Assistant Professor in Applied Cultural Anthropology

The Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at Western Kentucky University (WKU) seeks qualified applicants for an Assistant Professor in Applied Cultural Anthropology. This is a full-time, nine-month, tenure-eligible position to begin August 12, 2024. The topical and geographic areas of applied expertise are open, but preference is for candidates in an area with potential for campus or community collaboration such as visual/media anthropology, immigrant/migration studies, environmental anthropology, or medical anthropology.

The Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology offers a four-field undergraduate program in anthropology with about 70 majors and minors, as well as a minor in folklore. The department also houses the Anthropology Lab, Ethnographic Visual Production Lab, Kentucky Archaeological Survey, and Kentucky Folklife Program.

Undergraduate degrees at the university include film; film studies; photojournalism; environmental, sustainability, and geographic studies; public health; healthcare administration; and nursing. Resources on and off campus include the Kentucky Museum, African American Museum of Bowling Green, and University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Bowling Green is one of the largest areas for refugee resettlement in the nation for a town of its size. It is home to the International Center of Kentucky, GEO International High School, and Bowling Green International Festival.

Responsibilities:

The Assistant Professor will teach a 3:4 course load including multiple sections of courses in support of the anthropology major/minor and the university's general education program. Courses will include Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, and Foodways, with other courses dependent on expertise and program needs. 

The successful candidate will engage in scholarly and research activities; participate in student advising and mentoring; assist in the work of the department; serve on departmental, college, and university committees; and represent the department in service to the public. Western Kentucky University is a dynamic comprehensive university committed to the promotion of stewardship and student engagement.

Requirements:

PhD in Anthropology at time of appointment.

Application:

Review of applications will begin on December 4, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled.  The following items must be submitted through an electronic talent management system at https://wku.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=170319:

• Letter of intent
• CV
• Names and contact information of three references
• Unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• Sample syllabus for at least one of the four required courses

Names and contact information of three reference providers will be collected during the application process. Reference letters will be requested by the Search Committee through an online process at a later date.