Dean of the Faculty

Chinese

Visiting Assistant Professor of Chinese and Linguistics (Phonetics, Phonology)

Reed College invites applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor position in Chinese and Linguistics, with a focus in Phonetics and/or Phonology, for the 2026-27 academic year, to commence in August 2026.

Reed is a highly selective, undergraduate-only liberal arts institution with a commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship. The successful candidate will be jointly hired in two departments – Chinese (0.4 FTE) and Linguistics (0.6 FTE) – and will teach five courses: 

• The phonetics/phonology units of LING 211: Introduction to Linguistic Analysis 

• LING 320: Phonetics 

• One upper-division course in phonetics or phonology 

• Two one-semester courses in Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced Chinese 

The visitor will also advise two or three year-long senior thesis projects in Linguistics. 

Requirements for the position: 

• A PhD (or ABD) in Linguistics, East Asian Linguistics, Chinese Linguistics, Phonetics, or related field with a clear focus in linguistics 

• Scholarly expertise in phonetics and/or phonology, in any language(s) 

• Experience in teaching or TAing college-level language courses 

• Teaching-level proficiency in Mandarin Chinese 

To apply, please submit the following through Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/179397): 

• Your CV 

• One sample of your scholarly work (e.g., a journal article, proceedings paper, or dissertation chapter) in phonetics or phonology 

• The names and contact information for three recommenders 

• A cover letter, in which you address all of the following: 

               ○ Scholarly expertise in phonetics, phonology, or related subfields of linguistics

               ○ Mandarin Chinese proficiency and college-level language teaching experience.

               ○ Evidence of teaching potential in linguistics, e.g. teaching and/or TAing experience, mentoring roles, and/or supporting and advising student research.

                ○ Teaching interests: identify existing courses from our catalog that you would be interested in and capable of teaching, and propose at least one new course that you could offer in upper-level phonetics or phonology.

                ○ Reed College is a highly selective liberal arts institution with a distinguished record of educational accomplishment and a strong commitment to scholarship (http://web.reed.edu). It is also a community that values cultural diversity and inclusive educational practices as essential to the excellence of our academic program. In your application material, we invite you to describe how your teaching, scholarship, mentorship, and/or community service reflect these values. Reed is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.

Review of applications will commence on January 23, 2026. For further information about this position, please contact co-chairs Sameer ud Dowla Khan (Linguistics, skhan@reed.edu) or Alexei Ditter (Chinese, dittera@reed.edu).

Deadline

Review of applications will commence on January 23, 2026

Background Check Requirement

A criminal conviction record check is required for all college staff positions as a condition of employment for selected candidates. Employment offers are contingent upon the successful completion of this background check. A conviction does not automatically disqualify a candidate; each case is reviewed based on the nature of the conviction and its relevance to the responsibilities of the position.