Diversity Scholars Program Application Requirements

The Provost’s Office at Ithaca College invites applications for Diversity Scholars Predoctoral Fellowships. The Fellowships are for the academic year (August 16, 2026 – May 31, 2027) and are non-renewable. Scholars will receive a $43,260 stipend, $5,000 in travel/professional development support, relocation reimbursement, office space, health benefits, and access to Ithaca College and Cornell University libraries. Scholars will teach one course in the fall semester and one course in the spring semester; will receive teaching focused mentoring and professional development by senior faculty; will be expected to participate in one official function per semester; and must partake in an exit interview.

Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited program leading to a Ph.D. degree at a U.S. institution; display evidence of a commitment to a career in teaching at the college or university level; demonstrate a dedication to equitable classroom practices; display evidence of a scholarly agenda; and be authorized to work in the United States. Candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to minoritized communities in their teaching, service and/or research are strongly encouraged to apply. Prior to August 15, 2026, applicants must be advanced to candidacy at their home institution, with an approved dissertation proposal. Preference will be given to candidates who are in the last year of dissertation writing and who have not completed most of their writing at the beginning of the fellowship year.

Applications are welcome in the following areas/departments: 

Art, Art History, and Architecture

The Department of Art, Art History, and Architecture seeks a PhD candidate to contribute to our architectural studies curriculum in the global modern period; area of specialization is open. The successful candidate will teach a 200-level course on Architecture Since 1800 in the fall and a selected topics course in their area of specialization in the spring.

Contact David Salomon dsalmon@ithaca.edu with disciplinary questions about the application process.

Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity

The Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity (CSCRE) seeks candidates whose teaching and scholarship focuses on Native American and Indigenous Studies.

Ithaca College is located within the unceded territory of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ (Cayuga), one of the six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. CSCRE, and Ithaca College more broadly, has a pedagogical imperative to offer courses in Indigenous studies that strive to create opportunities for students to critically examine local Indigenous contexts with as much immediacy and local engagement as possible.

Strong candidates will demonstrate ways their teaching and scholarship align with elements of our program’s student learning objectives in Native American & Indigenous Studies:

1. Identify key concepts, debates, histories, and methodologies within the field of Native American & Indigenous Studies. 
2. Examine historic and contemporary forms of Indigenous sovereignty both locally and globally, and how they challenge settler colonialism and other systemic forms of oppression.
3. Recognize the ways that Indigenous cosmologies and worldviews shape understandings of key topics such as land, kinship, language, gender and gender expression, sexuality, religion, and nationhood. 
4. Analyze how Indigenous peoples have organized to resist, survive, and thrive through both community action and scholarly inquiry.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the relationships between Indigenous and racial/ethnic movements for liberation.

Contact Sean Eversley Bradwell seversley@ithaca.edu with disciplinary questions about the application process.

Department of Economics

The department of Economics at Ithaca College seeks a PhD candidate Diversity Scholar.We are open to candidates from any field in Economics with an interest in teaching from a lens of equity and inclusion – both in terms of pedagogy and content. The successful candidate will teach one introductory level course and one upper division elective. Our department is committed to mentoring in the areas of pedagogy, student support techniques, successful completion of the dissertation, and professional development.  Candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to minoritized communities in their teaching, service and/or research are strongly encouraged to apply.

Contact Elizabeth Kaletski ekaletski@ithaca.edu with disciplinary questions about the application process.

Department of Health Sciences and Public Health

The Department of Health Sciences and Public Health is seeking a predoctoral fellow with interest or research in one or more of the following areas: 1) Health Disparities, 2) Population Health, 3) Policy and Health Care Systems, 4) Nutrition. The ten full-time department faculty are from several different disciplines, including public health, health sciences, gerontology, recreation, and education. We are seeking a fellow who will share expertise with the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance.

Contact Amy Frith afrith@ithaca.edu with disciplinary questions about the application process.

Department of Philosophy and Religion (Religious Studies) 

Within Religious Studies, applications are welcome that demonstrate an ability to teach about Islam and/or Judaism. We welcome candidates who are cognizant of how race, gender, and politics figure into global religious contexts. We primarily are seeking candidates in Religious Studies, but will also consider candidates who work in philosophy and/or affiliated fields like Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, African religions, Chinese religions, etc. The successful candidate will teach an introductory course in the candidate’s area of study in the fall, and a special topics course in the candidate’s area of study in the spring.

Contact Rachel Wagner rwagner@ithaca.edu with disciplinary questions about the application process.

Department of Writing

The Department of Writing offers a comprehensive B.A. in Writing and seeks a Ph.D. candidate Diversity Scholar with expertise in one or more of the following areas: narrative nonfiction, personal essay, writing for popular media, and/or literary journalism. The successful candidate will teach one introductory or intermediate course in the candidate’s specialty in the fall and one in the spring.

Contact Jacob White jrwhite@ithaca.edu with disciplinary questions about the application process.

To Apply:

Interested applicants must apply online and include (1): Unofficial transcript from an accredited Ph.D.- granting institution; (2) a cover letter detailing the candidates teaching pedagogy and interest in a career in teaching; description of research agenda and a timeline for finishing the dissertation; and how they will contribute to the curriculum of the chosen department; (3) a CV; (4) a syllabus for a course you propose to teach; and (5) the contact information from two references. To ensure full consideration applications should be received by November 10th. Applications will not be considered complete until all materials are in.

Visa sponsorship is not provided for this position.

For questions about the Diversity Scholars program, please contact Belisa González bgonzalez@ithaca.edu.