Chair in Africana Studies

The Africana Studies Department at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications to the Chair in Africana Studies. The position is for a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Full Professor and will begin in January 2026, pending budgetary approval.

In filling this chair position, the Department seeks candidates with extraordinary credentials in research, teaching, and mentorship. We are especially keen to attract a scholar whose research and teaching engage with civically engaged, participatory, and/or public scholarship in Africana Studies and social change. We welcome scholars engaged in these approaches in local, regional, global, or comparative contexts. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Africana Studies, African American Studies, or a related discipline, a significant record of publications, record of attracting research funding and/or prestigious fellowships and demonstrated excellence in leadership.

Africana Studies is a vibrant department in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, with particular strengths in African diaspora studies, cultural studies, health equity, urban history, and social justice. The Department has synergies with several centers on campus, including the Center for Ethnic Studies, the Racial Justice and Health Equity Research and Education Collaborative, the Center for African Studies, the Center for Race and Social Problems, the Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice, and the University Center for International Studies, a world-renowned, multidisciplinary institute housing centers for area studies and for topical specializations in international studies.

Africana Studies is physically located on a portion of the famous Forbes Field, home of the National Negro League's perennial champions—the Homestead Grays, and next to the Hillman Library, which is home to the internationally famous August Wilson Archive, among other important archival material on black history in the Pittsburgh region.

The Department also benefits from collaborations that reach beyond the University, through partnerships with community organizations and cultural institutions in Pittsburgh. The City of Pittsburgh frequently tops "most livable city" rankings thanks to its numerous social and cultural offerings and relatively low cost of living.

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Applicants can apply online at Home | Talent Center: Careers at Pitt | University of Pittsburgh Candidates should submit a letter of application, CV, and contact information (full name, title, and email) for the three people providing reference letters for you.

Please direct application inquiries to Professor Felix Germain, Search Committee Chair, ffg4@pitt.edu.