Anthropology Tenured/Tenure-Track Position in Indigenous Studies
Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Open Date: Aug 28, 2026
Deadline:
The Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) invites applications for an open rank (Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor) position in Indigenous Studies, beginning in the 2027/28 academic year. We are particularly interested in candidates who explore the relation between coloniality, indigeneity, contemporary politics, and deep time in a global perspective. Scholars working on research areas that include sovereignty and governance, dispossession and extraction, climate and environment justice, law, health and healing, media and communication, and/or science and technology studies are encouraged to apply. We also welcome applications from scholars who work with collaborative, feminist and decolonial methodologies and projects that focus on Indigenous cultural heritage, material culture, and community collaboration in ways that may build relations with the Penn Museum's collections and research areas.
The successful candidate will have an active research and publication record advancing the field, that both builds on and expands the Department's strengths, while also enhancing departmental goals of innovative and collaborative research that crosses sub-disciplinary lines. Teaching responsibilities will include both undergraduate courses and graduate classes, and a teaching load of four courses per year. The candidate will also participate in the mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students working in these areas. The candidate's research and teaching should also contribute to Penn's Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Initiative. Candidates must have a PhD in Anthropology or a related discipline at the time of beginning the appointment.
About the Department
The Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania is a collaborative and interactive department. Our research engages with a range of issues that cut across anthropology's subdisciplines, including media and communication, migration and demographics, science and technology, health and environment, heritage and identity, race and gender, violence and social control, poverty and rights, and political and economic development. This research informs the courses we teach, and the students we advise.
Our department is housed within the School of Arts & Sciences, which is comprised of 28 academic departments, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Division, and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration are supported as much by the breadth and depth of academic pursuits at Penn as well as the proximity of resources on our contiguous green urban campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We promote and encourage curiosity, intellectual engagement, and discovery among all our students and faculty.
Qualifications
Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit the following materials at apply.interfolio.com/192503.
- Cover letter (2-3 pages)
- CV
- Research Statement (3-5 pages)
- Contact information for three individuals who have agreed to provide letters of recommendation
- Longlisted applicants will be invited to submit a writing sample later in the search process (a chapter or article of no more than 40 pages)
The review of applications will begin on October 15, 2026, and will continue until filled. Please contact Colleen Lawson (215.898.7443/ lawsonco@sas.upenn.edu) with questions regarding the application process.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
