A Growing Department

One of the exciting things about coming to ASU is that the English Department is actively growing--new positions are shooting up like bamboos. This is quite a change from what I'm used to.

Here is a message from Neal Lester, our Department Chair that speaks to the excitement about the new direction that the Department--and the University--is taking:

October 18, 2007

Dear Colleague:

Movement, Change, Possibilities . . . the spirit and energy that is Arizona State University (ASU). Named one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U. S. News and World Report, ASU is a Research I university located in a thriving metropolitan area. The Department of English, located on the Tempe campus, embraces with excitement the local, national, and global opportunities afforded by the evolution of ASU as a New American University. Comprised of highly accomplished researchers, excellent teachers, and active members in community and professional organizations, the Department offers degree programs in comparative literature, creative writing, English education, linguistics, literature, rhetoric and composition, and TESOL. We are a robust, broadminded group rooted in tradition but always reaching toward greater invention, collaboration and achievement. New thought, new expression, and new ways of experiencing language and culture constitute the heart of our vision and work.

Recognizing the Department’s important role in creating and sustaining ASU as a New American University, President Michael Crow has made a special commitment to the English Department to build our faculty ranks. This year, eight new faculty joined us: Jessica Early (English Education and Rhetoric/Composition), David Hawkes (17th Century British Literature), Heather Maring (Medieval Studies), Paul Kei Matsuda (Linguistics and Rhetoric/Composition), Richard Newhauser (Medieval Studies), Simon Ortiz (Indigenous American Literatures), Bradley Ryner (Renaissance Studies), and Robert Sturges (Medieval Studies and Queer Studies). These new colleagues are already advancing both the mission of the Department and ASU to engage in intellectual fusion, harness research to specific social and cultural purposes, and develop research and pedagogy that are socially embedded and globally engaged.

This year, we will continue to strengthen and grow our focus on literatures, languages, and discourses in these concentration areas: Borderlands; Cultural and Cross-Cultural Encounters; and Technologies. Toward that end, we are pleased to announce searches for the following positions:

• Professor in Modern American Fiction
• Professor in Creative Writing/Fiction
• Associate Professor in English Education
• Associate Professor in Rhetoric/Composition with specialization in New Media
• Assistant Professor in Rhetoric/Composition with specialization in Community Literacy
• Assistant Professor in Native American Linguistics/Semantics
• Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics/TESOL with a specialization in CALL
• Assistant Professor of Postcolonial Studies
• Assistant Professor in English Education with a specialization in ESL
• Assistant Professor in 19th Century/Early 20th Century American Literature

We expect to hire a significant number of new faculty members the following year as well. Clearly, this is an exciting time in our department as an infusion of new thinkers re-invigorates an already strong community of teachers-scholars-citizens.

The Phoenix metropolitan area is a unique place to live, offering many cultural options outside of the campus environment. Located in the gorgeous and surprisingly fecund Sonora Desert, the Phoenix metropolitan area boasts a rich Southwestern heritage as well as a vibrant arts and culture scene. From museums to extensive hiking trails in over seven regional parks, the Phoenix area provides something for everyone.

Specific details about all of our job advertisements are on the Department of English website at http://www.asu.edu/clas/english/employment.html. To speak with me about the program or to discuss any of the positions, please call (480) 965-3535, or e-mail me at neal.lester@asu.edu.

Thank you for circulating these positions to interested candidates.

Sincerely,

Neal A. Lester, Chair and Professor of English
Foundation Professor
Parents Association Professor
Bebbling Family Dean’s Distinguished Professor
Arizona Humanities Council Distinguished Public Scholar