Assistant Professor- medical anthropologist grounded in biocultural approaches & methods

The Department of Anthropology at Washington State University invites applications for a permanent, full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Pullman, WA. We seek to hire a medical anthropologist grounded in biocultural approaches, and methods; regional focus is open. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin the appointment on August 16, 2024.

Given the needs of the department, institution, and its constituencies, the workload of this position is approximately 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service. The research profile for our ideal candidate is a scholar with:

• Research focusing on cultural aspects of human health and well-being in a biocultural framework
• Commitment to innovative and systematic mixed-methods research with demonstrated strength in qualitative approaches
• Research with demonstrated or clear potential real-world applications Ability to obtain external research funding
• Commitment to collaborations with communities and interdisciplinary teams
• A research program that lends itself to student collaborations
• Research and related teaching that complements or extends current departmental strengths

WSU is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive university community. Towards continually strengthening this commitment, we seek candidates whose research, teaching, and/or service has prepared them to be an integral contributor to the continued advancement of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access here at WSU.

Job Duties:

Responsibilities include: (1) teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in cultural and biocultural anthropology; (2) maintaining an active program of health-related scholarship in a biocultural framework; (3) engaging in collaborative work within and beyond the discipline, including with communities; (4) recruiting, advising and mentoring diverse graduate and undergraduate students, including recruiting and retaining students from systematically excluded, historically underserved, and/or minoritized groups; and (5) providing service to the department, institution, and profession, including outreach to broader communities.

Required Qualifications:

• Earned doctorate in anthropology or an appropriate, related discipline by the beginning of the appointment.
• An active, collaborative, health-oriented research program.
• A commitment to an ongoing and sustained research program with a health focus in living populations.
• A commitment to innovative and systematic mixed-methods research.
• Research with demonstrated or clear potential real-world applications.
• Demonstrated record of or potential to achieve a record of research accomplishment.
• Demonstrated record of or potential to establish and maintain an externally funded research program.
• Demonstrated record of or potential to successfully teach and mentor students at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
• Demonstrated ability and/or potential to support, mentor, and educate individuals identifying with systematically excluded, historically underserved and/or minoritized groups and to contribute to WSU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in research, teaching, mentoring, and/or service (https://www.wsu.edu/drive-to-25/diversity-recruitment-plans).

Salary/Benefits: $70,000-77,000 per nine-month academic year

In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate’s current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.  WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For additional information, please review the detailed Summary of Benefits offered by WSU for Faculty and Total Compensation.

To Apply: Visit https://wsu.edu/jobs, select your appropriate employment status, and search for R-10687. Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application. External candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of your application. Internal WSU candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/Cover Letter” section of your application.

•  A cover letter addressing how your experience, training and approach meet the qualifications for this position. In this letter, please also include names, addresses, and contact information of at least three references who can evaluate your history of and potential for excellence in research; teaching; and service (letters will be requested at a later time).
• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching and Mentoring Statement. Detail teaching and mentoring experience and strategies, including experience or training relevant to teaching among and/or about diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Discuss experience with and/or methods of mentoring advisees.
• Research/Scholarship Statement. Describe your health-oriented research experience and your proposed research program at WSU. Address how your research engages with communities, interdisciplinary researchers, and real-world applications.
• Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement. Address past activities as well as future plans to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, teaching, professional activity, outreach and/or service.

For information regarding this position, inquiries should be directed to Search Committee Chair Dr. Robert Quinlan at rquinlan@wsu.edu.  

Posting Close Date: Applicants must submit their completed application by January 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

About WSU, Pullman, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Anthropology

Washington State University is a land grant, multiple-campus, Research 1 institution. This position will serve on the Pullman campus, which has an enrollment of around 20,000 students and is located in southeastern Washington on the homelands of the Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and Palus people. Located 80 miles south of metropolitan Spokane, Pullman is also a quick drive away from the scenic Idaho panhandle and Moscow Mountain. The rolling hills of the Palouse offer a wide range of activities and a true four-season climate. The area provides ample opportunity to enjoy the cultural and academic hub of both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho. For more information about the region, please see https://pullmanchamber.com.

Encompassing more than 30 departments, schools, and research institutes on five campuses statewide, the College of Arts & Sciences is the heart of WSU. Together our 730+ faculty and staff deliver more than 50% of WSU’s total undergraduate and graduate instruction, including the vast majority of WSU’s core curriculum. We also drive wide interdisciplinary research in public and community health, environmental change, equity and social justice, and data and technology at the boundaries. As Arts & Sciences celebrates its 10^th anniversary as a unified college, we seek to lead a reimagining of WSU’s land-grant mission for the 21^st century, expanding the boundaries of creativity and discovery while simultaneously recognizing more completely our obligations to Native and Indigenous peoples.  For more about the College of Arts & Sciences at WSU, please see https://cas.wsu.edu.

The Department of Anthropology is an academic unit located in the College of Arts and Sciences. Anthropology’s 22 faculty conduct research, support courses and mentorship, and provide service at WSU’s campuses in Pullman, Vancouver, and the Tri-Cities. The department offers the BA at WSU’s Pullman and Vancouver campuses, and to its Global campus, and teaches courses in support of a minor and certificate in American Indian Studies. Partnering with the School of Biological Sciences, we also offer a BA in Human Biology at Pullman and Vancouver. With faculty specialties and graduate degree tracks in cultural anthropology, evolutionary anthropology and archaeology, the department offers the M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology in each of these areas of emphasis, supporting a graduate program with approximately fifty students. For more about the Department of Anthropology, its faculty, graduate students and programs, please see https://anthro.wsu.edu/.

WSU acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native American peoples, who have lived in this region and have been caretakers of the land from time immemorial. The Morrill Act of 1862 established our land-grant institution by providing public and federal lands that are traced back to the disposition of Indigenous lands, often taken by coercive and violent acts, and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment towards reconciliation. And as a land-grant institution, WSU is deeply committed to the land-grant mission, its Memorandums of Understanding with Native tribes in the region, and a tradition of service to society. To read the full WSU land acknowledgement, please see https://wsu.edu/about/wsu-land-acknowledgement/.

Washington State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Educator and Employer. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veteran, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.

WSU is committed to excellence through diversity and faculty-friendly policy action, including partner accommodation and NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation programs (https://www.advance.wsu.edu/). WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

WSU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521 (v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.