Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Histories of Art and Architecture

Overview of Position

The Department of History of Art and Architecture (HAA) announces a search for the next Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Histories of Art and Architecture. Mellon Professors at the University of Pittsburgh serve as intellectual thought leaders within the department, the university, and the field(s) in which they participate. We seek a colleague who will use the prominence of this endowed professorship to advance HAA’s mission of expanding and diversifying the histories of art and architecture through their teaching, research, mentorship, and leadership. Applications are invited from tenured professors at the Associate and Full Professor ranks, i.e. those who have attained prominence within their own specialization, and whose intellectual trajectory offers evidence that they are already, or soon will be, considered a leading voice in the discipline and more broadly in the humanities.  

Our department has recently completed a strategic planning process during which we have reaffirmed our commitment to studying the depth and complexity of humanity at the graduate and undergraduate levels. This position is open to candidates with expertise in all subjects and methodologies of the history of art, architecture, and related fields. We seek a colleague who will lead our department in new directions, which need not be contingent on geography or chronology, and who will help us advance the following intellectual and ethical priorities of the department:  

1.      Constellations: Initiated in 2011, HAA’s Constellations serve as cross-subfield thematic and critical frameworks for research exchanges and collaborations within and beyond our department. They also inform our mentoring and teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels. We seek a colleague whose scholarship and teaching can help us maintain and build on the intellectual and pedagogical excellence of our Constellations in fresh and innovative ways.  

2.     DEIA: HAA is committed to centering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in its curriculum, research, outreach, and departmental governance. We seek a colleague who will help advance the projects of anti-racist and decolonial pedagogy, research, and community building.  

3.     Graduate program: The continued growth and vitality of our Ph.D. program is a key priority of the department. We seek a colleague who will help broaden the department’s existing methodologies and research foci by way of graduate-level curricular offerings, languages, thematics, skills, etc., in support of our strong commitment to attracting talented graduate students and preparing them to be leaders in the field. 

4.     Undergraduate program: The Mellon Professor will introduce undergraduate students to new ways of thinking about the histories, meanings, and values of art and architecture. We are committed to encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to consider our courses and programs as integral to their intellectual and professional growth.  

5.     Engagement with Publics: This endowed professorship is a high-profile appointment in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Pittsburgh, and the city of Pittsburgh. We seek a Mellon Professor prepared to use the prominence and resources of this position to engage with the public within and beyond Pittsburgh.  

Applicants are encouraged to articulate in their cover letters how they envision contributing to these departmental priorities through their scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and public-facing initiatives including curatorial, digital, and/or other projects. 

To apply, visit join.pitt.edu. The requisition number for this position is 23004371.