Assistant Professor - Global Black Geographies - Department of Geography

The Department of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, invites applications for a tenure-track position in Global Black Geographies at the rank of Assistant Professor, to begin July 1, 2026. This position will engage with the spatial dimensions of life in African and/or Black diasporic communities in the Global South, examining how these communities have historically been shaped by and responded to changing social, political, and environmental conditions. Some relevant areas of scholarship might include, but are not restricted to, Black studies, race and empire, political economy and postcolonial geographies, racial capitalism, the Black diaspora, urban or agrarian studies, political ecology, and global science and technology studies.

This position contributes to the department's long-standing strengths in the geographies of Africa and its diaspora as well as their political economy and political ecology, and our commitment to the material study of Black life and thought.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application): A J.D., Ph.D., M.D., (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in a J.D., Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Preferred qualifications: Candidates are expected to demonstrate methodological innovation and theoretical rigor, with work that explores processes such as urbanization, democratization, displacement, land transformation, and economic and/or environmental change through grounded, place-based inquiry.

Successful applicants will support undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring, contribute to the department's collaborative academic environment, and advance research agendas that deepen scholarly understanding of uneven development and transformative spatial practices.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Research Statement - Please discuss research accomplishments and proposed plans. This can include, for example, your publication record, awards, presentations, inclusive research practices that promote the excellence of your research, and areas for future research.
• Teaching and Mentoring Statement - Please discuss prior teaching experience, teaching approach, and future teaching interests. This can include, for example, specific efforts and accomplishments, and future plans to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy. Please also discuss your mentoring experiences and approach. This can include, for example, past efforts and future plans to support the success of all students, and to foster an inclusive research environment that removes barriers and promotes equitable access and advancement of the research program.
• Service Statement - Please discuss specific prior and proposed academic, professional and/or public service activities. This can include, for example, participating in professional or scientific associations, serving on committees that advance department, campus or discipline goals, and conducting outreach activities that can remove barriers and increase participation of academics in your field.
• Publication/Writing Sample #1 - Journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, or other appropriate products.
• Publication/Writing Sample #2 - Journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, or other appropriate products.
• Publication/Writing Sample #3 - Journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, or other appropriate products.
• Authorization to Release Information Form - A reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. Download, complete, sign, and upload the Authorization to Release Information form.

Reference requirements: 3 required (contact information only). Letters will be solicited in mid-October for those candidates under serious consideration with a submission deadline of two weeks from when the request is sent for those applicants under consideration at that stage.