Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Assistant Professor of Anthropology/College of Liberal
Arts

Job Class Code: 10031

FLSA: Exempt

Posting Number: FRGV2053

Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Division/Organization: Provost - Academic Affairs

Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position:

Tenure Status: Tenure Track

FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:

We seek applicants who are dedicated to serving The University of
Texas Rio Grande Valley's student body as Assistant Professors in
the Department of Anthropology beginning in the 2027-2028 academic
year.

The Department of Anthropology seeks to fill two full-time,
tenure-track Assistant Professor positions beginning September 1,
2027, through a single collaborative search. Applicants must
identify the profile for which they wish to be considered.

Profile 1: Biological Anthropology with a Forensic
Anthropology Focus. Candidates should demonstrate research
and teaching expertise in forensic anthropology and the capacity to
support student learning in areas such as human identification,
skeletal biology, search and recovery, or related analytical
methods.

Profile 2: Archaeology. Candidates should
demonstrate research and teaching expertise in archaeology as well
as the ability to contribute to field and laboratory training in
ways that develop student learning opportunities. A geographic
focus in the western or southwestern United States is
preferred.

The two appointments will be reviewed together, with attention to
the distinctive qualifications of candidates in each profile and to
the complementary contributions the two successful candidates can
make to departmental programs, student opportunities, and
collaborative research. Successful candidates will maintain active
programs of research and scholarship; teach undergraduate and
graduate courses; mentor students; and participate in departmental,
university, professional, and community service. The department
particularly values candidates who can create meaningful
opportunities for students through field, laboratory, digital,
archival, collections-based, or community-engaged work.

UTRGV's location in the Rio Grande Valley offers distinctive
opportunities for anthropological research, teaching, and public
engagement. The department welcomes candidates interested in
developing ethical regional partnerships, connecting local
questions to broader anthropological conversations, and creating
applied learning and career pathways for students.

In the letter of interest, applicants must identify the profile for
which they wish to be considered: (1) Biological Anthropology with
a Forensic Anthropology focus or (2) Archaeology. The letter should
describe the applicant's research trajectory, teaching
contributions, plans for involving students in research or applied
learning, and interest in the opportunities available through UTRGV
and the Rio Grande Valley.

About UTRGV: UTRGV serves the Rio Grande Valley
and beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education
dedicated to student access and success. By championing leading
research, healthcare, and application of university discoveries, we
support sustainable development, community engagement, and
well-being. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is
committed to building and sustaining a highly qualified and
talented faculty to pursue excellence in everything that we do,
including teaching, research, and service.Drawing on our unique
identity as the leading Hispanic-Serving Institution in a bilingual
and bicultural environment, UTRGV will promote student access and
success by building from strength in education and creating a
vibrant campus experience. By 2027, we will accelerate
transformation in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond by driving
meaningful advancements in research and creative works, expanding
access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, and fostering
authentic community engagement and integration. UTRGV is a
distributed campus, one university spanning four counties and
multiple locations. Our purpose is to be a university for the
entire Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Over 91% of the students
enrolled at UTRGV identify as Hispanic, making UTRGV one of the top
3 universities with the highest percentage of Hispanic students.
For additional information, please visit UTRGV
website.

Department and College BackgroundThe UTRGV
Department of Anthropology offers a Bachelor of Arts in
Anthropology with concentrations in Archaeology and Global Health
and Migration; minors in Anthropology, Archaeology, Forensic
Anthropology, and Global Health and Migration; and an anthropology
concentration in the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.
The department emphasizes applied, publicly engaged anthropology
and provides students with opportunities for experiential learning.
Departmental and affiliated resources include the Forensic
Anthropology Research Laboratory (FAR.Lab), the Anthropology
Digital Visualization Lab (ADVL), the Community Historical
Archaeology Project with Schools (CHAPS), and the Border Studies
Archive (BSA). Faculty may also develop appropriate collaborations
across the College of Liberal Arts and with units in the biological
sciences, health sciences, criminal justice, public affairs, and
other fields.

Minimum Qualifications:

A Ph.D. in Anthropology or a closely related field from an
accredited institution is required no later than August 31, 2027.
Applicants must demonstrate evidence of, or strong potential for,
excellence in teaching; an active and sustainable program of
research and scholarship; and effective service appropriate to a
tenure-track appointment.

Discipline Specific Required Qualifications:

Candidates must have completed at least 18 graduate credit hours in
anthropology. Applicants must demonstrate doctoral preparation and
a research agenda appropriate to the profile for which they are
applying, as well as the ability to teach anthropology courses at
the undergraduate level and contribute, as appropriate, to graduate
instruction and student mentoring. Candidates whose work involves
human remains, animal remains, human participants, community
knowledge, collections, or sensitive data must demonstrate
knowledge of applicable professional, legal, and ethical
standards.

Preferred Qualification:

Preference will be given to candidates whose records demonstrate
the potential to involve students in research, develop applied or
experiential learning opportunities, pursue appropriate external
support and collaborative projects, contribute to upper-division
and graduate instruction, and build ethical and mutually beneficial
professional or community partnerships.

Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and
Experience

License or Certification Required?: No

Number of Vacancies: 2

Desired Start Date: 09/01/2027

EEO Statement:

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to
promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all
individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex,
age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In
accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is
committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures
non-discrimination in its education programs and activities,
including employment. We encourage women, minorities and
differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of
interest.

Open Date: 10/01/2026

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for
the first time, please complete all biographical information
including address, email and phone number. You may update this at
any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.
Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees are required to have a
criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all
candidates invited for an on-campus interview.

Additional Information:

UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the
position may require presence at multiple locations throughout the
Rio Grande Valley. Work is performed primarily in a general office
environment. This position is security sensitive and thereby
subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215. The
retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of
Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per
week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option
to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS,
subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135
days in length.

Please Note:

Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not
English to demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a
satisfactory paper-based test score of 500 (computer-based of 173
or internet-based of 61) on the Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Incomplete
applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to
budget approval.

To apply, visit https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/53002
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