Position Summary

The Department of Philosophy, in the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan State University (MSU) invite applications for a full-time, 12-month tenured W.K. Kellogg Foundation Endowed position with research, teaching, and service/outreach assignment. The successful candidate will negotiate a joint appointment among the Department of Philosophy and one or more of the 12 units within CANR. The position start date is anticipated to be August 16, 2026. 

We seek an internationally known scholar who has made outstanding contributions as a researcher, teacher, and thought leader in philosophical ethics as it relates to agriculture, food systems, sustainability, resilience and community. Scholars working in areas of environmental justice and climate change, agricultural (or animal and/or land) bioethics, food sovereignty, health disparities, food justice, and similar ?elds are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate should also be positioned to be a leader in MSU’s new Ethics Institute as that initiative unfolds. 

Position duties include, but are not limited to: 

• Providing leadership to a campus-wide program in ethics as it relates to agriculture, food systems, sustainability, resilience, and community.
• Actively supervising Master’s and PhD students in the departments where appointed.
• Promoting awareness/outreach among undergraduate students and community stakeholders concerning the need to address ethical issues as they arise in the context of agriculture, sustainability, food systems, and across rural-urban life.
• Developing a cohesive research program to advance scholarly understanding in agricultural ethics which will contribute to practical application, and to expand into areas of one’s specialization. The individual’s research and outreach program will result in scholarly output published in international, national, and regional journals and reports and support the University’s mission and interests.
• Conducting collaborative, interdisciplinary work with other faculty in related areas of applied and practiced ethics (e.g., bioethics, land ethics) and securing grant funding to support such efforts.
• Contributing to the ethics training of students at the undergraduate and graduate level.

The Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy’s distinctive brand is “Engaged Philosophy,” which aims to expand philosophy’s traditional agenda, making the ?eld more richly responsive to the multitude of voices and values in human communities, engaging philosophical re?ection with the problems and resources of other disciplines, and grappling with pressing problems, both theoretical and practical. Diversifying the profession is an aim articulated in the mission statement of the Department. Faculty are teaching and doing research in areas of philosophy that concern diverse populations, including African American philosophy, feminist theory, environmental justice, and social justice. Since 1998 the Department has exempli?ed “Engaged Philosophy” by striving to achieve national and international distinction in research and graduate education in three related areas: Bioethics/PHL of Healthcare and Medicine, Feminist thought (e.g., in Bioethics, Epistemology, and Social and Political Philosophy), and since 2011 Environmental Philosophy and Ethics. We are especially welcoming to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and crossdisciplinarity researchers and to inclusive frameworks that support a pluralistic conception of philosophical practice.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

The ?rst and largest college at MSU, with 12 academic units, CANR has a well-established national and international reputation for innovative research, education, Extension and outreach. The mission of the CANR is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Michigan and the world by advancing knowledge for the management of communities and agriculture, natural resources, and food systems to meet diverse human needs in a sustainable manner. This mission will be accomplished through learning, discovery and engagement. As a community, the CANR values: scholarship; providing service to others; cultivating and maintaining partnerships; balance among teaching, research, and Extension activities; a diversity of research programs ranging from fundamental studies to those addressing applied problems; promoting excellence and valuing academic freedom, diversity, equity, and inclusion; accountability to meet the mission and programmatic priorities; and the tradition of the land-grant mission, upon which MSU was founded.

Established in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch (ABR) — funds fundamental and applied research for nearly 300 scientists in six MSU colleges, including many in CANR. ABR scientists work to advance healthy and resilient agriculture and food systems, natural resources and communities throughout Michigan and beyond.

Michigan State University Extension enjoys strong connections to CANR and improves lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Extension Educators collaborate with on-campus faculty members by taking the science, expertise, programs and resources of a great land-grant university to all residents of the state of Michigan and beyond.

Location: The position will be based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA. Michigan State University (MSU) is one of the top research universities in the world and home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs. MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, and scientists that provide regional, national, and international leadership in basic and applied research and excellence in teaching. In addition, consistent with its Land Grant origins, the MSU community pursues international engagement and provides strong extension programs that partner with diverse stakeholders to provide much needed research in the areas of food, energy, water and the environment. MSU enjoys a park-like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas.

The campus is located in the city of East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of >500,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. The University is proactive about its obligations under the ADA and provides individual accessibility plans to students and employees with disabilities. Michigan State University is also proactive in exploring opportunities for employment for dual career families, both inside and outside the University, and respects all family forms. Information about MSU’s dual career support can be found at https://worklife.msu.edu/dual-career. Information about WorkLife at MSU can be found at http://worklife.msu.edu/

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Humanities

Minimum Requirements

• Hold a current academic position at the rank of full professor, or be a current associate professor on a strong trajectory
• Earned PhD in a humanities field;
• Be a recognized leader in ethics related to agriculture, food systems, sustainability, resilience and community;
• Achieved notable scholarship, organizational, and community-based experience in applying an equity lens to outreach and/or research;
• Record of research and publication in peer-reviewed journals and other forms of communication;
• High quality teaching experiences at the undergraduate or graduate level and effective student mentoring;
• Attained success in grant writing/proposal development and the acquisition of extramural funding; and 
• Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and public speaking skills 

Desired Qualifications

• Experienced in developing and maintaining collaborative working relationships among stakeholders and partners including campus faculty, industry, government, and the non-profit sector;
• Demonstrated ability to lead and/or facilitate interdisciplinary institutional critiques;
• Experienced in constructive dialogue with administrators and faculty colleagues to De challenge longstanding habits and institute changes in administrative/faculty behavior;
• Demonstrated success in applying ethical considerations to change stakeholder priorities (for example, changing stakeholder focus from shorter-term to longer-term goals); and
• Demonstrated impact in providing opportunity and access to a variety of stakeholders and communities through one or more of the following categories: community engagement, collaborative partnerships, inclusive pedagogy, mentorship activities, or public service initiatives

Required Application Materials

Qualified applicants should submit:

1. letter of interest that includes qualifications for the position and research, outreach / Extension, and teaching philosophy highlighting how your experiences align with the position
2. current curriculum vitae
3. statement of leadership philosophy that highlights your experience and alignment with our desired qualifications (2-page maximum)
4. the names and email addresses of 3 potential referees (please fill out the initial application with these names and emails)

Special Instructions

Review of applications will begin January 5, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted electronically to the Michigan State University Human Resources website http://careers.msu.edu. Posting number 1099001.

For more information, contact Matt Ferkany, Chair of the Search Committee at ferkany@msu.edu.

Review of Applications Begins On

01/05/2026

Website

https://philosophy.msu.edu/

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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