The Department of History invites applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship position beginning August 1, 2025. The fellowship carries a stipend of $62,000/year.

We seek a scholar with a PhD in History who is also grounded in theoretical and methodological public history approaches, in particular Museum Studies, Historic Preservation, or digital history. This position will involve developing new directions in public history teaching and research, and joining an interdisciplinary group of scholars and students whose projects focus on historic sites, digital media, museums, libraries, archives, and/or local communities. Geographic area and historical era open, but we prefer candidates who focus on climate or energy history, African American women’s history, or LGBTQ+ history in the Americas.

The postdoc will teach a lower-level and an upper-level course each year that engages with public history topics and methods (involving, for instance, monuments, museums, oral history, historic preservation, walking tours, historically engaged performance, or documentary film). These courses would emphasize applied forms of historical engagement by undergraduates such as conducting archival research, learning and practicing oral history methods, developing curatorial skills, actively engaging with local and global individuals and communities, and asking theoretical questions about history as a process of knowledge production. The postdoc would play a central role in the Public History Initiative (PHI) and the Critical Inquiry into Values, Imagination, and Culture (CIVIC) initiative, by offering interdisciplinary courses and programming (such as lecture series) relevant to their specific field.

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants eligible for the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years include those who have received the Ph.D. degree after August 1, 2021 and no later than June 30, 2025.  Applicants who do not have the Ph.D. in hand at the time of application must include a letter from the committee chair or department stating that the Ph.D. degree will be conferred before the term of the fellowship begins. International applicants are welcome to apply, contingent upon visa eligibility.

Application Procedures

The following application materials must be submitted via Academic Jobs Online position #27746 by October 1, 2024.

Information Cover Sheet (will be generated via your AJO account):
(a) Full name and home institution
(b) Date (or expected date) of Ph.D.
(c) Research interest(s)
(d) Referees’ names and emails

Cover Letter

Curriculum vitae

Detailed statement of research interests (1,000 – 2,000 words)

Course proposal with sample syllabus for introductory, 2000-level course

Course proposal with sample syllabus for upper, 4000-level course

One writing sample [30-page limit]

Diversity statement [optional – submit a separate statement or embed the information into other parts of your application materials]

Letter of degree conferral (only for applicants who do not have the Ph.D. in hand by January 4, 2025)

Three letters of recommendation.  Please ask referees to upload their letters directly through the link provided by Academic Jobs Online. Letters must be received on or before October 1, 2024

For further information:
Phone: 607-255-7989
Email: humctr@cornell.edu  

Society for the Humanities

The Society for the Humanities was established at Cornell University in 1966 to support research and teaching in the humanities. It is intended to be at once a research institute, a stimulus to educational innovation, and a continuing society of scholars. The Society and its Fellows have fostered path-breaking interdisciplinary dialogue and theoretical reflection on the humanities at large.

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows are invited to attend all of the Society’s events, and are expected to participate in the Society’s weekly Wednesday Fellows Seminar and luncheon.

societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu

Employment Assistance:

For specific questions about the position or application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or for general questions email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at equity@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.