Haverford College invites applications for a two-year, full-time Postdoctoral Fellowship to begin Fall 2027.
The John B. Hurford ’60 Center for the Arts and Humanities at Haverford College invites applications for a two-year, full-time Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship to begin Fall 2027. We seek a humanistic scholar of sound studies whose work focuses on the cultural history of listening practices.
Topics of particular interest include: modes of attention; cultural memory; post-secularity; disability; (un)disciplining the ear; listening as ethical and/or activist practice; professional (e.g. psychoanalytic, medical, juridical) practices of listening. Candidates’ work should be fundamentally grounded in sound studies but may also draw from a range of fields in the humanities, including history, literary studies, religious studies, performance studies, gender and sexuality studies, disability studies, Indigenous studies, and area studies (Asian, African, Latin American, and/or American Studies).
During the first year of the program, the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow will participate in the faculty seminar "Acts of Listening" led by Professor Gustavus Stadler (English), which will bring together faculty from a variety of fields. Drawing from over a century of writing in various modalities and disciplines, it explores practices of audition in diverse cultural and historical contexts, across diverse aural phenomena (music, speech, noise, sounds of bodies, sounds of ritual, and more) in diverse spaces (aesthetic, political, therapeutic, pedagogical, and more). The seminar will explore such questions as: How does listening shape cultural and individual memory? What institutions impact the ways we listen? Is aural attention different from other forms of attention? Is it productive to think in terms of an ethics of listening? What is the relationship between listening and divinity? Listening and intimacy/confession? Is there a post–secular way to listen?
During each of their four semesters at Haverford College, the Fellow will teach one course at the intermediate/advanced level and engage a diverse student body.
The postdoctoral fellow will deliver a lecture in the spring semester of the first year and will pursue mentorship opportunities in the second year to support their professional growth. While the Fellow is under no obligation to organize any additional activities – they are to focus on their own writing and protect their time – we encourage the Fellow to make use of our proximity to Philadelphia and engage with artists, activists, and intellectuals in the Greater Philadelphia area.
The fellow will have an office in the interdisciplinary VCAM (Visual Culture Arts and Media) building, the College's 24/7 creative hub for students, faculty, staff, and the wider community. Home to Haverford's Visual Studies Program, the Haverford Innovations Program, and the John B. Hurford ’60 Center for the Arts and Humanities, VCAM features a host of flexible spaces for teaching and making, including a Film/Media Edit Studio, Maker Arts Space, two Create Spaces, Artist Residency Studio, Object Study/Media Production Classroom, and exhibitions spaces.
Candidates who have earned their Ph.D. no earlier than 2022 and will have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. by May 1, 2027, are eligible to apply. Applicants must submit the following via Interfolio by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 8, 2027:
Candidates who advance to the second round will be asked to submit a writing sample and two recommendation letters. These candidates will be contacted directly by email with instructions for submitting the additional materials.
Questions about the position can be directed to Kelly Jung, at hjung1@haverford.edu. For technical questions about Interfolio, please contact Interfolio directly at 1-877-997-8807 or help@interfolio.com.
Haverford College is a leading liberal arts college located 9 miles from the center of Philadelphia. The idyllic residential campus is home to over 1,400 exceptional undergraduate students who are motivated by their deep intellectual curiosity, respectfully collaborative spirit, and commitment to improving the world around them. The diverse neighborhoods comprising the greater Philadelphia area are home to many cultural icons and recreational spaces, with direct public transportation access from Haverford’s campus and excellent access to many cities on the East Coast. The concentration of higher education institutions in the region provides excellent opportunities for facilitating professional connections.
Haverford College strives to maintain an equitable, accessible, and welcoming environment where staff, faculty and students of all backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experience can work, learn, and thrive. Haverford College is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other identity or characteristic protected by law. Haverford College recognizes that we live and work on Lenape land.
