Assistant Professor - Empire and Environment in Latin America (Open)

The Ohio State University; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ohio State University invites applications for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor position in Transnational World Language Studies, focusing on Empire and Environment in the Spanish and/or Portuguese-speaking worlds of Latin America and the Caribbean, beginning August 15, 2027.

The successful candidate will contribute to interdisciplinarity, develop courses, engage in community and program development, and participate in Mellon-funded initiatives, building on OSU strengths in Latin American,

Qualifications

• PhD required at appointment August 15, 2027 (ABD welcome).
• Native or near-native fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese.
• Scholarly track record or strong promise of success.
• Research agenda connecting empire and environment across the Americas.

Responsibilities

• Develop active, internationally recognized research on empire, environment, and transnational dynamics.
• Teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in Spanish and/or Portuguese and help curriculum development.
• Support Mellon-funded Transforming World Languages initiative with cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Foster cross-language, cross-disciplinary, and community-engaged scholarship and service.
• Participate in departmental service.

Skills

Spanish/Portuguese fluency

Education

PhD in Spanish, Portuguese, Latin American Cultural Studies, or related field

ABD candidates welcome

Job description

Transnational World Language Studies
Empire and Environment in the Spanish and Portuguese-Speaking Worlds
Rank: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor
Department of Spanish and Portuguese College of Arts and Sciences

Position Overview

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese (SPPO) at The Ohio State University invites applications for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor position in Transnational World Language Studies in the area of Empire and Environment in the Spanish and/or Portuguese-Speaking areas of Latin America and the Caribbean beginning August 15, 2027. We aim to hire a dynamic scholar who will contribute to the vibrant and collegial intellectual communities of our department by engaging with interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching, program development, community engagement, and service.

This is one of three tenure-track hires in Transnational World Language Studies, the other two being in the departments of East Asian Languages and Literatures and Slavic and East Europeans Languages and Cultures. We are also conducting searches for three Postdoctoral Scholar to Tenure-Track Assistant Professor positions in Humanities-based Interdisciplinary World Languages and Cultures in the departments of French and Italian, Germanic Languages and Literatures, and Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures.

In keeping with the department’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, we are especially interested in scholars who demonstrate an interdisciplinary research profile that examines the historical and contemporary relationships among empire, environment, extraction, race, indigeneity, migration, and ecological justice across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world. We seek scholars whose research approaches environmental questions through the lenses of, for example, cultural studies, literary studies, Indigenous studies, Latinx studies, decolonial studies, critical geography, environmental humanities, media studies, visual culture, or public humanities. Areas of specialization may include colonial ecologies; extractivism and resource frontiers; environmental injustices; Indigenous and Black Atlantic environmental knowledge; climate migration; food systems; water politics; energy humanities; environmental media; or the historic and cultural dimensions of planetary crisis.

The successful candidate will build on SPPO's existing strengths in Latin American, Latinx, Brazilian, Andean, Iberian, and community-engaged scholarship and will contribute to strengthening connections across world languages while helping to cultivate a more unified intellectual identity around themes of global relevance.

Partial startup for the Transnational World Language Studies tenure-track positions is funded by the Mellon Foundation grant “Global Fluency, Career Agility: Transforming World Languages at Ohio State.” The new hires will participate in the activities within the Department, create new courses, and have designated faculty mentors who are engaged in research on topics relating to transnational world language education, global fluency and intercultural competence, and their area of specialization.

Performance Objectives

• Develop and maintain an active, nationally and internationally recognized research agenda on empire, environment, and transnational cultural dynamics in the Spanish- and/or Portuguese-speaking world.
• Teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in Spanish and/or Portuguese while contributing to curriculum development in areas such as environmental humanities, climate justice, coloniality, ecology, and transnational cultural studies.
• Advance the Mellon-funded Transforming World Languages at OSU initiative by collaborating with faculty and staff across disciplines, contributing to innovative programming, and creating new courses that strengthen students’ global fluency and intercultural competence.
• Foster connections across languages, disciplines, and communities through collaborative research, public-facing scholarship, and/or community-engaged activities.
• Participate in departmental service.

Education and Experience Qualifications

Required:

• PhD in Spanish, Portuguese, Latin American Cultural Studies, or related field required at time of appointment which is August 15, 2027. ABDs welcome to apply.
• Native or near-native fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese
• Candidates must demonstrate achievement or strong promise of scholarly success.
• Research agenda that connects multiple methods and/or theoretical approaches to the study of empire and environment in the Americas.

Desired:

• Experience and/or commitment to public-facing or community engaged scholarship, teaching and/or service.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and strengthen transdisciplinary and translingual collaborations in environmental humanities scholarship.
• Knowledge of French, Haitian Kreyòl/Creole, and/or Francophone Caribbean contexts, particularly in dialogue with Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds.

Ohio State provides access to a depth and breadth of opportunities and resources. Starting your first day, Ohio State offers you a comprehensive benefits package.

Application period closes November 9, 2026. Inquiries may be directed to Laura Podalsky, [e-mail] .

The College

With more than 80 majors and 100 minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The Arts and Sciences provides extraordinary opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, blending creativity and analysis to truly be at the forefront of thought. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the college gives students and researchers the critical thinking and adaptability essential for a lifetime of success.

Department Information

The mission of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese is to teach, create and exchange knowledge about the languages, linguistics, literatures and cultures of Latin America, Portugal, Spain, the United States, and Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking Africa and Asia through teaching and learning, research and creative activity, and community engagement from local to global levels. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese values collaborative scholarship, inclusive excellence, innovative teaching, and community-engaged learning. We seek to a welcoming academic community that advances multilingualism, intercultural understanding, and student success.

The University

Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of America’s leading academic health centers. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

Grounded in Ohio State University’s Shared Values, our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression. Ohio State promotes a culture of work-life balance through institutionalized policies, programs, and resources that help faculty, staff, and their families thrive both professionally and personally.

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties. Become a Buckeye and contribute to an incredible legacy that serves to guide our future and shape a better tomorrow.

Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and vibrant metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. Beyond its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI.

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. Additionally, there may be further requirements specific to the college or unit, which could include drug and health screenings, as well as faculty misconduct checks depending on the rank of the position.