Assistant Professor-Tenure System

Working/Functional Title

Assistant Professor Positions in Science & Society

Position Summary

Michigan State University (MSU) and MSU’s Lyman Briggs College (LBC) actively promote a dynamic working and learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry. 

MSU invites applications for two tenure system faculty positions at the rank of Assistant Professor with a focus on Science and Society (previously known in LBC as History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Science) starting August of 2025. The successful candidate must have a PhD, or a PhD conferred before the position start date, in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities with expertise in Science and Society. The successful candidate will be committed to advancing excellence in undergraduate teaching, particularly with respect to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B). The scholarly research of the successful candidate will focus on Science and Society, which explores the interplay between the sciences and the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We are particularly interested in teacher-scholars whose research and teaching interrogates social justice, diversity, and the experiences of marginalized communities through an intersectional lens that recognizes the interplay of various forms of inequity and identity. We encourage approaches that are collaborative, participatory, and empowering with marginalized communities.  Some examples of areas may include (but are not limited to): Environmental, Racial, and/or Disability Justice; Science and Social Justice; Transnational/Global perspectives on Science and Society. The appointment will be split between Lyman Briggs College (75%) and a joint unit (25%) in the College of Social Science (CSS) or College of Arts & Letters (CAL). Example joint units include, but not limited to, the Departments of Philosophy, History, and Sociology. The position expectation is 65% teaching, 25% research, and 10% service. 

Both positions offer exciting opportunities for individuals interested in teaching in a liberal-arts style residential college embedded within a large Big Ten research-intensive university. Founded in 1967, LBC is a vibrant undergraduate residential college within MSU focusing on the study of the sciences in their societal and global contexts. The LBC curriculum integrates the natural sciences and mathematics with the social and humanistic study of science. There are approximately 2,000 students in Lyman Briggs, 66% of whom are women. 31% of all primary, secondary degree, and additional majors identify as students of an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. Additionally, 32% of LBC students are members of the MSU Honors College. Faculty work closely with students in small classes. LBC is also a leading center for research on teaching and learning and for interdisciplinary scholarship. As part of the LBC 2032 Strategic Plan, the college is committed to recruiting a diverse community of faculty, staff, and advisors that represent to our students and the larger community a wide range of identities, experiences, and fields of expertise. As such, applicants from all identity groups including those within the LGBTQIA+ community, applicants of color, veterans, applicants with disabilities, and applicants from other historically underrepresented and/or marginalized groups are invited and welcome to apply.  

The LBC Science and Society Group is a lively and interdisciplinary group of teacher-scholars from across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The college boasts a dynamic community of students, staff, and faculty who make LBC an exceptional place to learn and work. Most LBC faculty members in the tenure system have a joint appointment in a disciplinary department or program to support their scholarship and professional development.  

The successful candidates will each teach three courses each academic year within the LBC Science and Society group and one course in the joint unit. Science and Society offers a range of undergraduate courses including a first-year writing intensive Introduction to Science and Society course, 300-level special topics courses, and a 400-level Senior Seminar course that explores in depth an area within Science in Society. The successful candidates will each teach across the full range of course levels.  

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate

Minimum Requirements

Candidates must have a PhD, or a PhD conferred before the position start date, in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities with expertise in Science and Society.

Desired Qualifications

We are seeking candidates who: 

• Centralize social justice, marginalized populations, and diversity in research and teaching. Some examples of areas may include, but are not limited to, Environmental, Racial, and/or Disability Justice; Science and Social Justice; Transnational/Global perspectives on Science and Society.  

• Have an interest in interdisciplinary teaching and can provide evidence of offering innovative and inclusive pedagogies. 

• Can offer breadth in teaching courses ranging from introductory to senior seminars in Science and Society. 

• Have interest/experience and/or professional development in teaching college-level writing courses. 

• Demonstrate diverse, inclusive, and/or innovative methodological training. 

• Have a strong record of, or potential for, sustained publication in peer-reviewed journals and/or books in university presses (commensurate with experience). 

• Have the potential for, or prior experience with, attaining external grant funding.  

• Are excited to advance the work of the Science and Society program and LBC through service and offer evidence of previous engagement with departmental, university, professional service, and/or community initiatives (commensurate with experience).

• Are interested in leveraging the strengths of working in a residential college such as small-size classrooms, working with undergraduate students on research, and interdisciplinary collaborations across fields of inquiry represented by LBC faculty.

Required Application Materials

To ensure a holistic assessment of candidates, we request that applications include: 

(1) a CV, including education background/qualifications, a list of publications, conference presentations, grants, teaching and mentoring roles, leadership positions, contributions to the academic community; 

(2) a 2­-page research statement highlighting past research experiences and future research interests; 

(3) an article or chapter-length writing sample; 

(4) a 2-page teaching statement describing the applicant’s educational priorities (including teaching and mentoring) and plans to address them; this statement should highlight the applicant's efforts to foster inclusive learning spaces and innovative pedagogies; 

(5) a sample syllabus for a course that may be taught in Science and Society; 

(6) a cover letter that frames the application in the context of this position in MSU’s Lyman Briggs College and joint unit the applicant desires to be considered for. The cover letter should highlight the candidate’s current and planned contributions to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in higher education. 

(7) Contact information for three references. While letters will not be solicited for the initial evaluation of candidates, references should be prepared to submit written letters that focus on the candidate’s research impact on the field, the candidate’s experience with mentoring and collaborating, inclusive teaching, and efforts to broaden representation in the academy. 

Special Instructions

Applications must be submitted through the Careers @ MSU website (http://careers.msu.edu). At this website, applicants should also submit contact information for three references.  

The selection process will begin on October 1, 2024, and review of applications will continue until the positions are filled. Questions may be directed to the Search Chair, Robyn Bluhm (rbluhm@msu.edu). 

Review of Applications Begins On

10/01/2024

Website

https://lbc.msu.edu

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.