Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship

Kenyon College, a highly selective, nationally ranked liberal arts college in central Ohio, invites applications for a Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship beginning in July 2025. This award is named in honor of the late Marilyn Yarbrough, Kenyon's parent, and trustee. A legal scholar and university administrator who was a former editor of the Black Law Journal and a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, Marilyn Yarbrough often addressed gender and racial discrimination in her scholarship and teaching.  A list of previous Marilyn Yarbrough Teaching Fellows can be found at: http://www.kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/office-of-the-provost/awards-and-recognition/marilyn-yarbrough-dissertationteaching-fellowship/

One of the most significant challenges confronting small liberal arts colleges in the United States today is increasing the number of members of underrepresented groups teaching at such institutions. A diverse faculty benefits students, faculty, and administrators alike by enriching the nature of the education experience for all. We recognize, though, that young scholars who are members of underrepresented groups frequently choose to pursue their careers as teachers and scholars at research universities rather than at small liberal arts colleges. In order to encourage such scholars to consider college rather than university teaching, Kenyon College offers the Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship. The program is for scholars in the final stages of their doctoral work who need only to finish the dissertation to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. We hope the experience of teaching, researching, and living for a year at Kenyon will encourage these Fellows to consider a liberal arts college as a place to begin their careers as teachers and scholars. In the past, fellowships have been awarded in: African and African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, Biology, English, History, Latino/a Studies, Math, Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish), Music, Religious Studies, Sociology, Women's and Gender Studies.

Kenyon will provide a stipend of $39,500, plus health benefits, housing (or equivalent allowance), and a small moving allowance. The College will also provide some allowance to cover research, travel to conferences, and professional expenses. The Fellow will be provided an office, a networked computer, and a departmental administrative assistant for support services.

Fellows are expected to teach one course each semester, usually in the Fellow's general research area, and to work toward the completion of their dissertations. Fellows are also expected to offer a college lecture or departmental seminar on the dissertation topic at some point during the academic year in residence. Kenyon College assumes that the Fellow will participate in the intellectual life of his/her home department, as well as in the broader cultural life of the College.

Eligibility to apply for the Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship is limited to those meeting all of the following four criteria who are citizens or nationals of the United States or otherwise 'protected individuals' as defined in 8 USC 1324b(a)(3)(B). Note: Although holders of F-1 visas are ineligible for this Fellowship, applicants do not need to be citizens of the United States.

*Members of underrepresented groups (e.g., ethnic minorities; women in fields that attract mostly men, or men in fields that attract mostly women; and persons who are first-generation college attendees).

*Individuals who are enrolled in a research-based Ph.D. program in one of the following fields: African and African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Art, Art History, Asian Studies, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Classics, Dance, Drama, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, History, Humanities, International Studies, Legal Studies, Mathematics, Modern Languages and Literature, Music, Native American and/or Indigenous Studies, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Public Policy, Psychology, Religious Studies, Scientific Computing, Sociology, and Women's and Gender Studies.

*Individuals who aspire to a teaching and research career. 

*Persons who have not yet earned a doctoral degree at any time and in any field.

To apply, candidates should visit the online application site found at http://careers.kenyon.edu A complete application will be composed of  1) a cover letter discussing the applicant’s research and scholarship undertaken, its relevance to the field or discipline, prior teaching experience, and the applicant's eligibility for the fellowship; 2) a Curriculum Vitae; and 3) contact information for three professional  recommendations (system will automatically email reference writers). All application materials must be submitted electronically through Kenyon's employment website at http://careers.kenyon.edu

Review of applications will begin January 6th and will continue until the position is filled. Completed applications received by the January 6th, 2025 deadline will be guaranteed full consideration.

Kenyon College is a nationally prominent, private liberal arts college where academic excellence goes hand in hand with a strong sense of community and close relationships among students and professors. 

Compensation and Benefits

Salaries at Kenyon are competitive and are commensurate with experience. There are a number of faculty development opportunities (e.g. travel, research funds, etc.) for which appointees are eligible.

In addition to an attractive salary, Kenyon offers benefits for employees and their family members. Children of employees are eligible for 100% tuition waivers at Kenyon, and through the Great Lakes Colleges Association, children of employees are eligible for 90% tuition waivers at fifteen other of the nation's finest liberal arts colleges.

We also offer health and dental insurance, TIAA retirement, and many other benefits, including provisions for a spouse, families, and domestic partners. Details about benefits as well as conditions of employment are described more fully in our Faculty Handbook.

Kenyon is a great place to live and work. To discover why it should be your next home, click here.

Kenyon College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and applications from members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged. It is the College's policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law. Kenyon College has a strong commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.  Please visit our Diversity at Kenyon website.