, interdisciplinary, research- and activism-oriented programming and curricula in a dynamic, well-established, and growing Department of Anthropology with a competitive undergraduate major in Health and Society and MA and PhD programs in medical anthropology.  

As one of eight tenure-line positions associated with Southern Methodist University’s faculty cluster in urban research, this position offers opportunities for rich interdisciplinary connections among new and existing SMU faculty. The cluster fosters research on cities and urbanization from local and global perspectives. SMU’s location in Dallas, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country, is an ideal setting for studying the opportunities and inequities that individuals, groups, and communities confront as they navigate and shape urban life. 

Minimum qualifications: Completed requirements for a doctoral or other terminal degree in Anthropology or related field and PhD in hand by August 1, 2024; expertise to teach courses in medical anthropology and related fields and demonstrated potential as a scholar-teacher. 

Preferred qualifications: PhD in hand; experience teaching graduate and/or undergraduate courses in Medical Anthropology or related fields relevant to our undergraduate program in Health and Society; ability to make significant contributions as a mentor and teacher for our M.A. and Ph.D.-level students in Anthropology; grant-supported research and/or creative scholarship which has led to publication, exhibition or dissemination in refereed journals or national venues. Experience with or an interest in community-engaged research in urban areas is desirable. Position begins August 1, 2024. 

To apply, please send your letter of application highlighting your research (funding and publications), teaching (courses, level) and mentoring experience, complete curriculum vitae, and the names of three academic references to: http://apply.interfolio.com/128525. Review of applications will begin immediately. To ensure full consideration, your application must be received by October 15, 2023, but the committee will continue to accept applications until the position is filled. The committee will notify applicants of the employment decision after the position is filled. Hiring is contingent on a satisfactory background check. Questions regarding the application should be directed to Dr. Neely Myers at namyers@smu.edu. 

SMU is growing in exciting ways with recent philanthropic gifts creating a new $100 million Moody Graduate School offering enhancements for our graduate students and faculty, and a new $30 million Peter O’Donnell Data Science Institute. We also just joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for college athletics.  

SMU faculty are part of an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community of internationally recognized scholars across the humanities, social sciences, mathematical sciences, engineering, law, fine arts, and business. SMU offers excellent benefits. In Anthropology, our faculty advance intellectual frontiers, both ancient and modern, through groundbreaking interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching, and community outreach, aimed at bringing insight and understanding to issues of inequality, global health and development, migration and borderland communities, and human impacts on and responses to climate change. Anthropology has long been one of the strongest programs at SMU and we have one of the oldest graduate medical anthropology programs in the U.S. Our undergraduate, Masters’ and Ph.D.-level programs help students build a complex understanding of difference, critical thinking, and global reach to best prepare them for life after graduation in academia and industry. Faculty currently hold competitive federal research grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, among others.  

The City of Dallas is one of the nation’s most cosmopolitan, commercial and cultural centers, and the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is the fourth largest in the US. SMU faculty enjoy a relatively low cost of living despite easy access to two major airports, a full range of cultural offerings, professional sports teams, and a lively and innovative restaurant scene. Explore Dedman College at https://www.smu.edu/dedman, and SMU at http://www.smu.edu. 

You may also be interested in learning more about Dallas and SMU here: 
Diverse Dallas: Information on Asian, African-American, Hispanic and LGBT Communities
LGBT Resources in Dallas 
Latino Dallas 
Highlights of SMU Benefits for Full-time Faculty 

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.