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Job Title:

Postdoctoral Scholar to Tenure-Track Assistant Professor - Digital Visual Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa

Department:

Arts and Sciences | Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures

Postdoctoral Scholar to Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Humanities-based Interdisciplinary World Languages and Cultures

Digital Visual Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa

Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures

College of Arts and Sciences

 

Position Overview

The Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) at The Ohio State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to Tenure-Track Assistant Professor position in Humanities-based Interdisciplinary World Languages and Cultures beginning August 15, 2027. We aim to hire a dynamic scholar who will contribute to the vibrant and collegial intellectual communities of our department by engaging with interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching, program development, community engagement, and service.

 

This is one of three Postdoctoral Scholar to Tenure-Track Assistant Professor positions in Humanities-based Interdisciplinary World Languages and Cultures, the other two being in the departments of French and Italian and Germanic Languages and Literatures. We are also conducting searches for three Tenure-Track Assistant Professors position in Transnational World Language Studies in the departments of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Spanish and Portuguese and Slavic, and East Europeans Languages and Cultures.

 

In keeping with the department’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, we are especially interested in scholars of digital visual cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. The successful candidate will engage the relationship between cultures, identities, and digital visual media in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and/or its diasporas globally, focusing on areas such as cinema, digital arts and curatorial practices, and the circulation of images across platforms. The successful candidate will fill a critical gap in our departmental offerings by studying visual cultures and/or media in dynamic relationship with the social, political, and artistic communities they create or engage.

 

We are particularly interested in scholars whose research and teaching reflect the department’s commitment to interdisciplinary research in the languages of MENA expressive cultures. Candidates must demonstrate high proficiency in at least one major language of the region and a record of integrating language expertise and interdisciplinary scholarship.

 

Experience in and/or commitment to public-facing or community engaged scholarship is preferred, in particular around initiatives relating to working with undergraduate students through interdisciplinary experiential learning initiatives to help prepare them for a variety of careers. Community engagement is an essential component of this position. The successful candidate will propose a plan for pursuing publicly engaged research and/or teaching. Potential pathways include local K-12 partnerships, curation of film festivals and/or film series, and promoting intercultural competency and global fluency broadly across the campus community.

 

Following a two-year Postdoctoral Scholar appointment, the Post-Doctoral Scholar will then transfer to a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant professor within the Department and the tenure clock will begin. The postdoctoral scholar positions are funded by the Mellon Foundation grant “Global Fluency, Career Agility: Transforming World Languages at Ohio State.” Mellon Post-docs will focus time on research for up to two years allowing for an in-depth start on scholarship, teach one course per academic year, be involved with the Center for Languages, Literatures, and Cultures’ extensive programming around preparing students to enter careers in our global environment, participate in the activities within the Department, and have a set of designated faculty mentors who are engaged in research on topics relating to world language education, global fluency and intercultural competence, and their area of specialization.

 

Performance Objectives

• Maintain an active research agenda on digital visual cultures of the Middle East and North Africa, anchored in at least one of the major languages of the region.
• Develop and teach General Education courses related to Digital Visual Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.
• Develop specialized courses that complement current department and college offerings for undergraduate and graduate students, including promoting AI fluency.
• Advance the Mellon-funded Transforming World Languages at OSU initiative by collaborating with faculty and staff across disciplines, contributing to innovative programming, and creating new courses that strengthen students’ global fluency and intercultural competence.
• Cultivate interdisciplinary initiatives across OSU departments and centers.
• Develop public facing and community-engaged teaching and/or outreach programs for OSU and Central Ohio communities.

 

Education and Experience Qualifications

Required:

• PhD in Film, Media Studies, Art History, Comparative Literature, Anthropology, Near Eastern or Middle Eastern Studies, Area Studies, or related field required at time of appointment which is August 15, 2027. ABDs welcome to apply.

• Native or near-native fluency in at least one major language in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish.

• Candidates must demonstrate achievement or strong promise of scholarly success.

Desired:

• Experience in and/or commitment to public-facing or community engaged scholarship, teaching, and/or service.

 

Ohio State provides access to a depth and breadth of opportunities and resources. Starting your first day, Ohio State offers you a comprehensive benefits package.

 

How to Apply

To be considered, please submit your application electronically via Workday, https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Postdoctoral-Scholar-to-Tenure-Track-Assistant-Professor---Digital-Visual-Cultures-of-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa_R160526

The application period closes November 20, 2026.

Inquiries may be directed to Johanna Sellman (Sellman.13@osu.edu).

 

You will be presented with the opportunity to attach up to FIVE documents in the Application Documents section. Please include the following:

 

• Attachment 1: Cover Letter: 1-2 page letter, which should include a brief summary of your academic background and why you are interested in this opportunity.

• Attachment 2: CV (Curriculum Vitae): Detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, engagement, and publications.

• Attachment 3: Research Statement: Summary of your past research accomplishments, current work/research, and proposal for your future research plan as a faculty member.

• Attachment 4: Teaching Statement: A statement of your approaches, experience, and philosophy regarding your teaching, learning, and mentoring.  Please include your experience and/or vision for public-facing, community-engaged teaching and/or outreach programs.

• Attachment 5: A writing sample of no more than 70 pages.

 

Candidates selected to move forward in the process will be asked to provide three letters of reference.

Additional Information:

The College

With more than 80 majors and 100 minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The Arts and Sciences provides extraordinary opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, blending creativity and analysis to truly be at the forefront of thought. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the college gives students and researchers the critical thinking and adaptability essential for a lifetime of success.

 

Department Information

The mission of the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) aims to build and cultivate a community of colleagues, which includes faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, staff, and friends, to further our research, teaching, and service missions, stated below. Geographically, NESA’s scope of concern spans the overlapping and historically connected areas of the Near East, Middle East, northern Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia – the “NESA region.” Linguistically, NESA is concerned with the Afroasiatic, Semitic, Turkic, and Indo-Aryan languages spoken in that region. These include Arabic, Hebrew (modern and biblical), Persian, Turkish, Uzbek, and Hindi; as well as a range of ancient Semitic languages such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Syriac, Ugaritic, and Phoenician – all constituting the “NESA languages”, an offering unmatched by most U.S. universities. Chronologically, NESA is concerned with the entire time span from prehistory to the present, bridging the ancient, late antique, medieval, and modern periods. Topically, NESA is concerned about language, culture, religion, scriptures, literary and scientific works, law and society. We study these topics from an interdisciplinary range of approaches from the humanities and social sciences. One distinctive value of NESA is our conviction that these concerns are best understood through careful analysis of sources in original languages in their cultural-historical contexts.

 

The University

Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of America’s leading academic health centers. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

 

Grounded in Ohio State University’s Shared Values, our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression. Ohio State promotes a culture of work-life balance through institutionalized policies, programs, and resources that help faculty, staff, and their families thrive both professionally and personally.

 

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties. Become a Buckeye and contribute to an incredible legacy that serves to guide our future and shape a better tomorrow.

 

Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and vibrant metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. Beyond its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI.

 

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.

 

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. Additionally, there may be further requirements specific to the college or unit, which could include drug and health screenings, as well as faculty misconduct checks depending on the rank of the position.

Location:

Hagerty Hall (0037)

Position Type:

Term (Fixed Term)

Scheduled Hours:

40

Shift:

First Shift

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.  A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

Thank you for your interest in positions at The Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center. Once you have applied, the most updated information on the status of your application can be found by visiting the Candidate Home section of this site. Please view your submitted applications by logging in and reviewing your status. For answers to additional questions please review the frequently asked questions.

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.