Assistant Professor- Anthropology

San José State University • San Jose, CA

9d • $88,000 - $92,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Anthropology Department at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an Assistant Professor in Applied Anthropology, to begin in August 2027. We are seeking applicants whose work demonstrates innovative approaches at the intersection of two disciplinary subfields: anthropological archaeology (material culture) and cultural anthropology (especially technology or design studies). The Department is particularly interested in candidates with expertise in data science and AI tools (for example, applied robotics, machine learning, predictive analytics, large language models, and neural networks) that can be applied to one or more of the following areas: digital archaeology, remote sensing, geospatial archaeology, heritage management, artifact reconstruction, archaeological robotics, space archaeology, design anthropology, urban archaeology and built worlds, and ergonomics and human factors. The Department is also seeking candidates who are interested in applying their skills in cutting-edge topics such as the archaeology of racialization, affective archaeology, collaborative and participatory museum curation and repatriation, indigenous and other inclusive archaeologies, speculative design, and the archaeology of trauma.

The Anthropology Department has gained national recognition for its commitment to applying anthropology in an integrated, innovative way—by reconnecting the discipline’s subfields, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches, and collaborating with organizations. Anthropology faculty take a student-centered approach, providing dedicated advising, professional development, and career consultation. Students apply social science skills for a wide range of public, private, and non-profit organizations, and faculty encourage the development and implementation of projects that address real-world problems for partner organizations. The Department is committed to equitable and inclusive teaching and learning and to providing culturally sustaining, academically affirming approaches to supporting and engaging students and faculty. (For more information, visit our website: sjsu.edu/anthropology/).

The Anthropology department is part of the College of Social Sciences, which is committed to equitable and inclusive teaching and learning. The College sees faculty and student success as inextricably linked, and strives to provide culturally-sustaining, and academically-affirming approaches to supporting and engaging students and faculty. We provide opportunities for faculty development around asset-based, holistic student success, and support scholarship of engagement that addresses issues that affect our campus and community. In all of our endeavors, we strive to build leadership capacity and foster a culture of support and belonging for faculty, staff, and students.

The Anthropology Department and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Requirements

• PhD (or equivalent) in anthropology or a closely related academic field from an accredited institution
• The ability to develop practice-oriented projects at local, regional, or global levels of organization that potentially involve students
• A demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence and advising for undergraduate and graduate students, and the capacity to develop and teach a range of course
• A record of research productivity as demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications, scholarly presentations, grants, or community engaged research
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated ability to apply data analytics, applied robotics, artificial intelligence, or design principles to anthropological and/or archaeological work
• Demonstrated ability to to form and sustain effective collaborative relationships with organizations, communities, and networks to use anthropological or archaeological knowledge and skills to address real-world problems
• Experience or expertise and record of teaching excellence in online or remote learning environments and high-impact educational strategies
• Demonstrated ability to develop opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across different departments and colleges

Responsibilities

• Develop and teach appropriate undergraduate and graduate courses, including general education courses
• Initiate local, regional, or global projects that potentially involve undergraduate or graduate students
• Provide academic advising for undergraduate students in Anthropology and Behavioral Science
• Supervise and advise graduate students in applied anthropology and participate fully as a member of the graduate faculty
• Maintain an active research agenda as manifested in publications, professional presentations, community engaged research, or creative activity in support of tenure and promotion
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Benefits

• Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule.
• Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $88,000-$92,000.
• Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree