"Assistant Professor in Biological Anthropology"

Job Details

Purpose:

The Department of Anthropology at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit, Catholic university, seeks applicants for a full-time tenure-track position in biological anthropology. SCU is a welcoming and inclusive community of teaching scholars whose work is grounded in the university’s fundamental values. Those values, which include academic excellence, social justice and community engagement, are infused with a culture of care that defines our community—upholding the dignity of all. The university draws on the many resources of the greater Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, where we are located.

We seek a teacher-scholar with an active field and/or lab-based research program at the intersection of infectious disease, immunology, and/or human growth and development. Applicants should be theoretically grounded and empirically engaged in biological anthropology, with a commitment to community collaboration. Geographic area is open, with preference for candidates whose research does not duplicate current faculty research specialties.

The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2026 and be expected to teach, engage in scholarship, and do service for the department, college, and university. SCU is on the quarter system and tenure-stream faculty are expected to teach six courses per year (two each quarter), assuming they are actively engaged in scholarship.

The position comes with generous benefits (scu.edu/hr/benefits), including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, and University contributions toward retirement. Recognizing the high cost of housing in the local area, there are two University housing assistance programs: Rental assistance to ease the transition into the local housing market, and housing purchase assistance for tenure-stream faculty.

Required Qualifications

PhD or ABD by appointment start date in Anthropology or related field. Demonstrated potential for effective and inclusive teaching and mentoring of a diverse undergraduate student population. A research trajectory with promise of publication in relevant peer-reviewed venues.

Responsibilities. Tenure-track faculty at SCU are teaching scholars who are expected to balance teaching, research, and service. This is an in-person position. More specifically, duties include but are not limited to the following:

Teaching

Teach lower- and upper-division courses in the major and university core curriculum, as assigned by the chair, including courses such as Introduction to Biological Anthropology, Measuring Humanity; Health, Disease, and Culture; Human Development and Sexuality; and Evolutionary Medicine, among others. SCU is on the quarter system and a typical load is two courses per quarter assuming active engagement with research. High-quality teaching is prioritized at SCU; therefore significant faculty-student interaction is expected. The university offers many different opportunities to develop teaching skills through Faculty Development, including regular lunchtime workshops on pedagogy, teaching and technology grants, communities of practice, teaching mentors, and a scholarship of teaching and learning faculty group.

Teaching will be evaluated according to the Teaching Effectiveness Standards and Evaluation (TESE) document developed by each department. Ignatian pedagogy, a hallmark of Jesuit, Catholic universities, is based on the principle of cura personalis, that is, teaching the whole person. At Santa Clara University we define effectiveness in teaching as respectful, challenging, inclusive, engaging, and evidence based. Teaching Expectations and Academic Policies at SCU can be found here.

Research/Creative Work

Develop a program of research or creative work at SCU that will result in meeting the Anthropology Department’s established scholarship/creative standards. Each department has collectively created a document that outlines the standards for scholarship or creative work that lead to tenure and promotion in that department. The Department of Anthropology strongly values the involvement of undergraduate students in faculty research.

SCU offers significant support to early career faculty in the development of their program of research or creative work. All new faculty will be assigned mentors, placed into a cohort learning community with other new faculty, and offered faculty retreats, workshops and numerous professional development opportunities to build their programs of research/creative work.

Service

Provide effective service to the Department of Anthropology, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University, and the profession through contributions other than teaching and scholarship, such as service on committees, participation in professional organizations and activities, leadership, and community service performed by virtue of professional expertise or association with the university, as appropriate to rank and experience.

Application Deadline

November 1, 2025

Application Procedure

Please submit the following as PDFs to: https://www.scu.edu/hr/careers/

1. curriculum vitae, including names and contact information for three references
2. graduate transcript(s) (unofficial transcripts are acceptable at this stage)
3. sample syllabi
4. teaching evaluations
5. single cover letter that offers a brief summary of (a) teaching philosophy, (b) research plans, and (c) your potential to foster intra- and interdepartmental connections at Santa Clara
6. Up to 3 examples of representative scholarship, e.g., published article or book chapter

Preliminary interviews will take place via Zoom shortly after the closing date. Three letters of recommendation will be requested in later stages of the search process. Queries about the position may be sent to anthropologysearch@scu.edu