Assistant Professor - Global Black Geographies - Department of Geography

The Department of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, invites applications for a tenure-track position in Global Black Geographies at the rank of Assistant Professor, to begin July 1, 2026. This position will engage with the spatial dimensions of life in African and/or Black diasporic communities in the Global South, examining how these communities have historically been shaped by and responded to changing social, political, and environmental conditions. Some relevant areas of scholarship might include, but are not restricted to, Black studies, race and empire, political economy and postcolonial geographies, racial capitalism, the Black diaspora, urban or agrarian studies, political ecology, and global science and technology studies.

This position contributes to the department's long-standing strengths in the geographies of Africa and its diaspora as well as their political economy and political ecology, and our commitment to the material study of Black life and thought.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty

A J.D., Ph.D., M.D., (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in a J.D., Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate methodological innovation and theoretical rigor, with work that explores processes such as urbanization, democratization, displacement, land transformation, and economic and/or environmental change through grounded, place-based inquiry.

Successful applicants will support undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring, contribute to the department's collaborative academic environment, and advance research agendas that deepen scholarly understanding of uneven development and transformative spatial practices.

• 3 required (contact information only)

Letters will be solicited in mid-October for those candidates under serious consideration with a submission deadline of two weeks from when the request is sent for those applicants under consideration at that stage.

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment