The Department of Anthropology at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar and collaborator to join the Laboratory for Spatial Archaeology and Historical Network Dynamics (SAHND Lab) (PI: Jacob Holland-Lulewicz).
We seek a highly motivated archaeologist or ecologist to contribute to the research profile of the Lab by way of unique contributions to any of our ongoing research projects (https://sahnd.la.psu.edu/) or through the co-development of a new, collaborative project that expands the Lab’s research activities.
The SAHND Lab operates in close collaboration with the Laboratory for Socioecological Histories of Estuarine Landscapes (SHEL Lab). Through our combined research program, we explore, broadly, the long-term histories of past and present sociopolitics, economics, and ecologies of eastern North America, including the ways that both human institutions and ecologies are creatively imagined and transformed by people. The primary focus of current work includes field and laboratory research on the archaeology and ecological histories of coastal Georgia and the broader Ancestral Muskogean homelands (roughly, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida), with ongoing fieldwork on Ossabaw Island.
Cover letters should include information on the applicant’s research program and background, their methodological expertise, and their proposed project to be undertaken as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Penn State.
Cover letters should also include a discussion of how the applicant’s proposed project meets one of the following: (1) articulates with one or more ongoing SAHND Lab projects, (2) contributes to one or more of these projects through an expansion of methodological expertise, or (3) explores similar theoretical and/or topical research questions in a different region (and in this case, how the resources and expertise of the SAHND Lab will contribute to the success of this project).
Applicants with a proposed project that has a strong community-engaged component, or that strengthens the connection of descendant communities to their own histories are especially encouraged to highlight these aspects.
Qualified candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Anthropology or related field by the time of appointment. This is a non-tenure-track, term position with possibility of renewal.
While the preferred methodological, regional, and topical expertise are broad, the ideal candidate for this position should have a proven publication record (commensurate with career stage) that demonstrates the candidate’s ability to effectively and productively communicate research results in a timely manner. The candidate’s publication record should also demonstrate and support the applicant’s description of their methodological and topical expertise.
In addition, successful candidates must either have demonstrated a commitment to building an inclusive, equitable, and diverse campus community, or describe one or more ways they would envision doing so, given the opportunity.
Please direct questions regarding this postdoctoral opportunity to Jacob Holland-Lulewicz (jhlulewicz@psu.edu).
To apply for this position, submit 1) a cover letter addressing the information above (3 pages max), 2) an estimated budget for your proposed project, 3) your CV, and 4) the names and contact information of three people who can be contacted for letters of reference. Review of applications will begin on December 1st, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.
