Mellon Postdoctoral Research Associate

About the role

The Center for Cultural Landscapes in the University of Virginia School of Architecture invites applications for a one-year Postdoctoral Research Associate position associated with the Outsider Preservation Initiative (OPI), an interdisciplinary research, regranting, and public humanities project focused on descendant-centered preservation, historic Black settlements, and community-engaged research. The successful candidate will contribute to a dynamic research environment examining the relationships among technology, public history, planning, and preservation in historically marginalized communities. We seek a scholar with strong expertise in qualitative research, visual communication, and data analysis, and an interest in an interdisciplinary and applied research environment.

Responsibilities

• Collecting and organizing data associated with CCL communities of practice
• Co-publishing research with Center Director, Andrea Roberts, PhD
• Conducting qualitative and mixed-methods research related to preservation, planning, cultural landscapes, measuring impact, and descendant communities
• Leading data analysis, visualization, GIS mapping, and digital research infrastructure development to support public engagement, website development, and publishing
• Assisting with the development of the OPI interactive web portal and related digital humanities initiatives
• Producing scholarly publications, reports, and public-facing materials
• Assisting with grant writing
• Supporting integration of research into teaching in urban and environmental planning classes
• Participating in Center programming, workshops, lectures, and public engagement activities

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in planning, historic preservation, history, geography, anthropology, African American studies, public humanities, cultural heritage studies, digital humanities, data science, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience involving undergraduate and graduate students in research projects
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative research methodologies
• Experience with database development and management, digital humanities, GIS, spatial analysis, or computational/social data methods
• Strong writing, organizational, and collaborative skills
• Evidence of scholarly research and publication potential
• Interest in community-engaged and descendant-centered research practices
• Familiarity with ethnography, preservation policy, land use planning, housing, or cultural landscape studies
• Experience with database creation and analysis
• Experience with NVivo, ArcGIS/QGIS, Python/R, or web-based research platforms
• Web and graphic design experience
• Experience with tracking and studying program performance

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Pay

The anticipated hiring range is $55,000–$62,000. Salary will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines.

Schedule

This is a 12-month appointment with the possibility of renewal contingent upon satisfactory performance and the availability of funding. Start date is flexible, though preference may be given to candidates available to begin during the upcoming academic year beginning in September 2026. The position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and is eligible for a hybrid schedule, with additional on-site presence as needed, in accordance with UVA’s remote work guidelines.