The Department of Anthropology and Geography at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) invites applications for a Assistant or Associate Professor of Anthropology with a specialty in Biological Anthropology.
The faculty member hired for this position will teach lower-division undergraduate courses in anthropology and biological anthropology, as well as upper-division and graduate courses aligned with their research interests and training. We are particularly interested in candidates with training in forensic, biomolecular, bioarcheological, or other anthropological approaches to investigate questions of health, identity, migration, ancestry, adaptation, or human-environment relationships across archaeological or contemporary contexts. Regional focus is open, but someone interested in building a research agenda in Alaska and the Arctic/Subarctic is preferred. A key priority is experience working collaboratively with Indigenous communities and navigating the legal, ethical, and practical dimensions of NAGPRA and related repatriation frameworks.
The College of Arts and Sciences is a welcoming and diverse academic community, providing a world-class, Alaska-rooted education that prepares students for the challenges of today and tomorrow through educational excellence, transformative research, creative expression, and community engagement. It is where innovative research and creative work culminate to transform Alaska’s next generation. We seek candidates dedicated to promoting an environment that increases student knowledge about local, national, and global communities. The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest of three universities in the University of Alaska system, serving nearly 12,000 students from all over the United States and 89 countries.
Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, sits on the lands of the Dena’ina and Eklutna peoples and has an ethnically diverse population of 295,000. Anchorage offers a lively intellectual and cultural life, including opera, symphony, theater, art events, and a variety of restaurants. Set between snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains and the ocean waters of Cook Inlet, the city offers ready access to state and national forests and parks, year-round outdoor recreation, and unsurpassed natural beauty. For more information about living in Anchorage, please visit lifeinanchorage.com.
To thrive in this role, candidates should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills; the ability to teach core and specialized courses in the department’s curriculum; demonstrated potential to support and mentor students; demonstrated commitment to student success; and knowledge of innovative teaching practice.
Candidates should also demonstrate expertise in one or more of the following areas: forensic anthropology, including human identification, recovery, medicolegal casework, or applied forensic science; NAGPRA, repatriation, ethical stewardship of ancestral remains, collaborative research with Indigenous and descendant communities, and data sovereignty; biomolecular approaches, including ancient DNA, stable isotope analysis, proteomics, microbiome research, population genetics, genomics, or bioinformatics; bioarcheology, paleopathology, and the study of health, diet, mobility, conflict, demography, or other aspects of past human lives; or digital and laboratory methods, such as osteological analysis, 3D imaging, morphometrics, collections management, or other analytical techniques supporting anthropological research.
Minimum Qualifications:
Doctoral degree in Anthropology or Archaeology (Ph.D. or D. Phil.).
Disciplinary expertise in Biological Anthropology.
Demonstrated capacity for scholarly or creative activity, including publications, presentations, or a defined research agenda.
Evidence of potential for excellence in teaching at the college/university level.
Preferred Experience: Evidence of effective teaching across modalities, including online or hybrid formats; experience with curriculum development, program assessment, or course design; familiarity with or experience in grant writing and project management; experience teaching or working in an open-access, public university; evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration or applied/community-engaged scholarship; experience or demonstrated potential in contributing to interdisciplinary programs; and knowledge of regional issues or communities relevant to the institution’s mission (e.g., Circumpolar North, Alaska Native communities, rural engagement).
Position Details:
This position is located on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus in Anchorage, AK. This is a full-time, 9-month base, tenure-track faculty position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, faculty time off, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. Faculty salaries are based on a variety of factors, including education and experience.
Application review will begin on September 24, 2026. To ensure consideration, please submit your application by 11:55 PM Alaska Standard Time on September 23, 2026.
Please attached the following to your application:
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Statement of Teaching Philosophy*
- Contact information for three (3) professional references
- ️If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Dorn Van Dommelen, Search Committee Chair at [email protected].
- To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction. Applicants who now or may in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States are not eligible.
This position is represented by United Academics-AAUP/AFT (UNAC). https://unitedacademicsak.org/
The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at [email protected].
The University of Alaska (www.alaska.edu) is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution. The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.
The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.
Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.
All employees at the University of Alaska are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism when conducting or engaged in university business.
- Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.
Access to the reports is available at:
UAA: (Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension) Online: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person: UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or [email protected] / 907-786-1214 or [email protected].
UAF: (Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus) Online: https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or [email protected].
UAS: (Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus) Online: https://uas.alaska.edu/equity-and-compliance/docs/clery/UAS_ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing [email protected].
