The Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University invites applications for the Doug and Ramona Lawrence Residency in Interdisciplinary Classics, a distinctive artist, scholar and/or creative practitioner position designed to make a dynamic impact on both student success and public engagement. This nine-month residency will bring the ancient world to life through teaching, creative practice and/or research, while engaging in outreach that connects classical cultures with contemporary issues and communities in provocative ways that demonstrate their relevance to today’s rapidly changing world.
The Resident will develop and complete a large-scale experiential project that makes classical antiquity tangible and accessible for students across MSU, including those outside the humanities, that also engages a wider public. Possible areas of work may include performance, digital reconstruction, public-facing media, game design or interactive storytelling, material culture, ancient technologies, or other forms of creative and immersive learning. Through these projects, the Resident will help students and the local community understand the continued importance of classical studies to fields such as the arts and sciences, engineering, medicine, and/or policy, as well as public life.
A central responsibility of the position will be to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the university. The Resident will work with faculty, students, and programs in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies and may build partnerships with units such as the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, the College of Social Science, the College of Music, the College of Natural Science, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Engineering, the College of Human Medicine, and/or MSU’s residential colleges. The residency is intended to serve as a bridge between the humanities and other disciplines, showing how classical studies can support broad, integrative, and socially meaningful education.
The successful candidate will contribute to undergraduate education by teaching one course per semester and mentoring students in the Classical and Mediterranean Studies minor. They will also engage in outreach to local secondary schools and help broaden access to classical studies education by demonstrating how classics-centered humanistic inquiry can enrich professional, creative, and civic development.
By engaging students from many majors and colleges, the Resident should have a record of creative, scholarly, pedagogical, and/or public-facing work that connects the ancient world with interdisciplinary practice. The department especially welcomes candidates who can design collaborative projects, engage diverse student audiences, communicate the value of classical studies beyond specialist settings, and contribute to the construction of a visible and sustainable model for classics-centered learning at MSU.
As a high-impact position that seeks to attract innovative leaders in the field of classical studies, as well as established artists and creators whose practice engages the classics in ways that are appealing to the public, this position is funded at $90,000. This includes both an academic year's salary and the costs to undertake a major research and/or artistic/creative project. Benefits, including Health/Dental/RX, Social Security, and Misc. matches are provided in addition to this amount. Residents are expected to work primarily on the MSU Main Campus in East Lansing, MI for the duration of the residency, which spans from August 15 through May 15.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree
Terminal -MFA, PhD or equivalent terminal degree
Minimum Requirements
Applicants should preferably hold an MFA, PhD or equivalent terminal degree; other degrees considered with 4 years of professional experience; while prior experience teaching at the college level is preferred, other types of teaching experience will be considered; an established record of a creative practice and/or scholarly publications is required.
Required Application Materials
- 1-page statement of interest describing applicable qualifications and experience
- Curriculum vitae
- Portfolio of creative works in PDF format (including links) OR 2 samples of academic writing; alternatively, artist-scholars may submit a combination of a few selected creative works and 1 sample of academic writing
- 2-page proposal for a large-scale creative work or research project to be completed during the residency, including:
- a suggested timeline for completion
- a proposed budget that indicates how the $90,000 will be allocated, with a minimum of $70,000 allocated for salary and a maximum of $20,000 allocated for costs related to research, travel, production materials and supplies, exhibition or performance space rental, the hiring of production assistants, other artists, etc.
- an explanation of how this project will be disseminated to students and the public by the end of the residency period
- 1-page proposal for two experiential and/or immersive initiatives to be completed during the residency that could be carried out at MSU and/or local high schools
- 1-page proposal for two courses to be taught during the residency period
- Names and email addresses for three letters of recommendation
Special Instructions
All applications for this position must be submitted electronically at the Michigan State University Human Resources website http://careers.msu.edu by December 4, 2026. Posting #1174823.
Review of applications will begin December 4, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.
For inquiries regarding the positions contact Scott Boehm, Chair, Search Committee (sboehm@msu.edu).
Review of Applications Begins On
12/04/2026
MSU Statement
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
