Assistant Professor of Sociology

Position No. 6330. The Department of Sociology at Southern Methodist University invites applications for an assistant professor with specializations in economic, urban, global or transnational sociology, to begin August 1, 2025. The teaching load is typically 2 courses per semester.

As one of ten tenure-line positions associated with Southern Methodist University’s faculty cluster in urban research, this position also offers opportunities for rich interdisciplinary connections among new and existing SMU faculty [https://www.smu.edu/dedman/research/clusters]. The cluster fosters research on cities and urbanization from local and global perspectives. SMU’s location in Dallas, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country, is an ideal setting for studying the opportunities and inequities that individuals, groups, and communities confront as they navigate and shape urban life. SMU is committed to community engagement in a variety of ways including the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center housed in the Dedman School of Law. Current faculty are involved in a breadth of projects in North Texas including early psychosis care, mental health care for underserved communities, infrastructure deserts, urban education and culturally sensitive teaching.

The Department of Sociology serves around 140 Sociology and Markets and Culture majors and minors. Markets and Culture is an interdisciplinary economic sociology degree housed in Sociology. Forty percent of our majors are from underrepresented groups. Housed in historic Hyer Hall overlooking the beautiful live oak-lined Dallas Hall Quad, our department is collegial with a strong history of working with McNair Scholars and offering courses that support other majors including African/African-American Studies, Mexican-American Studies, Health & Society, Human Rights and the Women’s and Gender Studies and Law and Legal Reasoning minors. Our faculty contribute to the Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute’s research symposia and take advantage of the opportunity to live on campus in the residential commons as a Faculty-In-Residence and teach during the summer at our sister campus in the mountains of Taos, NM.

SMU is in a transformative period of expansion as the university approaches its goal of reaching the R-1 research tier. SMU’s Second Century Campaign was the largest fundraising initiative in SMU's history, raising $1.15 billion by the end of 2015 and a new, $1.5 billion campaign, SMU Ignited, has begun. In the past three years, a series of interdisciplinary faculty cluster hires centering on urban studies, data science and high-performance computing, earth hazards and national security, and 21^st century technology and education are introducing new collaborations among the faculty across the university and generating innovation in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, a culturally rich arts and global business center that is home to numerous universities, arts organizations and Fortune 500 corporations, and beyond. (https://www.smu.edu/research/key-research-areas)

Minimum Requirements

• PhD

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to contribute courses toward the Markets and Culture major Experience teaching and mentoring diverse students

Please address inquiries to Search Committee Chair Matthew Keller (mkeller@smu.edu). Applications must be submitted via Interfolio at http://apply.interfolio.com/150739 and should include a complete curriculum vitae, letter of application, three letters of recommendation, and complete qualitative and quantitative teaching evaluations. SMU is an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community that values diverse research and creative agendas. Review of applications will begin October 1, 2024. To ensure full consideration for the position, the application must be received by October 1, but the committee will continue to accept applications until the position is filled and notify applicants of the employment decision after the position is filled.

Located near the center of Dallas, SMU is a private nonsectarian university of 12,000 students. SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check.