Kay Fellow in Carceral Studies and the Humanities

Brandeis University invites applications for a two-year, non-renewable Florence Levy Kay Fellowship in Carceral Studies and the Humanities, beginning Fall 2025. Applicants’ scholarly disciplines may be rooted within the humanities, social sciences, or law. We are particularly interested in scholars whose research and teaching engage the experiential dimensions and cultural consequences of mass incarceration. Fields of expertise may include creative and expressive forms of resistance to carcerality, issues of representation, philosophical projects related to mass incarceration, and other relevant humanist work. The successful candidate will teach courses that contribute to the curricula in Legal Studies, English, and African and African American Studies. 

Through research, teaching, and cultivation of service-learning opportunities, the Kay Fellow is also welcome to support the Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative (BEJI), a multidisciplinary initiative that engages undergraduate and graduate students in developing educational pathways for people impacted by incarceration. In addition to its co-curricular activities, BEJI organizes a multidisciplinary research hub on campus around issues associated with prisons, criminal justice reform, and reentry. 

Kay Fellowships are interdisciplinary appointments. The Kay Fellow in Carceral Studies and the Humanities will hold a joint appointment as a faculty member at the rank of lecturer in the Departments of African and African American Studies and English, and in the Program in Legal Studies. 

The Kay Fellow will teach one course per semester, actively pursue their own research interests, and provide a public lecture in the second year of the fellowship. The Fellow will receive a 2025-2026 salary of $64,000, plus benefits, with moving expenses (around $1,500), and a research fund of up to $4,000 per year.  PhD should be in hand by the commencement of the fellowship. 

Applications should be submitted through AcademicJobsOnline (AJO) here and should include a CV, writing sample (preferably a book chapter or other sample, statement of research and teaching interests (no longer than two single-spaced pages), and names and contact information for three recommenders. 

First consideration will be given to applications received by November 15th.

Questions about the search may be directed to David Sherman, Chair, Search Committee at dsherman@brandeis.edu.

At Brandeis, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of academic excellence. Brandeis University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that is committed to creating equitable access and opportunities for applicants to all employment positions. Because diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of Brandeis’ history and mission, we value and are seeking candidates with a variety of social identities, including those that have been underrepresented in higher education, who possess skills that spark innovation, and who, through their scholarly pursuits, teaching, and/or service experiences, bring expertise in building, engaging and sustaining a pluralistic, unified, and just campus community.