Urban Studies Institute

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The newly created Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University seeks outstanding U.S. or international scholars to fill three new faculty lines in urban studies, rank open, starting in August of 2017. Ranks of hiring will be commensurate with experience and credentials, and compensation is competitive.

The Urban Studies Institute is a new GSU initiative led by its recently appointed Director, Professor Jan Nijman. The University has developed an ambitious plan to prioritize urban studies with interdisciplinary reach across the University’s schools and colleges. The Institute’s goals are to conduct top-level research, develop a specialized curriculum, and engage with stakeholders in the Atlanta region.

The Institute’s research agenda will range from local to global scales and will be geared to comparative urban approaches and to the theme of urban inclusive development. The latter includes questions of urban economic resilience, diversity, inequality, life-chances, social/spatial integration, access to public goods, urban health, etc.

Candidates must have a strong affinity with the interdisciplinary field of urban studies; a combination of thematic and regional expertise; and be attuned to comparative approaches. Discipline and areas of specialization are open.

New hires are appointed as core faculty (tenured or tenure-track) in the Institute. They are expected to maintain high levels of publication and external funding, and take active part in building a top-rated Institute. New faculty will be involved in the development and teaching of innovative courses in the Urban Studies program (undergraduate and graduate). New faculty will play a vital part in the Institute’s future direction.

The new Institute will also comprise affiliated faculty from across the University, especially the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Arts & Sciences, Public Health, and Law. Additionally, it will house postdocs, PhD students, and supporting staff who will actively represent the Institute in the Atlanta region. Plans for the Institute include additional hiring of core faculty in the foreseeable future.

Applications should be addressed to Search Committee, Urban Studies Institute, and must be sent via email to: urban@gsu.edu. Each position requires a doctorate in an appropriate field. Applications must consist of a single PDF file containing (1) a letter of application (indicating rank at which the applicant wishes to be considered and statements on research and teaching); (2) names, affiliations, and email addresses of three referees; and (3) a current CV. The PDF file name should include the applicant’s last name. Review of applications will start December 10, 2016, and continues until the positions are filled.

The Urban Studies Institute is housed in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, ranked among Best Graduate Schools for Public Affairs by the U.S. News & World Report. Located in downtown Atlanta, its faculty work to advance economic opportunity, human rights and social justice around the world.

For more information, visit our web site at urbaninstitute.gsu.edu or send inquiries to urban@gsu.edu.

Georgia State University is a major urban institution with more than 50,000 students. GSU is recognized as a national leader in student success and in graduating students from diverse backgrounds. In 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked GSU as the 4th most innovative school in the nation. Atlanta, with a metro population of nearly six million, is among the country’s10 biggest urban regions. Given its unique civil rights history and its current growth and transformation into a large, international city region, it provides an exciting laboratory for urban research.

Georgia State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, or on the basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.