Lead Bioarchaeologist

Application Deadline Extended

University of Mississippi Medical Center Seeks Lead Bioarchaeologist (Updated Sept 27, 2021)
The Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) seeks a lead bioarchaeologist to direct a large-scale multi-year research project focused on the excavation, curation and study of a cemetery associated with the original Mississippi State Mental Asylum. This cemetery is located on the UMMC campus and contains over 4,000 sets of unmarked human remains. The Asylum Hill Project has been funded to excavate, study, and curate these patients. The director will be engaged in all aspects of the project–a project that reflects an exceptional moment in American bioarchaeology. The project will also permanently memorialize the patients during a later phase.

The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in bioarchaeology with the field and laboratory experience necessary to direct this complex long-term project. This is a non-tenure track academic position appointment in the School of Medicine at the appropriate rank. The primary responsibilities include directing the archaeological component of the Asylum Hill Project (AsylumHillProject.org) which includes excavation of the burial sites, their curation and study, as well as creating a field school program. This is a 12mo/year project taking a minimum of 5 to 7 years to complete. The bioarchaeologist will recruit and supervise a team of seven technicians dedicated to the excavation and curation.

The Asylum Hill Project is a distinctly transdisciplinary endeavor and the successful applicant will be expected to collaborate among a variety of professional disciplines in order to maximize the cultural, scientific, and educational value of the enterprise.
The bioarchaeologist is expected to model and maintain the highest ethical standards of community-engaged archaeology, the management of human remains, cultural sensitivity, supervision of a complex work environment, and compliance with applicable state and federal law. UMMC’s senior leadership is committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining future-oriented faculty in support of the institution’s tripartite mission of education, research, and health care. Compensation arrangements are competitive and will be commensurate with the selected candidate’s experience, achievements, and the responsibilities of the position. Interested individuals may submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Lida B. Gibson lbgibson@umc.edu by November 1, 2021.