Associate Professor of African American and African Diasporic Literature

The Department of Africana Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) invites applications for the position of Associate Professor of African American and African Diasporic Literature with tenure, to begin August 2024. Applicants with research and teaching interests in any aspects of the production and consumption of African American and African Diasporic literary and popular culture with interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches are welcome. We seek an associate professor with a demonstrated record of excellence in scholarship and teaching related to the field of Africana Studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and a commitment to and record of advocacy on behalf of the field, and who has leadership potential to assume the headship of the department within a couple of years. Preference will also be given to candidates who understand the historic and contemporary Black experience in America and the African Diaspora and are well-versed in critical race studies to provide intellectual and administrative leadership to our interdisciplinary program. Candidates should also have demonstrated commitment to fostering inclusive excellence. A Ph.D. in African American Literature and African Diasporic Literature or a closely related field is required, and additional expertise in African American and African Diasporic literature, media, and/or visual culture is preferred. Preference is given to scholars whose scholarship focuses on the explorations of African American and African Diasporic literary and cultural practices, historic and contemporary social justice movements, racial (in)justice, structural inequality, and intersectionality through comparative and transnational lenses. The position is fully located in the Africana Studies Department, with the possibility of teaching courses cross-listed with the English Department and other campus units. Standard teaching load is 2:3.

UMBC is a dynamic mid-sized public university (R1) that values undergraduate teaching, research, and mentoring. With over 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students and more than 270 student groups, the campus reflects the wealth of ethnic, national, and cultural diversity of the Baltimore-Washington region. The Africana Studies Department is an interdisciplinary academic unit committed to social justice and how the transnational and intersectional understandings of race, class, gender, nationality, ability, structural differences, and leadership and service to minoritized communities have shaped the experiences of people of African descent in Africa and its diasporic community in the United States and beyond. The department currently has three faculty lines and six affiliate faculty. It enrolls approximately 40 undergraduate students among its undergraduate major and minor. Africana Studies is one of the nine participating departments and programs in the Language, Literacy and Culture Ph.D. program. The department is deeply collaborative and committed to social justice and campus diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiative.

UMBC particularly prides itself on the diversity of its student body and we seek to attract an equally diverse pool of applicants for this position. Underrepresented groups (such as racial, ethnic, sexual minorities), women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The University and the Department are committed to increasing faculty diversity. Applications should be addressed to Dr. Gloria Chuku and should be submitted through Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/128206). Applications should include 1) a cover letter outlining interest in the position, leadership experience, and commitment to Africana Studies; 2) CV; 3) a statement of experience with and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and 4) a list of references. Review of applications will begin October 15, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. UMBC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.