Professor of History

About the role

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

Job Summary

The Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking outstanding candidates for an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) position in the history of U.S. political economy from the Civil War to the present. The successful candidate will hold the John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Chair in the History of American Politics, Institutions, and Political Economy.

In this role, they will advance the educational mission of the College of Letters & Science by valuing, prioritizing, and actualizing evidence-based and (undergraduate and graduate) student-centered teaching and mentoring. The Rowe Chair will contribute to an environment that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging for faculty, staff, students and members of the broader community.

The successful candidate will conduct innovative research that analyzes the relationship between politics, the state, and economic institutions. Their scholarship may examine the intersections of government with economic, business, labor, or legal history; the history of political-economic thought; and/or U.S. political economy from transnational or global perspectives.

As the Rowe Chair, they should be able to offer undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in political economy since the Civil War; mentor undergraduate and graduate students in the methods, theories, and sources of the field; and have the capacity to teach undergraduate introductory courses that cover the broader sweep of U.S./American history from early America up until the present day.

They will also be expected to provide service to the program, department, college, university, and professional community nationally and/or internationally.

The Department of History at UW-Madison has a large and vibrant faculty with diverse temporal, geographical, and methodological expertise. It is especially strong in the histories of empire and transnationalism; race, ethnicity, and indigeneity, knowledge-production and education; science, technology, and the environment; and gender.

The Department of History is based in the College of Letters & Science, which is committed to providing liberal arts education that is both broad and deep through innovative and empathic teaching. We hire faculty who are interested in pursuing difficult questions, producing new discoveries, making an impact in their field, and are committed to shared governance.

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

UW-Madison is situated in the heart state's capital, which is well known for offering a small town feel in a medium-sized city. Fortune named Madison #7 Happiest City in America in 2025, and for 2025-2026, US News & World Report ranked Madison #7 for Best Places to Live for Quality of Life in the US, and the American College of Sports Medicine ranked Madison the #7 Fittest City in the nation. The city consistently wins national recognition for its walkability, bikeability, natural beauty, outdoor recreation, vibrant cultural scene, and excellent health care infrastructure.

Key Job Responsibilities

Department: College of Letters and Science, Department of History

Compensation

Negotiable - 9 months / ongoing / renewable

Required Qualifications

Candidates should demonstrate evidence of creativity and excellence in scholarly research and teaching. In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate fostering or the ability to foster a teaching, learning, mentoring, departmental, and a research environment where all can thrive.

Education: PhD in History or similar required by start of appointment.

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 4 items

• a letter of application,
• curriculum vitae,
• a writing sample of roughly 35 pages. If the writing sample forms part of a larger book manuscript or dissertation, please include an abstract and table of contents or a statement of how the writing sample fits in with the larger project.
• a teaching and mentoring statement, (maximum 3 pages)
• name and contact information for three referees

Additional information

For full consideration, all materials must be received no later than 11:59pm on August 24, 2026. Applicants who move forward in the process will receive an email requesting the names and contact information for three references; each reference will receive an electronic link through which they can upload a signed letter of reference.

Please note that applicants will be evaluated based upon submitted application materials and therefore should speak to and include evidence of their qualifications. Application materials must clearly demonstrate the applicant's dedication to excellence in student-centered teaching and mentoring.

Additionally, materials should showcase the applicant's ability to purposefully plan their teaching practices, evidenced through goals, action plans, reflection, and related documentation. This portion of the application materials must be created by the applicant and may include supporting letters. It cannot be only in the form of letters and testimony by others.

Contact Information: Carol Cizauskas

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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.