Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor in Applied Anthropology (Technology and Material Culture focus)

School/Department Name: Anthropology

Compensation: 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.

Target Start Date: August 17, 2027

Application Deadline: November 16, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

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.

Required Qualifications

• 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.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• 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
  
  

Key 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.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Application Procedure

 Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

●        letter of interest

●        curriculum vitae

●        institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)

●        statement of teaching interests/philosophy

●        research plans

●        list of three references with contact information[Please let recommenders know letters should be no more than 2 pages and are requested after applicants move onto candidacy.]

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair and Search Committee Chair: Charlotte Sunseri (charlotte.sunseri@sjsu.edu)

 Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed any violation of the policies governing employee conduct including, but not limited to sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended.  Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.