"Barnard Early-Career Faculty Fellow, Urban Studies"

Job Description

Barnard College seeks a full-time (early-career) Faculty Fellow to join the rich community of research, teaching, and praxis centered in the Urban Studies Program. This is a two-year residential research and teaching fellowship welcoming of early-career scholars from a broad range of social backgrounds, including those under-represented in academia. The fellowship is designed to help expand the breadth of scholars hired into tenure-track positions by providing valuable experience, skills, and mentorship. Faculty Fellows teach two undergraduate courses each year relevant to their scholarly interests and experience, conduct research and scholarship, and receive professional development support from the program, Barnard College, and Columbia University.

The Urban Studies Program at Barnard College is searching for an early-career Faculty Fellow in Urban Humanities. This faculty fellow would hold a recent PhD in literature, film, art history, musicology, cultural studies, or a related field, with research interests that focus on urban communities and spaces. The program is especially interested in scholars who study the role of public art or community-based cultural practices in advancing socio-spatial justice, contesting political power, or making claims on economic resources.

This is a two-year residential research and teaching fellowship welcoming of early-career scholars from a broad range of social backgrounds, including those under-represented in academia. The fellowship is designed to help expand the breadth of scholars hired into tenure-track positions by providing valuable experience, skills, and mentorship.

Faculty Fellows teach two undergraduate courses each year relevant to their scholarly interests and experience, conduct research and scholarship, and receive professional development support from the program, Barnard College, and Columbia University.

For more information, please see https://barnard.edu/departments-and-programs and https://barnard.edu/research-scholarship.

For a list of current Faculty Fellows, please see https://barnard.edu/BarnardFacultyFellows.

This is a two-year position beginning on July 1, 2026, with teaching responsibilities during the standard academic year from September to May.

On approximately January 20, 2026 the Urban Studies Program and the Faculty Diversity & Development committee will begin the review of applications, which continue until the position is filled. Please e-mail BFF2026@barnared.edu with any questions.

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements

Required Qualifications

Terminal degree in a relevant discipline, with all requirements for the degree completed by the start of appointment (i.e., July 1, 2026).

Application Requirements

Only complete applications submitted via Workday will be considered. Applicants are required to upload the following documents:

• A CV with links to all available research, teaching, and service materials
• A single pdf document containing:
  • 2-3 page cover letter addressing research, teaching, and service/community engagement interests. Please also address your ability to work effectively with a student population that is broadly diverse, including with regard to gender and gender expression, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, politics, etc.;
  • Personal statement that summarizes why this opportunity is particularly appealing to you and is likely to benefit you professionally;
  • One representative publication or single writing sample preferably <30 pages (e.g. journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter);

Finalists will be asked to identify three references who will be contacted at a later stage.

Salary

$75,000. The salary for this position is fixed and non-negotiable.

Barnard Early-Career Faculty Fellows are benefit-eligible and also eligible to apply for the research ($4,000), conference travel ($3,000), and book publication subvention grants available to all full-time faculty. For more information, please see https://barnard.edu/human-resources/benefits and https://barnard.edu/support-faculty-research.