Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology

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Closing Date:

Type of Position:

Faculty - Tenure/Tenure TrackNo

Job Type:

RegularDay Shift (United States of America)Yes

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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Department:

Department of Anthropology

Summary of Job Duties:

The Department of Anthropology in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology to start in August 2026. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment. We seek applicants with broad training in cultural anthropology whose work addresses pressing issues of our time and whose theoretical and geographic expertise complements and/or expands current department strengths. Preferred areas of research include (but are not limited to): political and environmental change; inequality, law, and the state; and/or mobility and migration. The successful candidate should be prepared to teach an upper-level undergraduate class in History of Anthropological Thought and develop courses that will expand our undergraduate and graduate curricula. We especially welcome applications from candidates who are committed to building ties with units across the College and the University such as the Arkansas Humanities Center and area studies programs.

Candidates must have completed their Ph.D. in anthropology by May 30, 2026 (Spring 2026). Previous teaching experience as instructor-of-record at the college level is preferred.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in anthropology from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by May 30, 2026 (Spring Semester 2026)

• An active research program in cultural anthropology focused on a pressing issue (or issues) of our time, with the potential to involve undergraduate and graduate students

• Demonstrated theoretical and geographic expertise that complement and expand existing faculty strengths

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong record of successful publication and external funding in the theoretical and/or geographic areas of expertise

• Evidence of a theoretical focus on (but not limited to) political and environmental change; inequality, law, and the state; mobility and migration

• Demonstrated ability to develop innovative undergraduate and graduate classes that complement and/or expand the current offerings in cultural anthropology

• Teaching experience as instructor-of-record at the college level in cultural anthropology or a related field

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Expansive knowledge of, and the ability to teach, the history of anthropological thought

Additional Information:

About the Department:
The Department of Anthropology examines similarities and differences among people, lifestyles, and world views through time by the study of artifacts and material remains, the evolution of humankind and other primates, and issues such as ethnicity, gender, class, social inequity and religion. Courses help students explore many approaches to the various subfields. The Department of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas currently has 15 tenured or tenure track faculty, spanning the subdisciplines of archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology. For more information see the Department webpage: https://anthropology.uark.edu/.

Duties will include:
• 40% Teaching
• 40% Research
• 20% Service

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualificationsCover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Other (see special instructions for details)Proof of Veteran StatusMilad Odabaei, search committee chair, modabaei@uark.edu

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Completed applications received by October 10, 2025, will be assured full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.

For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Milad Odabaei, at modabaei@uark.edu.

Applicants must submit:
• a curriculum vitae,
• a cover letter/letter of application,
• an article/chapter length writing sample (published or publishable quality), and
• a list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and phone number) willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during the application process.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes