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AY 2025-2026 - Position No. 00055082 - Postdoctoral Fellow in Archaeological Collections Research and Management
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Position Number: 5728452
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Business - Finance

AY 2025-2026 - Position No. 00055082 - Postdoctoral Fellow in Archaeological Collections Research and Management
Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Location: Dallas, Texas
Open Date: Oct 15, 2024

Description:
Postdoctoral Fellow inn Archaeological Collections Research and Management (position number 00055082). The Archaeology Reseasrch Collections (ARC) and the Department of Anthropology in Dedman College at Southern Methodist University invite applications for a full-time postdoctoral fellow to work within the ARC performing collections-based archaeological research beginning August 1, 2025. Specifically, this postdoc will be responsible for assisting in the documentation and rehabilitation of ARC collections, use these collections for novel research pursuits, and serve as a team member in our curatorial facility, including assisting and supervising volunteers, undergraduate students and visiting researchers. We welcome applications from women, underrepresented scholars, military veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

ARC manages more than 4000 ft3 of artifacts, archival documents, photographs, film, and other archaeological materials from research performed by Southern Methodist University between 1965 and 1993. Our collections are of State, National, and International significance, and include materials from Middle Stone Age sites in East Africa; Paleoindian sites of the American Southeast and Southern Plains; ancestral villages and sites of Caddo, Wichita, and other Indigenous Texas peoples; Spanish Missions of Texas; and, early African-American communities in North Texas. Our mission is to curate SMU-held archaeological collections according to State and Federal standards; to conduct and facilitate novel research and use of these collections; to foster public education of and respect for archaeology as a conduit through which modern communities connect with our shared human past.

SMU is a nationally ranked, private, non-sectarian research institution in one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas. Our colleagues are part of an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community of internationally recognized scholars across the humanities, social sciences, mathematical sciences, engineering, and business. SMU offers excellent benefits including full same-sex domestic partner benefits. The City of Dallas is one of the nation's most cosmopolitan commercial and cultural centers, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is the fourth largest in the US. To learn more about Dedman College and SMU, please visit www.smu.edu/dedman and www.smu.edu.

Qualifications:
Prior experience performing collections-based laboratory work and/or research is required. Areas of research and interest are open; however, applicants with interests in specific collections or areas of research that draw upon and/or complement existing resources within the ARC and the Department of Anthropology are preferred.
Minimum Qualifications

Completed requirements for a Ph.D. in anthropology with a focus on archaeology or related field required by August 1, 2025.
Experience with collections management and rehabilitation of legacy collections.
Experience in applying novel research methods and questions to existing datasets and archaeological collections.
Demonstrated ability to communicate science through presentation at national and international meetings and publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Demonstrated ability to supervise and assist undergraduate student researchers and volunteers.
Commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts in the lab and the community.

Preferred Qualifications

Expertise in digital-data management, collections-database development and management.
Research interests in North Texas archaeology, especially as it relates to the experiences of Indigenous Americans and early African Americans in this region.

Minimum Qualifications

Completed requirements for a Ph.D. in anthropology with a focus on archaeology or related field required by August 1, 2025.
Experience with collections management and rehabilitation of legacy collections.
Experience in applying novel research methods and questions to existing datasets and archaeological collections.
Demonstrated ability to communicate science through presentation at national and international meetings and publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Demonstrated ability to supervise and assist undergraduate student researchers and volunteers.
Commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts in the lab and the community.

Application Instructions:
To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/157259

The position comes with a salary of $60,000, health insurance, and conference travel included. Postdoc support is available for at least one year, with the possibility of an extension for a second-year contingent upon continued funding, project needs and deliverables, and satisfactory performance.

Applications must be submitted via Interfolio (http://apply.interfolio.com/157259) with the following documents: (1) a current curriculum vitae; (2) a cover letter describing your background, your motivation for applying to this position, your long-term career goals, and any highlights of your CV; (3) a research statement (2-page maximum) summarizing research interests and expertise; and, (4) a list of names and contact information of three professional references.

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2024. To ensure full consideration for the position, the application must be received by December 1, 2024, but the committee will continue to accept applications until the position is filled. The committee will notify applicants of its employment decision after the position is filled. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Matthew T. Boulanger (mboulanger@smu.edu).

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Assistant Vice President for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.