Job Posting: Environmental History at Michigan State University
Assistant Professor of Environmental History
Lyman Briggs College (http://lbc.msu.edu/) and the Department of History (http://history.msu.edu/)
at Michigan State University invite applications for a tenure-system
academic year position at the assistant professor level for a scholar of
Environmental History, with a preference for a scholar whose research
focuses on water and with an additional focus on one or more of the
following: borderlands, social justice, race, subaltern, indigenous,
colonialism, and post-colonial studies. The position will be 75% in
Lyman Briggs College (LBC) and 25% in the Department of History (HST) in
the College of Social Science and will start on August 16, 2018.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. in History or an allied field, such as the
History of Science or Science and Technology Studies, and expertise in
both Environmental History and History of Science. Preference will be
given to candidates whose research and teaching focus on questions about
issues like water management, distribution, or pollution. Time period
and geographic area are open. Duties include (1) teaching three small
LBC undergraduate courses annually in the History, Philosophy, and
Sociology of Science (HPS) on topics in the history of science,
technology, and the environment; (2) teaching one course on
environmental history annually in HST; (3) maintaining an active program
of research in environmental history via publication (including
peer-reviewed scholarly publication), grant activity, and
research-related outreach and engagement; and (4) typical academic
service duties in LBC and HST, with duties in each reflecting the split
appointment. Preference will be given to candidates who have
demonstrable records of success in peer-reviewed publication, the use of
evidence-based teaching methods, the teaching of environmental history
and the history of science, and promoting the value of inclusion via
one’s teaching, research, or service (see: http://www.inclusion.msu.edu/
Founded in 1967, LBC is a vibrant residential college at MSU that
focuses on the study of science in its social contexts. Bridging the
“two cultures” of the sciences and the humanities, the LBC curriculum
integrates natural sciences and mathematics courses with courses in the
history, philosophy, and sociology of science. Nearly all of the
students in LBC major in biological or physical sciences. About 60% of
LBC students are women and about 20% are students of color. More than
20% of LBC students belong to MSU’s Honors College. The college’s
faculty, staff, and students promote inclusion through a range of
initiatives and have won awards for diversity and inclusion in their
instruction and research. Faculty work closely with students in small
classes and with student groups such as Women in Science and the Briggs
Multicultural Alliance. LBC welcomes applications from strong candidates
who can enhance and complement the intellectual and cultural diversity
of the LBC faculty. The joint appointment in HST is part of MSU’s
investment in cross-college collaboration. This position complements
existing strengths in the Department of History with its doctoral field
in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology.
MSU is home to over 60 science studies scholars, ranging from historians
and philosophers of science to legal scholars of science policy.
Interactions are facilitated by research centers such as the Center for
Ethics, Humanities and the Life Sciences and the Center for Gender in
Global Context. The university fosters a culture of cross-unit
collaboration and offers financial resources such as seed grants for
science studies scholars to work with STEM/biomedical scholars (http://s3.msu.edu), and for interdisciplinary environmental science collaborations (http://www.espp.msu.edu/
Application materials must be uploaded by the candidate to the Careers @ MSU page at http://careers.msu.edu. The job number for this position is 466185. Complete applications will include a C.V., teaching portfolio (see guidelines at: http://lymanbriggs.msu.edu/
The deadline to ensure full consideration of applications is November
15, 2017 and review of applications will continue until the position is
filled. Questions regarding this position may be directed to the search
committee chair, Dr. Sean Valles, at valles@msu.edu.
LBC cultivates a vibrant, multi-disciplinary community that is diverse
along many dimensions, including race and ethnicity; gender, sexual
orientation, and gender identity and expression; ability status; and
creed or ideology.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. MSU is
committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and
inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full
potential. The University actively encourages applications and/or
nominations of women, persons of color, veterans, and persons with
disabilities.