Two Year Postdoctoral Fellowship
American Studies
Summary of Duties, Responsibilities and Goals
Occidental College seeks a two-year postdoctoral Fellow in American Studies who will teach undergraduate
courses that contribute substantially to the development of a research-intensive undergraduate curriculum in
the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences. This postdoctoral program, underwritten by the Andrew
W. Mellon Foundation, intends also to foster collaboration with Los Angeles cultural organizations and
community partners, and to develop digital teaching and scholarship.
Candidates should hold the Ph.D. in American Studies or an aligned discipline, with a research/teaching
focus on “the global U.S.”: transnational concerns (diaspora, immigration, sociopolitical interconnections,
human rights, etc.) involving modern and/or contemporary U.S. culture. Those with experience in
mentoring undergraduate research, in community-based teaching, or in digital research/pedagogy are
preferred.
Essential Functions
The Fellow’s specific responsibilities will include:

Designing and teaching four courses per year over a two-year appointment. These will be negotiated
with the Department chair, but will include introductory courses in the Department and a researchfocused first-year seminar in Occidental’s Core Program in the Liberal Arts. We expect that these
courses will in significant ways address digital approaches to knowledge production and sharing and
building partnerships with community organizations. Occidental will provide the fellow with training
and support toward these ends, as described below.

Working closely with a departmental faculty mentor with the aim of integrating research-based
pedagogies into departmental curriculum.

Mentoring and supervising students conducting summer research projects and students serving as
“education-in-action” facilitators attached to the fellows’ own courses.

Participating in Summer Institutes hosted by Occidental’s Center for Digital Liberal Arts to develop
course and assignment design.

Participating in year-round faculty development workshops with other postdoctoral Fellows, faculty,
and the Center for Community Based Learning, focused on best practices for community based
research.
Each Fellow will receive a modest budget for professional development. In addition to the Departmental
mentor, he or she will be supported by the cohort of other postdoctoral fellows, by Occidental’s Center for
Digital Liberal Arts, and by the Center for Community Based Learning.
Qualifications
Candidates should submit (1) a letter of interest, which should include discussion of (a) the uses of
undergraduate research in teaching first- and second-year students in a liberal arts institution, as well as
thoughts about (b) how personal research interests might intersect with community-engaged pedagogies and
community partnerships in Los Angeles, and (c) what part digital technologies and scholarship might play in
teaching and undergraduate research; (2) a current CV; and (3) three confidential letters of recommendation.
Application review will begin in late November and will continue until the positions are filled. For full
consideration, please submit materials by December 15. Electronic submissions are preferred. We are
especially interested in candidates who will have a degree in hand and can start at Occidental in summer 2016.
For Submissions and More Information Contact Ms. Patricia Micciche, Program Administrator, at
amstpostdoc@oxy.edu