The Department of Environment, Development & Health in the School of International Service (SIS) at American University (AU) invites applications for a full-time, tenure-line position at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning August 1, 2024. 

We welcome applicants who work on the political economy, history, and/or contemporary politics and process of development and aid, broadly conceived. The ideal candidate is a scholar and/or theoretically-trained practitioner-scholar who aspires to teaching excellence, and will be a dedicated mentor  to students who seek to address development and aid challenges of the 21st century. We are seeking candidates who are able to bring together conceptual, critical, practical, and empirical innovations in the investigation of emerging topics related to global development and/or the international aid sector.

The successful candidate will be enthusiastic about working in a multidisciplinary environment that includes anthropologists, architects, communication scholars, economists, geographers, health scholars, international relations scholars, lawyers, physicians, political scientists, and sociologists.  Preference will be given to applicants whose work is theoretically grounded, empirically tested, and policy or practice relevant.

The successful candidate will welcome teaching at least one core course in development , broadly defined, in addition to topical courses relevant to their research agenda. Willingness to mentor students in our vibrant undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs is desirable. The search is open to any related academic discipline, research methodology, level of analysis, or geographic concentration.  Possible areas of interest include, but are not limited to, development or aid as these relate to climate change, environmental harms, biodiversity, natural resources, disasters, violence, migration, social movements, social equity, underserved or marginalized groups, gender, race and ethnicity, emerging or artificial technologies, data analytics, and/or data justice.

The successful candidate will also share a commitment to the university’s diversity and inclusion plan.

Applicants should hold a PhD or the highest equivalent degree in a social science discipline by the start date, though ABD applications will be considered.  The standard course load for a tenure line faculty is 2/2, with an annual service requirement.  Salary and benefits are competitive.  Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled.

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Interfolio application system [http://apply.interfolio.com/130634].  Applications should include the following:

• A cover letter detailing your research, teaching and service record to date
• Curriculum vitae
• Sample publications
• A short teaching portfolio with a statement of teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., teaching evaluations)
• A statement describing past examples of your contributions to diversity and inclusion in your scholarship, the classroom, and/or in other professional settings
• The names and email addresses of three references that Interfolio system can contact for a confidential letter of recommendation.

Queries about the search may be sent to Chair of the Search Committee and Chair of the Department of Environment, Development, and Health, Lauren Carruth ([email protected]). Queries about the online application system may be sent to SIS faculty affairs coordinator Alissa Iwaniuk ([email protected]) and [email protected].

American University is a private institution of higher education in the nation's capital (Please visit  www.american.edu for more information). American University's School of International Service (SIS) is a top-ten school of international affairs with 3,000 students, 120 full-time faculty and more than 20,000 alumni worldwide.  SIS faculty produce transformational research and our prime location provides opportunities for collaboration with professionals in government, the private sector, and think tanks and other non-profits. The Department of Environment, Development & Health offers graduate degree programs in International Development, Development Management, Global Environmental Policy, and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, as well as undergraduate thematic areas in Global Inequality and Development and Environmental Sustainability and Global Health. Learn more about SIS at www.american.edu/sis and the department at https://www.american.edu/sis/departments/environment-development-health/index.cfm.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively “Protected Bases”) in its programs and activities.

American University is a tobacco and smoke free campus.

Hiring offers for this position are contingent on the successful completion of a background check.