Postdoctoral Scholar in Forensic Anthropology

College of Liberal Arts Department: Anthropology

Description: The Department of Anthropology within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of New Hampshire invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral appointment to start in fall 2023. Candidates should have expertise in applied forensic anthropology with an active research agenda in ancestry estimation and the social and biological investigations of race as a concept. Other areas of research interest might include bioarchaeology, skeletal trauma analysis, medical anthropology, and human genetic genealogy. The ideal candidate is committed to diversity and social justice in research and teaching and is actively engaged in decolonizing methodologies and antiracist approaches to biological anthropology. A doctoral degree in Anthropology or related discipline is required by time of the appointment.

The candidate should demonstrate interest in interdisciplinary research collaboration, with potential overlap in the fields of anthropology, bioarchaeology, forensics, justice studies, sociology, gender and women’s studies, genetics, biomedical sciences, among other disciplines. Postdoctoral scholars pursue their own independent research and will be provided space in the department’s new Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (FAIR) Lab. Among other impactful collaborations, the FAIR Lab has a strong relationship with NH state law enforcement and the scholar would have the opportunity to participate in forensic case work for the state.
The ideal candidate will show promise of scholarly excellence as well as enthusiasm for both undergraduate and graduate teaching and assisting in the possible long-term development of a professional master’s degree program in Forensic Anthropology. During the two-year post-doc, the teaching load is one course per Academic Year with the remaining time devoted to independent research and professional development. The successful postdoctoral scholar will be matched with the most appropriate mentor(s) based on their research interests.

The faculty in the Anthropology Department demonstrate strong scholarly productivity and exceptional leadership in public humanities and social science research. Much of their work confronts the legacy of colonialism and ethical issues concerning equity and social justice. Members of the department founded the Trans Doe Task Force, Inc, which aims to find and resolve cases of LGBTQ+ missing and murdered persons, especially focusing on unidentified individuals who may have been transgender. The faculty regularly collaborate with and advocate for descendant communities in their work with the Seacoast African American
Cultural Center (SAACC), the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective (INHCC), and the Native American Indigenous Studies (NAIS) minor at UNH. The ideal candidate will show a similar commitment to public engagement and scholarly initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The University of New Hampshire actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry. We encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

All 2022 position descriptions:
https://www.unh.edu/professional-success/engagement-faculty-development/postdoctoral-diversity-innovation-
scholars/position-descriptions-2022

Postdoctoral Diversity and Innovation Scholars website:
https://www.unh.edu/professional-success/engagement-faculty-development/postdoctoral-diversity-innovation-scholars