Duke University, Center for Documentary Studies
Position ID:
Duke-Center for Documentary Studies-PROFESSOR [#31788]
Position Title:
Visiting Professor
Position Type:
Non-regular rank faculty
Position Location:
Durham, North Carolina 27705, United States of America
Subject Areas:
Journalism
History / American Studies
Fine Arts / Documentary studies/documentary arts
Teaching and Learning
Digital Media & Design / Digital Arts (more...)
History / American Studies
Fine Arts / Documentary studies/documentary arts
Teaching and Learning
Digital Media & Design / Digital Arts (more...)
Appl Deadline:
2026/04/10 23:59:59 (posted 2026/03/09, updated 2026/03/19, listed until 2026/04/10)
Position Description:
Position Description
Lehman Brady Visiting Professor in Documentary Studies and American Studies at Duke University and UNC–Chapel Hill The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and the Department of American Studies at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill invite applications for the 2026–2028 Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Chair Professorship. The professorship, open as to rank, provides an innovative artist, writer, documentarian or scholar a two-year position. The first year is not fully residential, but involves a series of week-long visits to engage with faculty, students and community groups, as appropriate, to present on work-in-progress, and to undertake planning for the second, residential year. During the second year, the holder of the professorship will be in residence in Durham to conduct research, participate in educational and community-building activities, and design and carry out a significant creative public engagement project connecting university staff, faculty, students and participants from local and regional communities. During that second year, the Lehman Brady Professor will also teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses on both campuses and engage in presentations, outreach and other events for students and the general public. This professorship is supported by two Duke endowment funds, one established by the Lyndhurst Foundation and the other established by the bequest of Lehman Brady, an attorney from Durham, North Carolina, who died in 1995. Applications will be accepted through April 10, 2026 (11:59 pm Eastern Time US). Disciplines: Applicants may propose projects and courses from among these disciplines (or related fields): Documentary studies/documentary arts American studies History Journalism Fine arts (including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, cinematic arts, installation, new media, digital arts) Folklore Audio/sound studies Creative writing Poetry Theater Timeline Fall Semester 2026: Two week-long site visits to Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill; meetings with faculty, staff, students, community members. Course proposals due late November 2026 for Fall 2027 classes; should the holder of the professorship wish to seek funding from Duke’s Bass Connections program, proposals will be due early November 2026 for the 2027-28 academic year. Professor paid partial salary and provided with a research fund. Spring Semester 2027: Two week-long site visits to Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill; introductory events; meetings with faculty, staff, students, community members. Recruit participants for creative project. Professor paid partial salary and provided with research fund. July 1, 2027: Start of full-time professorship, full-time residency in Durham/Chapel Hill area, creative project implementation Fall Semester 2027: Teach one semester-long course at each university; creative project implementation Spring Semester 2028: Teach one semester-long course at each university; creative project implementation; significant public event, exhibition and/or screening held at Duke, UNC–Chapel Hill and/or community venue Funding Year 1 (four week-long site visits): One-fifth salary for year 2; research fund; temporary office; access to university libraries, computer labs, facilities Year 2: Full salary and Duke University benefits; research fund; office space; studio space; access to university libraries, computer labs, facilities Eligibility Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. Applicants with a terminal degree (Ph.D., MFA) must have graduated at least five years ago. Applicants with equivalent mid-career credentials, as evidenced by publications, exhibitions, films or other similar achievements, must have at least ten years of relevant experience. Duke University and University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill students, faculty and staff are not eligible to apply. Applications To apply, submit: • Cover letter • CV • Proposal for documentary project to be undertaken in year two of the professorship (2 pages maximum) • Personal statement of teaching philosophy and creative practice (2 pages maximum) • Creative work sample (see FAQs for details) • 2 undergraduate and/or graduate semester-long course proposals (one page each) • Course evaluations for the last three courses taught (as available) • 3 references (names and addresses only; letters are not needed at this time) Virtual Office Hours Applicants are invited to attend drop-in office hours via Zoom (https://duke.zoom.us/j/8603053542) and pose questions through the anonymous Q&A feature. All times listed are local to North Carolina (eastern time U.S.). • Friday, March 20, 3:00 to 4:00 pm • Wednesday, March 25, 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm FAQs Is a terminal degree (Ph.D., MFA) in a field related to documentary studies/documentary arts required? Applicants should hold a terminal degree (Ph.D., MFA) in a field related to documentary studies/documentary arts and/or have equivalent mid-career credentials, as evidenced by publications, exhibitions, films or other similar achievements. What is meant by a proposal for documentary project to be undertaken in year 2 of the professorship? This proposal should explain the place of the anticipated project in the candidate’s intellectual and creative trajectory and its connection to resources at Duke, UNC–Chapel Hill and in the Research Triangle area. Applicants should discuss how they see the project being strengthened by interactions with the communities in North Carolina. What does the creative work sample consist of? Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of representative examples of their best creative work relevant to their proposed teaching and research goals for the professorship, via the online SlideRoom portal. SlideRoom link for submission of portfolio examples: https://dukearts.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/88205/c1oUdxEGls • Applicants may submit a portfolio of any combination of media for consideration. • Submissions of 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional and installation works are limited to a maximum of 25 images. • Submissions of time, video, sound, audio and computational media are limited to 10 minutes total and may include multiple projects. • Submissions of written work are limited to 15 pages. • Please include a brief narrative description of each body of work, and label all images/material clearly with title, year, medium, dimensions, format and production role where applicable. • If desired, applicants may include URLs where additional related work may be viewed. All inquiries regarding the portfolio application should be directed to the search committee chair, Chris Sims, at cdsdirector@duke.edu. Please include your full name and “Lehman Brady Professorship application” in the subject line. How is the Lehman Brady Professor selected? The selection committee will consist of faculty and curators drawn from Duke University and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. The committee will be convened in spring 2026 to review applications, conduct Zoom interviews with invited applicants and then organize more intensive engagement with finalists in late spring 2026. Do I need to be a professor at another institution in order to apply? No. We welcome applications from both professors/instructors at all levels at other institutions as well as from artists, writers, documentarians and independent scholars who are not currently employed by a university or a college. Is other employment permissible while holding the Lehman Brady Professorship? In the first, nonresidential year of the professorship (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), other employment is permissible. You would need, however, to have the ability to be in residence at Duke University and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill for a total of four in-person week-long site visits. In the second, residential year of the professorship (July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028), it is expected that the professorship is your full-time commitment and that you will be in residence at Duke University and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. What is meant by a “significant creative public engagement project connecting university staff, faculty, students and participants from local and regional communities?” Projects should have dimensions that push beyond only scholarly audiences and have strong public-facing documentary components. The committee expects that the professor will connect their teaching, research and public engagement in authentic and meaningful ways through the entire scope of the professorship. Two model projects from previous Lehman Brady professorships that exemplified this approach are: Brett Cook — Face Up: Telling Stories of Community Life collaborative public art project Mike Wiley — “The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ’61 Freedrom Riders” Additional recipients of the Lehman Brady professorship are listed at https://documentarystudies.duke.edu/lehman-brady-visiting-joint-chair-professorship.Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Application Materials Required:
Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Teaching statement
- Proposal for documentary project to be undertaken in year two of the professorship (2 pages maximum)
- Creative work sample (see FAQs for details)
- 2 undergraduate and/or graduate semester-long course proposals (one page each)
- Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses
)
And anything else requested in the position description.
Further Info: