Assistant Professor - Modern U.S. Social and Cultural History

The History Department at Stony Brook University (State University of New York) is delighted to invite applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of History, specializing in Modern U.S. Social and Cultural History.

Preferred candidates will have expertise in the history of society and culture in the modern U.S. and/or the modern U.S. in the world. We particularly encourage applicants whose scholarship encompasses topics related to immigration and/or gender and sexuality, race, and ethnicity. We also prefer applicants with hands-on experience in public history, museum work, and/or the digital humanities. The successful candidate will be prepared to contribute to the History graduate program’s thematic clusters, teach a wide range of topics (including survey courses and specialized seminars for undergraduate and graduate students), and actively contribute to building community within the History Department and across the university. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to graduate student mentorship, recognizing positive student-faculty relations as essential towards creating an inclusive departmental culture, as well as advancing student achievement in career placement, publications, and research. The successful candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with other interdisciplinary entities at Stony Brook (such as the Humanities Institute of Stony Brook, the Center for Changing Systems of Power, and the Institute for Globalization Studies).

Required qualifications:
Ph.D. in History (or related field) in hand by July 1, 2027; relevant archival research experience.

Preferred qualifications:

1.      Specialization in Modern U.S. Social and Cultural History;
2.      Expertise in topics related to immigration and/or gender, race, and ethnicity;
3.      Ability to teach undergraduate surveys and seminars as well as graduate courses.

A completed initial application will include:

1. Cover letter (please no longer than 4 pages), describing scholarly research agenda, teaching experience, and activities relevant to the preferred criteria specified above. 

2. CV

3. Writing sample (chapter or journal article of 25-40 pages)

4. List of three references with e-mail contact information

Only references of shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be expected to provide a research statement and teaching statement with sample syllabus, additional chapters (if ABD) and possibly other materials.

The Department expects to conduct remote interviews with shortlisted candidates and then host finalists on campus in early 2027. 

Review of applications will begin on November 15, but additional applications will be accepted until December 1, 2026.

Campus Description:
Stony Brook University is an R1 research institution located on the north shore of Long Island (60 miles east of New York City) and is a flagship campus of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The vibrant student body is one of the most diverse found at any research institution throughout the United States. Stony Brook University is also one of the best schools in the nation for promoting economic and social mobility.

The University embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and its rankings reflect that mission. Stony Brook University is the #1 public university in New York, #26 among public univeristys according to U.S. News and World Report 2024 Best Colleges. SBU is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, composed of the top 62 research institutions in North America. As Long Island’s largest single site employer, Stony Brook has nearly 15,000 full- and part-time employees, including more than 2,800 faculty and nearly 26,000 students  — 17,600 undergraduate students and 8,300 graduate students — and offers more than 200 majors, minors and combined-degree programs. Located approximately 60 miles east of Manhattan on Long Island’s beautiful North Shore, Stony Brook is situated on 1,454 wooded acres, encompassing 13 schools and colleges; a Research and Development Park; world-class athletics facilities, including an 8,300-seat stadium and a 4,000-seat arena; and Stony Brook Medicine, Long Island’s premier academic medical center. Also part of the University is a teaching and research campus in Southampton, New York, which offers graduate arts programs and is the site of the Marine Sciences Center. In addition, Stony Brook has a role in running, and performs joint research with, Brookhaven National Laboratory, the only Department of Energy Laboratory in the Northeast. Home to the Emerson String Quartet, the Pollock-Krasner House in East Hampton, NY, and the Humanities Institute, with endeavors that extend to the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya and the Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar, Stony Brook sustains an international reputation that includes the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

About the College:
As part of a great research university, the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University incubates creative work and scholarship in fundamental disciplines, connecting with medicine, technology, public policy, culture, education, the arts, business and environment. As the liberal arts college for the campus, we help students and faculty explore diverse possibilities that exceed their initial expectations and prepare for a lifetime of learning and discovery.  http://www.stonybrook.edu/cas/  

The selected candidate must successfully clear a background investigation. 
In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (631) 632- 6350. It can also be viewed online at the University Police website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/police.