Assistant Professor of English (RISE THRIVE)

About the role

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• Job Category: Faculty
• Employment Type: Regular
• Job Profile: Assistant Professor

Job Summary

The Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking candidates in rhetoric, composition, literacy, technical writing and/or writing studies in the field of rhetoric of health and medicine to join the Department as a tenure-track assistant professor.

We are especially interested in candidates who are engaged in research and teaching that deals with health and well-being in rural contexts, including in indigenous communities, and who are prepared to collaborate across fields represented by the RISE-THRIVE initiative at UW-Madison, as well as the Health and Humanities certificate.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate an interest and/or ability to apply for and win grants to support their work.

Faculty responsibilities include research, teaching, and service. The selected candidate will develop an innovative research program in the rhetoric of health and medicine while making significant contributions to undergraduate and graduate teaching in the English Department, including lecture courses and seminars, and participating in service activities. The general teaching load is four (4) courses per year, two (2) in each semester.

The ideal candidate will advance the educational mission of the College of Letters & Science (L&S) that values, prioritizes, and actualizes evidence-based and student-centered teaching and (undergraduate student) mentoring. They will contribute to an environment that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging for faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader community.

The ideal candidate, as a member of the College of L&S, will proactively contribute to, support, and advance the college's commitment to excellence among all aspects of their teaching, mentoring, research, and service.

In the College of Letters & Science, we provide a liberal arts education that is both broad and deep through excellent, empathic teaching. We hire faculty who are interested in pursuing difficult questions, making new discoveries, and making an impact in their field. We reward excellent teaching and classroom innovation, and we are committed to shared governance. Learn more about the L&S mission on our webpage.

This position is part of the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative. Through accelerated and strategic faculty hiring, research infrastructure enhancement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and increased student and educational opportunities, RISE addresses complex societal challenges of importance to the state, nation and world. Building on UW-Madison's strengths, RISE expands the University's successful track record of connecting with communities and industry on collaborative solutions.

Candidates hired through RISE will join a community of scholars working across disciplines, schools and colleges on research, teaching and outreach endeavors. The community will engage regularly in venues such as seminar series and colloquia to share ongoing projects and identify opportunities to work together. The University will support the community, facilitating access to research infrastructure and funding to support broad and rich collaboration. The position will participate in interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts with other departments, schools and colleges.

Situated at the heart of UW-Madison, the College of Letters & Science (L&S) serves as home to 39 academic departments and numerous research centers. By hiring up to seven faculty researchers as part of UW-Madison's RISE-THRIVE initiative, the College seeks to further bolster its expertise and capacity to serve as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary and collaborative health research-one that integrates quantitative, qualitative, and community-engaged forms of research and brings this mixed-methods approach to bear on the complexities of health, disease, well-being and resilience, and aging.

L&S researchers explore the social, economic, historical, environmental, and behavioral factors that shape health outcomes, while advancing knowledge in genomics, epigenetics, and demography as well as driving innovation in health policy and technology - all for the goal of fostering healthier lives and healthier communities.

Key Job Responsibilities

Department: College of Letters and Science, Department of English

Compensation

Negotiable - 9 months / ongoing / renewable

Required Qualifications

Successful candidates will have a record of

• Creativity and excellence in teaching and scholarly research;
• A demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate courses in writing, rhetoric, and/or related fields, and ability to teach graduate seminars in the relevant field
• A record of active scholarship in the relevant areas, including through publication, presentation at conferences, and/or demonstration of the ability to sustain an active research agenda
• A demonstrated interest in engaging in service work in a unit or department
• Fostering or the ability to foster teaching, learning, mentoring, departmental, and research environments where all can thrive.

Preferred Qualifications

Areas of expertise could include conducting a research program that involves work about or in rural communities, including indigenous communities; demonstrated ability to win grants to support their work; willingness to engage in the communities with which they work; interest and/or ability to work across disciplinary boundaries.

Education

A PhD in English in the area of rhetoric, composition, and/or writing studies, or related sub-discipline - in hand by the start date of employment is required.

How to Apply

• Applications must be received through UW-Madison's online application system.
• Applications submitted outside of this system will not be considered.
• Click the "Apply Now" button to start the application process.
• Applicants should submit the following three (3) items:

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vitae
• A teaching dossier (statement on teaching, at least two syllabi and related assignments, and a representative sample of student evaluations)

Additional information

Selected applicants may be asked, upon receipt and review of initial material, to submit letters of reference from three recommenders, as well as a writing sample of no more than 35 pages.

For full consideration, all materials must be received no later than 11:59pm on November 16, 2026. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Contact Information: Michael Bernard-Donals, Search Committee Chair

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.