University of Pittsburgh – Center for Intercultural Dialogue

U Pittsburgh: Asst Prof in Race & Media (USA)

Assistant Professor in Race & Media, Department of Communication, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. Deadline: October 1, 2019.

Pending budgetary approval, the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh seeks an Assistant Professor pursuing the study of race and media using qualitative methodology, including but not limited to critical, ethnographic, historical, legal, performative, philosophical, rhetorical, or visual perspectives. Potential areas of research might include: racial representations in one or more media; race’s mediated intersectionalities with class, (dis)ability, gender, gender identity, sex, and sexuality; the role of racial difference in media production; the links between media policy and race; race in digital contexts; audience engagement with racial identity; or race and global media.

The intellectual environment at the University of Pittsburgh provides ample opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation. Positioning a new faculty member to forge collaborative, interdisciplinary links, the Department has developed working relationships with distinguished programs in Cultural Studies, Global Studies, Africana Studies, Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies, English, History, Sociology, Political Science, Religious Studies, the Graduate School of Political and International Affairs, the Consortium for Educational Resources on Islamic Studies, and the Business School, to name a few. Appointees will teach current undergraduate and graduate courses, develop new courses in the area of their research specialization, and otherwise participate in the Department’s intellectually vigorous graduate program.

Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is offering a postdoctoral fellowship in the humanities for the academic year 2016-2017. Fellows will teach one course each semester, complete scholarly work, and participate in the academic and intellectual communities of the departments with which they are affiliated and across the Dietrich School. Within the Dietrich School, rich opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange are available in the Humanities Center, the World History Center and in a number of vibrant multidisciplinary programs.

The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educator. Women, minorities, and international candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

BENEFITS: Fellows receive an annual stipend of $45,000, a $3,500 annual research/travel allowance, and a $1,500 one-time moving allowance. Fellows may apply for an additional one-year renewal. The University provides a relatively comprehensive package of fringe benefits, including medical insurance, participant-paid dental and vision insurance, life insurance, eligibility to participate in the University’s tuition scholarships program, and a retirement plan allowing personal tax deferral to TIAA/CREF with no University match. Domestic partner benefits are available for same or opposite sex partners. Fellows have access to additional benefits which currently include: University libraries and recreational facilities, computing and networking services, and fare-free public transportation.

APPLICATIONS: We invite applications from qualified candidates who have satisfactorily completed all requirements for the PhD degree, including any oral defense, by June 1, 2016. Individuals who graduated before September 1, 2014 are ineligible. Any offer of employment is contingent upon having the PhD degree in-hand prior to the appointment, and acquiring all proper visas (for international fellows). Applications must be received by 5 p.m. EST on February 12, 2016. Letters of recommendation must be received by 5 p.m. EST on February 19, 2016. No exceptions to deadlines are granted. Find more information about the application process here.

Art, Communication and Contact Zones: Open Online Course (U Pittsburgh)

Art, Communication, and Contact Zones is a free, open online course offered via the University of Pittsburgh now accepting enrollments via Blackboard’s Open Education platform.

Course description:
In a society that steers us to reinforce our existing preferences, it can be illuminating to study public art designed to bring diverse audiences together in “contact zones,” where different worlds and discordant views mix. Join us to explore close readings of monuments, installations, and other artworks that arise from, create, and animate such ‘contact zones.’ This open online course runs parallel with a brick-and-mortar seminar by the same name at the University of Pittsburgh, giving you a chance to connect with Pitt faculty members and students. Workload: view one brief video lesson every other week for five weeks and participate through voluntary written discussions.

For further information, contact Gordon Mitchell.

Sarah Bishop – micro grant

Sarah Bishop, a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh, received one of the National Communication Association’s micro grants in Fall 2012 to travel to San Jose, Costa Rica. In San Jose, Bishop will work with Dr. Ana Sittenfeld, Director of the Office of International Affairs at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), to gather and analyze the reflections of graduate students who have studied abroad from Costa Rica to the United States for academic credit. Costa Rica boasts an impressive history of successful study abroad programs and strong connections to U.S. universities in particular. As the country’s oldest and largest university, UCR has spearheaded a movement to send graduate students abroad to gain international teaching experience with the belief that this opportunity makes the students better prepared and attractive candidates for teaching careers within Costa Rican universities. Bishop is interested in the ways an academic travel experience affects an individual’s sense of personal and national identity, as well as the intersection between study abroad, intercultural competence, and career preparation. This project will utilize an oral history methodology that entails conducting and recording qualitative, in-depth interviews using open-ended questions, and will work to extend Bishop’s continued efforts to navigate the ways in which international academic travel functions as a mediated, value-laden experience.