Assistant Professor

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Job Title:

Assistant Professor, Digital Cultures and Ethnography

Department:

Arts and Sciences | Comparative Studies

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Digital Cultures and Ethnography 

Department of Comparative Studies

College of Arts and Sciences

Tenure faculty (regardless of rank) - persons with the titles of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and instructor who serve on appointments totaling 50% or more service to the university and who are eligible for tenure or who have obtained tenure. Duties and responsibilities are assigned in accordance with the workload guidelines laid out in the pattern of administration of each faculty member’s tenure initiation unit (TIU) and, as appropriate, regional campus; obligations will include research, service and/or teaching or clinical practice.  These faculty will have earned doctorate or other terminal degree in the relevant field of study or possession of equivalent experience.

Position Overview

The Department of Comparative Studies at the Ohio State University invites applications for a position in Digital Cultures and Ethnography at the rank of tenure-track assistant professor. The field of specialization is open. We seek a scholar whose work reflects the Department’s commitment to critical, interdisciplinary approaches to culture and society broadly conceived; potential disciplinary backgrounds include, but are not limited to, Folklore Studies, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Science and Technology Studies, Information Science, and Media Studies. The department especially seeks candidates with expertise in current debates concerning digital cultures, ethnography, and artificial intelligence. The scholar’s research may engage with topics such as: online groups and communities, genres, and contexts; the politics of information and misinformation; social media and online mythmaking; new global forms of folklore and performance; worldmaking projects in and beyond virtual spaces; social, political, and environmental implications of digital technologies and data cultures; and other key issues concerning contemporary life. We are particularly interested in candidates trained and actively engaged in digital ethnography, although we welcome applicants whose work also incorporates other methods. The candidate will be able to offer introductory courses in Ohio State’s General Education program, as well as upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in the department. We highly value evidence of candidates’ experience with program development, securing external resources, and building interdisciplinary connections and research initiatives. 

The Department of Comparative Studies is a highly interdisciplinary space. The successful candidate’s work will be in conversation with one or more of the fields represented in the Comparative Studies program: Folklore Studies, Cultural Studies, Indigenous Studies, Race, Gender, and Ethnic Studies, Literary Studies, Religious Studies, and Science and Technology Studies.  

Performance Objectives

• Develop and maintain a productive research program in the areas of digital cultures and ethnography
• Teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, including contributing to departmental strengths in folklore, science and technology studies, and/or cultural studies
• Demonstrate excellence in student mentoring
• Contribute to program development, curricular development, and other service to the department

Education and Experience Requirements

Required: Candidates must have Ph.D. in hand at the time of appointment (August 15, 2026). ABDs are welcome to apply.

Desired: Candidates with training in digital ethnography are preferred as well as those whose work intersects with other fields represented within the department.

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.

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 Department of Comparative Studies is an interdisciplinary community of students, educators, and scholars who use comparison to attend to the dynamics of knowledge and power in a range of practices and discourses. Within and across boundaries of discipline, nation, and language, we are committed to theoretically driven and empirically grounded scholarship. As a department that values collaboration and interdisciplinarity, we work closely with Ohio State’s Humanities Institute, as well as the Center for Ethnic Studies, the Center for Folklore Studies, and the Center for the Study of Religion.

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.

The Ohio State University is committed to enhancing academic excellence. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established central resources to focus on offering support to new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual career partner consultation, potential employer and/or employment opportunity identification, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community.  While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are available.  More information about dual career and faculty recruitment can be found here.

In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies.  Ohio State is a member of the Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania & West Virginia HERC.

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:

Regular

Scheduled Hours:

40

Shift:

First Shift

The Ohio State University believes in diversity in people and ideas. What Ohio State does matters. And how we do it matters. When we are at our best, we make a real difference to people. Our size, breadth, geography, history and standard of excellence position us to drive the future of higher education. We believe that the university should be a place where people can work and learn together in a safe environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. As such, finalists for any faculty position that carries tenure must sign an authorization and disclosure form, which will allow current or prior employer(s) to share information to the University regarding any findings of employment-related misconduct or disciplinary proceedings against a candidate and/or any pending investigations related to alleged misconduct. Such information shall include findings and pending investigations with respect to sexual harassment, violence, or harassment; research misconduct; financial fraud or misconduct; foreign influence violations, grant misuse or misconduct; and/or any other type of finding or pending investigation relating to a candidate’s employer’s policies and rules governing faculty conduct that may reasonably be expected to affect a candidate’s appointment. If the University becomes aware of any past finding of misconduct or pending investigations that were not disclosed, Ohio State will treat that as a serious omission and reserves the right to rescind an offer or terminate employment.

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. 

As required by Ohio Revised Code section 3345.0216, Ohio State will: educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth; equip students with the opportunity to develop intellectual skills to reach their own, informed conclusions; not require, favor, disfavor or prohibit speech or lawful assembly; create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth and tolerates differences in opinion; treat all faculty, staff and students as individuals, hold them to equal standards and provide equality of opportunity with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.