Assistant Professor of History with a focus on Artificial Intelligence or Digital History

Announcement FAC‑VA‑27015; contact Timothy LeCain (tlecain@montana.edu). Tenure‑track Assistant Professor, 1.0 FTE, academic‑year appointment in the Department of History and Philosophy, College of Letters & Science. Desired start August 2027; screening begins November 6, 2026.

About the role

The Department of History and Philosophy at Montana State University seeks a tenure‑track Assistant Professor of History with a focus on Artificial Intelligence or Digital History. Candidates with either a topical or methodological emphasis on AI or Digital History are encouraged to apply; geographic and chronological specializations are open. Research interests may include technology and the environment, sustainability, medicine, governance, data, Indigenous data sovereignty, national security, surveillance, infrastructure, labor and automation, computational history, and related areas. The successful candidate will join an active department of 15 tenure‑track faculty and approximately 25 graduate students, and will play a key role in MSU’s new Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence (IIAI), which examines the technical, educational, cultural, historical, ethical, and environmental implications of AI for the benefit of Montanans.

Responsibilities

• Teach lower‑division, upper‑division, and graduate history courses relevant to the candidate’s expertise.
• Maintain an active research program leading to publications in peer‑reviewed journals and books.
• Advise undergraduate students.
• Recruit, advise, and mentor graduate students in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in History.
• Play an active role in MSU’s Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence and its associated scholarly and pedagogical initiatives.
• Participate in department, college, and university committees as appropriate.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in History or a closely related field by August 15, 2027.
• Research related to Artificial Intelligence or Digital History.
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in both teaching and scholarship.

Preferred qualifications

• Interest or experience in interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Interest or experience in public history.

Success criteria

• Demonstrated preparation and expertise (or potential for expertise) in the historical dimensions of Artificial Intelligence or Digital History.
• Ability to contribute to MSU’s interdisciplinary initiatives on AI.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work productively in a dynamic, interdisciplinary department.

Department & university context

The Department of History and Philosophy offers majors in History, History Teaching, Philosophy, and Science, Environment, Technology, and Society (SETS), plus a minor in Museum Studies. It grants Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in History and participates in the Ph.D. program in American Studies. Research strengths include the American West, early America, modern America, European history, science/environment/technology, global studies, philosophy of science, and ethics.

The College of Letters and Science is MSU’s largest academic unit, encompassing nearly 50 majors, 25 minors, and over 25 graduate degrees across the humanities, social sciences, natural/physical sciences, and mathematical sciences. Montana State University is a Carnegie R1 land‑grant institution in Bozeman, MT, near Yellowstone National Park, with over 17,000 students. Campus interdisciplinary centers include the Ivan Doig Center for the Lands and Peoples of the North American West, the Montana Institute on Ecosystems, and the newly established Interdisciplinary Institute on AI (IIAI). The IIAI’s mission is to generate interdisciplinary research on AI technology—including its technical, educational, cultural, historical, ethical, and environmental implications—for the benefit of all Montanans, particularly rural communities and Tribal Nations affected by technology and extractive industries.

Application timeline

• Screening of applications begins November 6, 2026; applications accepted until an adequate pool is established.
• Desired start date: August 2027.