The University of Virginias Department of Religious Studies invites applications for a 3-year Assistant Professorship in Hinduism and Buddhism, with the ability to teach courses in Hinduism and Buddhism, in any historical period(s). Expertise in other Indian religious traditions is also welcomed. This is a three-year, tenure-ineligible, non-renewable appointment. The start date for the position is August 10, 2026.

The successful applicant will be contributing courses both to the Religious Studies curriculum and the College of Arts & Sciences Engagements program. The Engagements are a defining component of the College of Arts & Sciences general education curriculum, offering first-year students an introduction to essential ways of thinking that span the arts, sciences, and humanities.  Through focused, two-credit, half-semester seminars organized around four pillarsEngaging Aesthetics, Empirical & Scientific Engagement, Engaging Differences, and Ethical Engagementstudents learn to ask meaningful questions, analyze evidence, engage diverse perspectives, and explore ethical dimensions of the world around them. The contents of those courses may reflect the candidates academic specialization. 

Faculty in these hybrid roles are anchored in a home department while also serving as College Fellows, joining a cross-disciplinary cohort that shapes the first-year academic experience. Fellows design and teach a repeating 7-week course in the Engagements curriculum and participate in regular program meetings and professional development. The successful candidate will also advise approximately 35 undergraduate students. Every other fall semester, the teaching load includes a one-course reduction in recognition of these advising responsibilities.

In Religious Studies, the successful candidate will offer three (3) courses per year in the department according to curricular needs, though the capacity to offer introductory courses in Hinduism and Buddhism is essential. 

More information about the Engagements Program can be found at: https://gened.as.virginia.edu/engagements. More information about the Universitys Department of Religious Studies may be found here: https://religiousstudies.as.virginia.edu/; for the Universitys 2030 plan, see here: https://strategicplan.virginia.edu/. Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. John Nemec at jwn3y@virginia.edu. Questions about the application process may be directed to Melanie Sponaugle at unw5dq@virginia.edu. The university will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.