Full Time Lecturer in Biological Anthropology

The department of Anthropology and Museum Studies in the College of the Sciences at Central Washington University (CWU) invites applications for a non-tenure track, full-time lecturer in Biological Anthropology for the 2017-2018 academic year. We seek a colleague with research and teaching experience in anthropological approaches to human biology and expertise in molecular anthropology.

We are particularly interested in candidates who (1) have demonstrated excellence in teaching; (2) are theoretically engaged; and (3) will help further collaborations in one or more of the programs associated with the department (American Indian Studies, Primate Behavior & Ecology, Forensics, Museum Studies, Cultural and Environmental Resource Management).

The successful candidate is expected to teach classes at all levels of the curriculum. Courses to be covered include several sections of Introduction to Biological Anthropology and accompanying laboratory, molecular anthropology, and human variation and adaptation. CWU is on the quarter system with 2017-2018 faculty appointments from September 15 through June 8.

Preferred Ph.D. in Anthropology by September 15, 2017.

To apply for this position, you must complete the on-line application at https://careers.cwu.edu (job id 1350), and attach the following:
1) Letter of application demonstrating how your education and experience meet the requested expertise, qualifications, and teaching expectations;
2) Curriculum Vitae, including a listing of all courses taught;
3) contact information for three references; and
4) teaching evaluation for the most recently-taught courses (no more than ten).

Screening begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Contact Information
Name: Lori Sheeran
Title: Professor
Email: Lori.Sheeran@cwu.edu
Phone: 509 963 1434

The University
CWU is one of three state-supported comprehensive regional universities in Washington State. The main campus is located in Ellensburg, Washington, a community of about 18,000 located between the Cascade Range and Columbia Plateau, approximately 100 miles east of Seattle (see below for more on the community and region). Offering bachelors and masters degrees in more than 125 majors, the university enrolls approximately 10,000 students and has a faculty-student ratio of 17:1. The Anthropology and Museum Studies Department has 14 tenure-track faculty. With its robust focus on inclusivity and diversity, CWU enrolled 30% minorities in the 2013 freshman class. CWU enrolls and graduates the largest percentage of Hispanic/Latino students of any public baccalaureate institution in the state. The university holds regional accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Excellence in teaching is the core of the university’s mission, and faculty engage in scholarship, invention, and creative activity to support teaching, to advance knowledge, and to provide outlets for creative expression. CWU also plays a key role in the economic, educational, and cultural vitality of the community and region.

In employment, as in education, Central Washington University is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The Community and Region
CWU’s exceptionally beautiful and well-maintained residential campus occupies 367 acres in Ellensburg, the largest city and county seat of historic Kittitas County. The city is situated in the geographic center of the state and on the Eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Stretching over 700 miles from British Columbia, through Central Washington, and into Oregon, the Cascades divide Washington State into a “wet west” and an “arid east”. The Cascades are tall, with several mountains boasting an altitude above 10,000 feet, with its highest peak at the active stratovolcano of Mount Rainier. The Northern Cascades are home to its namesake national park (Northern Cascades National Park), the lake-resort city of Chelan, and the historic railroad town of Skykomish. The Northern Cascades are known as a world-class destination for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, whitewater rafting, boating, skiing, and snowboarding.

As one of Washington’s founding communities, Ellensburg’s downtown is composed of beautiful brick buildings largely constructed between 1889 and 1917, and located just three blocks from the CWU campus. Weekends bring delicious local food, fresh produce, regional crafts, and eclectic entertainment downtown at the Kittitas County Farmer’s Market. Over the years, Ellensburg has gained a reputation as one of the healthiest cities in the state, and has been praised for its “compact, walkable streets, where 14.3 percent of the residents commute by foot, one of the highest percentages in the state”. Ellensburg is home to many top arts and cultural events in Washington, including Jazz in the Valley, Dachshunds on Parade, Buskers in the ‘Burg, and Spirit of the West.

Ellensburg is located approximately 100 miles and under 2 hours away from the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. With an estimated population of more than 3,600,000, Seattle Metro is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The “Puget Sound” is home to many natural attractions including the Seattle Unit National Historical Park, offering a glimpse into the history of the Klondike Gold Rush, the Big Four Ice Caves, and the 700+ islands and reef scattering of the San Juan Islands. Top employers either headquartered or with a large presence in the region include Microsoft, Amazon, Seattle, Starbucks, Boeing, Costco, Nordstrom, Weyerhaeuser, and Qwest Communications.

Also located around 2 hours away from Ellensburg are the “Tri-Cities” of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland, set at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, one of the United States Department of Energy’s major national laboratories, is a major economic engine for the area. Kennewick is known for more than a hundred wineries and regionally well-known microbreweries. The Columbia River Plateau contains many natural and historical attractions including the Hanford Site, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Multnomah Falls. The Columbia River Gorge provides the perfect setting for windsurfing and kiteboarding, whitewater rafting or a scenic cruise.