Cities are complex built environments that integrate the physical, natural, and social worlds of human settlement. The discovery of new solutions to address our most pressing needs and challenges regarding cities is rooted in the presence of and engagement between residents with diverse knowledge, abilities, and experiences. At the same time, the legacy of slavery, a prolonged history of social segregation, and the economic and political disenfranchisement of under-represented and marginalized constituencies continue to undermine the power of urban diversity. Although much has been done to address the negative aspects of this history, much more needs to be done to make American cities more equitable, healthy, fair, safe, and beautiful.

Established in the fall of 2016, the Race and Gender in the Built Environment of the American City initiative at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture offers a fellowship position to support the development of future scholars whose work centers on the relationships and intersections between race, gender, and the built environment in the fields represented within the school. While the fellow will directly contribute to one or more disciplines in the School of Architecture, they may also engage scholars across campus in programs, departments, and centers, including American Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies, the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis, the Warfield Center, the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, and the Center for Women's and Gender Studies.

The fellow will teach two courses related to their area of interest each year (design studios, support courses, or elective seminars). Teaching responsibilities may involve both graduate and undergraduate programs. In addition to teaching, the fellow is expected to contribute to the school's intellectual life by engaging in critical theoretical or creative work, which they will present to the university community through a public format, such as a lecture or exhibition. The successful candidate will hold a professional degree complemented by evidence of current research or creative practice that demonstrates a rigorous pursuit of issues associated with race or gender in the built environment.

Background

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest and most highly regarded public universities, situated in the 11th most populous city in the United States, which is consistently ranked one of the best places to live. The School of Architecture offers post-professional and research degree programs in Sustainable Design, Urban Design, Historic Preservation, and Architectural History, in addition to professionally accredited degree and post-professional degree programs in Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Community and Regional Planning. The school supports interdisciplinary education and has established strong collaborations and new initiatives that engage planning and design issues in Mexico and Latin America. The new initiative on race, gender, and the built environment aims to advance scholarship and teaching on topics related to equity in American urban areas. In addition, the school houses one of the largest material libraries in the United States and has a dedicated technology lab to support research in AR/VR, drones, robotics, and digital fabrication. For additional information about the School of Architecture, its programs, and its people, please visit the website: www.soa.utexas.edu.

Application review will begin January 2 and will continue until the position is filled.

To be considered for the Race and Gender in the Built Environment of the American City Fellowship, please submit the following materials through Interfolio: