Harvard University
Title: Dumbarton Oaks/Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Democracy and Landscape
School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department_Area: Dumbarton Oaks
Position Description: With support from the Mellon Foundation's Humanities in Place program, Dumbarton Oaks invites applications for an early career postdoctoral fellow in environmental history with a research focus on race, indigeneity, settler colonialism, and /or the Global South as revealed in a people's history of place and land. Dumbarton Oaks is a research institute in Washington D.C. affiliated with Harvard University that supports research in Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and Garden and Landscape Studies and is home to a museum with world-class collections of Pre-Columbian, Byzantine, and European Renaissance art, and a historic garden designed as a work of art by Beatrix Farrand.
The Garden and Landscape Studies program seeks to both challenge and expand the boundaries of landscape and garden histories and narratives. The initiative "Democracy and Landscape: Race, Identity, and Difference" contributes to the re-shaping of how we come to understand and share people's histories in place and on/with land, building on our NEH Summer Institute series "A People's History of Landscape." The Democracy and Landscape Initiative seeks to steward a community of scholars engaged in reframing narratives of landscape history by means of a deeper inquiry into questions of, among others, race and identity, territory and sovereignty, empire and decolonization, social hierarchy, and democracy as they are revealed in place and through land use practices contributing to a fuller and more truthful history of people and place.
The Postdoctoral Fellowship in Democracy and Landscape is intended for:
- a scholar of environmental history located within or between the disciplines of architecture, art, or landscape histories, Indigenous studies, American studies, Ethnic studies, Critical geography, and/or ecology, among other relevant fields of research;
- open to any period or region or location; and
- with attention given to those who would benefit from programs and collections at Dumbarton Oaks.
Major responsibilities: - Facilitate program activities that advance the field of environmental histories with a focus on democracy, race, identity, and difference. These might include organizing colloquia, workshops, midday dialogues, and public lectures. This will be done in collaboration with the Mellon Initiative Program Assistant.
- Serving as an assistant editor for Dumbarton Oaks publications in environmental and landscape histories comprising the GLS symposium series and a proposed monograph series.
- Design, plan and, if appropriate, lead activities designated for undergraduate curriculum that explore how environmental histories might expand our understanding of place in the making of democracy. While teaching a course will not be a part of the fellowship, developing curriculum and teaching materials will be an opportunity to frame how environmental history might be taught.
The Fellowship will include approximately 60% of effort towards the institutional project and 40% of time on the fellow's own scholarly project. As a part of their institutional focus, the Postdoctoral Fellow will assist with community building of Dumbarton Oaks Mellon Fellows and outreach to potential scholars interested in pursuing scholarship at Dumbarton Oaks. As part of the Garden and Landscape/Democracy and Landscape team, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will work closely with the study programs-Garden and Landscape, Pre-Columbian, and Byzantine-on joint events and scholarly content as well as interacting with the Library, Museum, Gardens, Publications, and other departments at Dumbarton Oaks. This fellowship offers opportunities to build career skills in environmental humanities, special collections, and innovative pedagogical tools, while benefiting from the unique resources of Dumbarton Oaks and its community of scholars.
Benefits - Paid Time Off: 4 weeks of vacation time and 12 sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, and up to 16 weeks of paid leave for new parents
- Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
- Work/Life and Wellness: Childcare scholarship eligibility, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
- Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
- Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
- Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through Human Resources including SmarTrip, biking benefits, and more.
- Dumbarton Oaks Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to the Fellowship House fitness center and Dumbarton Oaks Garden, pool, campus events, and more.
Basic Qualifications: - PhD in the humanities and humanistic social sciences with a focus on environmental histories. History, Architectural History, Landscape History, Art History, History of Science, and the Environmental Humanities among others are pertinent areas of inquiry.
- PhD must have been completed prior to the start of the fellowship and no earlier than May 31, 2022.
Additional Qualifications: - Excellent writing skills.
- Excellent research skills.
- Experience working with special collections and digital repositories.
- Curriculum experience, either at high-school or undergraduate level.
- Editorial experience, in print or digital publications.
- Experience in one of the core study areas of Dumbarton Oaks-Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, or Garden and Landscape Studies is welcome, though not required.
Special Instructions: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, a brief research proposal, and two to three references' names and contact information. Applications must be received by
June 2, 2025. Please note: This position is contingent upon funding and satisfactory performance.
Contact Information: For more information, please visit the Dumbarton Oaks website or reach out to
FellowshipPrograms@doaks.org.
Contact Email: FellowshipPrograms@doaks.org
Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.
Minimum Number of References Required: 2
Maximum Number of References Allowed: 3
Keywords: environmental history, architecture, art, landscape history, Indigenous studies, American studies, Ethnic studies, Critical geography, ecology
Supplemental Questions: Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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