Assistant Professor of English (RISE THRIVE)

Salary:

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of
the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through
the internal application process.

Job Category:Faculty

Employment Type:Regular

Job Profile:Assistant Professor

Job Summary:

The Department of English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is
seeking candidates in rhetoric, composition, literacy, technical
writing and/or writing studies in the field of rhetoric of health
and medicine to join the Department as a tenure-track assistant
professor. We are especially interested in candidates who are
engaged in research and teaching that deals with health and
well-being in rural contexts, including in indigenous communities,
and who are prepared to collaborate across fields represented by
the RISE-THRIVE initiative at UW–Madison, as well as the Health and
Humanities certificate. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an
interest and/or ability to apply for and win grants to support
their work.

Faculty responsibilities include research, teaching, and service.
The selected candidate will develop an innovative research program
in the rhetoric of health and medicine while making significant
contributions to undergraduate and graduate teaching in the English
Department, including lecture courses and seminars, and
participating in service activities. The general teaching load is
four (4) courses per year, two (2) in each semester.

The ideal candidate will advance the educational mission of the
College of Letters & Science (L&S) that values,
prioritizes, and actualizes evidence-based and student-centered
teaching and (undergraduate student) mentoring. They will
contribute to an environment that fosters engagement and a sense of
belonging for faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader
community.

The ideal candidate, as a member of the College of L&S, will
proactively contribute to, support, and advance the college’s
commitment to excellence among all aspects of their teaching,
mentoring, research, and service.

In the College of Letters & Science, we provide a liberal arts
education that is both broad and deep through excellent, empathic
teaching. We hire faculty who are interested in pursuing difficult
questions, making new discoveries, and making an impact in their
field. We reward excellent teaching and classroom innovation, and
we are committed to shared governance. Learn more about the L&S
mission on our webpage .

This position is part of the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and
Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative. Through accelerated and
strategic faculty hiring, research infrastructure enhancement,
interdisciplinary collaboration, and increased student and
educational opportunities, RISE addresses complex societal
challenges of importance to the state, nation and world. Building
on UW–Madison’s strengths, RISE expands the University’s successful
track record of connecting with communities and industry on
collaborative solutions.

Candidates hired through RISE will join a community of scholars
working across disciplines, schools and colleges on research,
teaching and outreach endeavors. The community will engage
regularly in venues such as seminar series and colloquia to share
ongoing projects and identify opportunities to work together. The
University will support the community, facilitating access to
research infrastructure and funding to support broad and rich
collaboration. The position will participate in interdisciplinary
and collaborative efforts with other departments, schools and
colleges.

Further information regarding RISE can be found at: https://rise.wisc.edu/

Situated at the heart of UW–Madison, the College of Letters &
Science (L&S) serves as home to 39 academic departments and
numerous research centers. By hiring up to seven faculty
researchers as part of UW–Madison’s RISE-THRIVE initiative, the
College seeks to further bolster its expertise and capacity to
serve as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary and collaborative
health research—one that integrates quantitative, qualitative, and
community-engaged forms of research and brings this mixed-methods
approach to bear on the complexities of health, disease, well-being
and resilience, and aging.

L&S researchers explore the social, economic, historical,
environmental, and behavioral factors that shape health outcomes,
while advancing knowledge in genomics, epigenetics, and demography
as well as driving innovation in health policy and technology — all
for the goal of fostering healthier lives and healthier
communities.

About the Department

The Department of English at UW–Madison is home to over 90 faculty
and staff and over 100 graduate students and is central to the
mission of the University of Wisconsin. The department provides
gateway instruction in literature and composition to more than
10,000 undergraduates every year and houses a nationally renowned
Writing Center. Our department is multi-disciplinary, with graduate
programs in composition & rhetoric, literary studies, English
language and linguistics, and creative writing.

About Madison, Wisconsin

Built on an isthmus and located centrally in the vibrant capital
city of Madison, Wisconsin, UW–Madison and the city of Madison
seamlessly blend together, creating opportunities and an atmosphere
unlike any other campus. With a population of nearly 300,000,
Madison offers an ideal combination of natural beauty, stimulating
cultural events, outstanding schools and outdoor recreation, making
it frequently ranked as one of the best places to live in the
United States.

In the College of Letters & Science, we provide a liberal arts
education that is both broad and deep through excellent, empathic
teaching. We hire faculty who are interested in pursuing difficult
questions, making new discoveries, and making an impact in their
field. We reward excellent teaching and classroom innovation, and
we are committed to shared governance. Learn more about the L&S
mission on our webpage: https://ls.wisc.edu/about/mission
.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Faculty responsibilities include research, teaching, and service.
The selected candidate will develop an innovative research program
in the rhetoric of health and medicine while making significant
contributions to undergraduate and graduate teaching in the English
Department, including lecture courses and seminars, and
participating in service activities. The general teaching load is
four (4) courses per year, two (2) in each semester.

Department: College of Letters and Science, Department of
English

Compensation: Negotiable – 9 months / ongoing /
renewable

Required Qualifications:

Successful candidates will have a record of:

• Creativity and excellence in teaching and scholarly

research;

• A demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate courses in

writing, rhetoric, and/or related fields, and ability to teach
graduate seminars in the relevant field

• A record of active scholarship in the relevant areas, including

through publication, presentation at conferences, and/or
demonstration of the ability to sustain an active research
agenda

• A demonstrated interest in engaging in service work in a unit

or department

• Fostering or the ability to foster teaching, learning,

mentoring, departmental, and research environments where all can
thrive.

Preferred Qualifications:

Areas of expertise could include conducting a research program that
involves work about or in rural communities, including indigenous
communities; demonstrated ability to win grants to support their
work; willingness to engage in the communities with which they
work; interest and/or ability to work across disciplinary
boundaries.

Education:

A PhD in English in the area of rhetoric, composition, and/or
writing studies, or related sub-discipline – in hand by the start
date of employment is required.

How to Apply:

Apply online at "Jobs at UW" ( http://jobs.wisc.edu ) under Job
Requisition JR10015873.

Applications must be received through UW–Madison's online
application system. Applications submitted outside of this system
will not be considered. Click the "" button to start the
application process. Applicants should submit the following three
(3) items:

1) Letter of application

2) Curriculum vitae

3) A teaching dossier (statement on teaching, at least two syllabi
and related assignments, and a representative sample of student
evaluations)

Selected applicants may be asked, upon receipt and review of
initial material, to submit letters of reference from three
recommenders, as well as a writing sample of no more than 35
pages.

For full consideration, all materials must be received no later
than 11:59pm on November 16, 2026. Applications will be accepted
until the position is filled.

Contact Information:

Michael Bernard-Donals, Search Committee Chair

michael.bernarddonals@wisc.edu

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further
information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for
UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect
the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience,
status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We
commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching,
research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked
goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by
creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every
background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve
Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity
Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment
without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy,
disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as
defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote
excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all
backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For
more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to
view federal and state required postings, visit the Human
Resources Workplace Poster website .

To
request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any
step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview,
pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the
Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you
are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to
help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also
require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct,
including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities
of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that
the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis.
Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual
Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety
and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3
calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies
and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison
will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the
University of Wisconsin Police
Department .