The Department of Art History at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) invites applications for a “Bridge to the Faculty” postdoctoral Research Associate in the arts of Africa and/or its global diasporas, to begin on August 16, 2021. 

The Bridge to the Faculty program is funded by the Chancellor’s Office and administered by the Office of the Provost. It has been designed to diversify the faculty by attracting and retaining promising scholars from groups that have been historically underrepresented in Art History. Successful postdoctoral associates with department approval will have the opportunity to transition to faculty starting in the 2023-2024 academic year. In addition to mentorship within Art History, the research associate will participate in a cohort-based mentoring experience through the Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity, where they will have the opportunity to meet other Bridge to the Faculty Scholars.

This postdoctoral position will bolster a critical and self-reflexive understanding of the discipline of Art History as a product of colonial modernity. Research specialization is open to any time period, but the department is particularly interested in scholars who are committed to recent methodological perspectives and critical engagement with current debates within and beyond the discipline of art history. We are particularly interested in applicants who demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue, theoretical fluency, and research interests that enlarge current faculty strengths. Interest in and capacity to contribute to the department’s program in museum studies is also encouraged.

The successful candidate will be expected to be able to teach one or more survey courses related to the arts of Africa and its global diasporas, such as African Art and Architecture, African American Art, Arts of the Black Atlantic, or other topics of similar breadth, as well as more focused seminars for advanced undergraduate and graduate students on topics related to their specific research interests. The postdoctoral associate will only teach one course per year during an initial two-year term, after which period there is the possibility of transitioning into a tenure-track faculty position with a teaching load of two courses per semester. 

Located in the heart of one of the most vibrant cities for art and architecture in the United States, UIC is a comprehensive public urban research university with an exceptionally diverse student body and a strong tradition of support for difference and equality. UIC’s College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and its School of Art and Art History are committed to engaged scholarship, social justice initiatives, and digital humanities.

Applicants are expected to have completed their PhD no later than August 16, 2021 (the start date of this position), and no earlier than August 16, 2017. All application materials must be received by January 29, 2021. Submit the following to the UIC job board at jobs.uic.edu:

1. Cover letter describing their current and future research plans as well as teaching experience and aims
2. A one-page statement of contributions to diversity
3. Curriculum vita (CV)
4. A writing sample (a dissertation chapter plus abstract and/or a related publication)
5. Contact information for three academic references