The Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa invites applications for an Associate or Full Teaching Professor in Creative Writing. We seek a writer with a strong publication record with at least two books published or under contract, and teaching experience in at least two distinct genres, such as nonfiction, fiction, playwriting, screenwriting, graphic narratives, poetry, or other emerging genres.
We seek a candidate whose creative research, pedagogy, and professional practice engage in interdisciplinary ways with fields in the natural sciences, the social sciences, or the humanities (such as ecology, natural history, landscape/place studies, ecopoetics, sustainability, built environments, and/or environmental justice). In application materials, please address how your creative research and teaching dovetail with the central emphasis of the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment.
This is a three-year appointment with an expectation of teaching five courses per year. Renewal beyond the initial term is possible and is contingent upon performance and departmental needs.
The successful candidate will participate in creative writing events, MFA thesis supervision, and departmental committees, including admissions, orientation sessions, and staff meetings.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.
MFA in Creative Writing, English, or related field
Creative Writing publications in two genres:
Candidates applying at the Associate Teaching Professor rank must have a minimum of two books published or under contract.
Candidates for the Full Teaching Professor rank must have at least three books published or under contract.
Experience teaching Creative Writing at the college level.
Ph.D. in English, Creative Writing, or related field
Documented commitment to interdisciplinary engagement of the environmental imagination in creative research and teaching, including incorporation of themes and issues related to disciplines within the natural sciences, the social sciences, and/or the humanities.
Quality publications with reputable presses, and potential to develop high impact research in first and second creative writing genre.
Experience teaching undergraduate and graduate-level courses in Creative Writing and supervising graduate theses.
Experience teaching beyond Creative Writing: First-Year Composition, Business Communication, Technical Communication, English as a Second Language, Linguistics, Speech Communication, Literature, Pre-Speech and Language
The Creative Writing Program at Iowa State University, housed within the Department of English, includes undergraduate courses in a wide variety of creative writing genres and an undergraduate literary journal (Sketch Magazine). The three-year (54 credit) MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment serves as home to a literary journal (Flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment), a literary symposium (Pearl Hogrefe Visiting Writer Series) and a 76-acre land reserve (The Everett Casey Nature Center & Reserve).
Interdisciplinary MFA coursework includes a combination of creative writing workshops, literature electives, an environmental fieldwork experience, publishing and creative writing teaching practicums, and thesis work with a mentor (major professor). In addition, MFA students tailor a core of environmental coursework outside of the English Department to engage their creative work with disciplines within the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.
The Department of English at Iowa State University also offers two PhD programs—Applied Linguistics and Technology (ALT) and Rhetoric and Professional Communication (RPC)—as well as MA degrees in English (Literature); Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication; and TESL/Applied Linguistics. At the undergraduate level, the Department offers BA degree programs in English, English Education, Linguistics, and a BS in Technical Communication.
To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter
3) Contact Information for Three References
4) Statement of Teaching Philosophy
If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.
Why Choose ISU?
Iowa State Faculty enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
• Retirement benefits, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program