Assistant Professor of Russian

Description

The Amherst College Department of Russian invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor to begin on July 1, 2026. We are looking for a broadly trained, theoretically engaged scholar of Russian literature and culture. In addition to having a well-articulated research plan, the successful candidate will be committed to undergraduate and interdisciplinary teaching in a liberal-arts context.

Amherst College is one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country. The college is committed to providing financial aid that meets 100 percent of every student’s demonstrated need, and nearly 60 percent of Amherst students receive financial aid. Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at teaching and mentoring a broad range of students. The college is committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff and works to support all members of its community. Amherst College is an equal opportunity employer and encourages women, persons of color, and persons with disabilities to apply.

Our new colleague will teach two courses per semester, including all levels of Russian language and various aspects of Russia’s cultural legacy; contribute to the core curriculum of the department and the college’s liberal-arts curriculum; and advise undergraduate honors theses.

Amherst College is home to an internationally renowned research institution, the Amherst Center for Russian Culture, and the department’s faculty regularly draws on its collections for teaching and research. The center’s unique strengths lie in emigre culture, poetry, the visual and performing arts, the culture of modernism and the long twentieth century. More information about the department is available at https://www.amherst.edu/mm/13477, and about the Center for Russian Culture at https://www.amherst.edu/mm/41771.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Slavic languages and literatures in hand by the start of the appointment. Native or near-native fluency in Russian and English is required, and prior teaching experience is expected. Interested candidates are asked to submit electronically to https://apply.interfolio.com/170784, a letter of application containing research and teaching statements, C.V., two course syllabi, a writing sample (not to exceed 25 pages), and three confidential letters of recommendation. Review of candidates will begin on Nov. 1, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by that date will receive full consideration. Questions about the search should be addressed to Professor Michael Kunichika (mkunichika@amherst.edu).

Amherst College is a highly selective liberal arts college for men and women, with 1,800 students and more than two hundred faculty members. Located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, Amherst participates with Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts in the Five-College Consortium.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

Amherst College does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs and activities on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any other characteristic or class protected under applicable federal, state or local law. Amherst College complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Inquiries should be addressed to the chief equity and inclusion officer, Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000.

Application Instructions

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Amherst College shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts