Northern Illinois Universiy

DeKalb, IL

Assistant Professor of Gender & Sexuality and Social Mobility

Deadline: January 4, 2023

Department: Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality

Type of Appointment: Tenure-track/tenured

Position Description:

The Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in gendered and sexualized disparities affecting social mobility. We invite interdisciplinary scholars who work in areas such as (but not limited to) environmental justice, feminist indigenous geography or environmental studies, food/water/land/climate justice, gender and STEM, queer and transgender studies, Black feminisms, critical prison studies/transformative justice, or law and policy related to women and/or LGBTQIA+ populations.

This position will be jointly appointed in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality and either the Department of Sociology or the Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment as the tenure home. The Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality is one of 6 academic diversity centers at NIU and is home to joint faculty members in addition to a larger network of faculty and staff associates across campus. The Center offers an undergraduate major in women’s, gender and sexuality Studies, minors in women’s and gender studies and LGBTQ+ studies, and undergraduate and graduate certificates.

The Department of the Earth, Atmosphere and Environment utilizes the natural links between geology, geography, and atmospheric sciences for interdisciplinary research and teaching. The department, which currently has 19 faculty members, offers programs leading to the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees.

The Department of Sociology emphasizes training in the knowledge and analytical skills necessary for successful careers and informed citizenship. We strive to offer our students a challenging curriculum in the context of effective advising, faculty instructional support, a research orientation, and opportunities to apply sociological imagination to the social world. Comprised of 14 faculty members, it currently offers B.A. and B.S. in both Sociology, as well as Criminology, an M.A. in Sociology, as well as a minor in Sociology, and a certificate in Criminology.

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, an affordable and growing community that is a commutable distance from Chicago and Rockford metropolitan areas. Our 16,000+ student body is diverse, with many first-generation and racially and culturally diverse students. NIU prides itself on student-centered approaches to teaching and research, and has social mobility, equity, and inclusion at the heart of its mission. Recently, NIU was nationally recognized as a top college for diversity and LGBTQ+ students and staff, and has been named one of the Great Colleges to Work For two years in a row. NIU’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion includes a thriving Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, six cultural resource centers, and six academic diversity centers. ​

The ideal candidate is expected to establish an active and innovative research program that directly engages women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. The ideal candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies as well as the curricular needs of the tenuring department. The successful candidate will teach courses in their areas of expertise as well as Introduction to Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Feminist & Queer Theories. Additional responsibilities include mentoring and supporting students as well as service to the department, college, university, and community. Qualified candidates dedicated to empowering students from underserved communities through their teaching, research, community engagement, service, and/or mentoring are strongly encouraged to apply.

This position is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Social Mobility Cluster Hire. The Social Mobility Cluster Hire initiative aims to increase faculty diversity, interdisciplinary research, and innovative and inclusive curriculum. This year’s cluster hiring cycle also includes the position of Assistant Professor of Latinx Psychology and Social Mobility.

Position Start Date: August 2023

Interfolio Letters: Not Accepted