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NEH Postdoctoral Positions: Rediscovering American Democracy: Teaching the Humanities in the Time of Covid

Postdoctoral Positions in American Studies

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of English are pleased to announce that they will be offering four one-year NEH-funded postdoctoral positions in American Studies during 2022.  Supported by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, these four scholars will be conducting research pertaining to the theme of “Rediscovering American Democracy: Teaching the Humanities in the Time of Covid.” Their projects will bring the methods of humanistic inquiry to bear on pressing social issues laid bare by the Covid-19 pandemic such as racial justice, gender equality, environmental vulnerability, and the preservation and expansion of democratic ideals.  Their work will cover subfields including Asian-American, Black, Ethnic, Indigenous/Native American, Latinx, and Queer/Gender Studies, as well as Environmental Studies and Popular Culture.

The postdoctoral scholars will provide exceptional opportunities: collaboration with other postdocs hired in this cluster; mentorship from senior faculty and outside scholars; summer working groups to support research; and a teaching load designed to enable progress on a major research project. Each scholar will teach one course per semester in English, History, Film, or a related discipline.

In pursuing their scholarly research, each scholar will also participate in bi-weekly faculty seminars to develop a course in a new program in American Studies that is designed to apply the study of the Humanities to contemporary issues of pressing concern through study and reconsideration of United States culture in the past or present.  It is possible that these positions may, after the term of the NEH grant, be converted into three-year visiting assistant professorships to play a key role in staffing the nascent program.

To apply, please visit our Human Resources webpage. For inquiries, please write to Dr. Jonathan Greenberg, Chair, Department of English or Dr. Melinda Knight, Professor of English and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence.

The University

With a proud history and a vibrant future, Montclair State University is one of New Jersey’s most diverse and dynamic institutions of higher education. One of four public research institutions in the state, and the second largest, Montclair State is a designated R2 Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

The University is located 12 miles west of New York City on a 252-acre suburban campus, which boasts modern, state-of-the-art facilities complemented by green spaces, public plazas and striking Spanish Mission architecture, and a spectacular view of the New York City skyline.  It offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs through 10 colleges and schools.  With a student body of 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 22 states and 13 countries, the University has an expansive campus life with on-campus residential capacity of 5,300, more than 120 student organizations, and 18 NCAA Division III athletic teams.

The dynamic diversity of the University’s community has been acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Education through its recognition of Montclair State as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as a “Top Degree Producer” among institutions that confer the most degrees to minority students.

Montclair State University is proud to be committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate in its recruitment and employment practices. The University is an inclusive, richly diverse community that fosters mutual respect, tolerance and understanding among all students and employees.