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Position Title:Assistant Professor of English (Creative Writing and Environment)

Appointment Type:Faculty

Job Description:

The Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa is seeking applications for an Assistant Professor of English (Creative Writing and Environment) in the genre of fiction with demonstrated proficiency in a second creative writing genre such as creative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, graphic narratives, or other emerging creative writing genres. The initial teaching load is 2/2, including graduate and undergraduate courses in creative writing.

We seek a candidate whose creative research, pedagogy, and professional practice engage in interdisciplinary ways with fields in the natural sciences, the social sciences, or the humanities (such as ecology, natural history, landscape/place studies, ecopoetics, sustainability, built environments, and/or environmental justice). The successful candidate will have experience teaching creative writing at the college level and will be expected to develop and teach graduate courses unique to the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment that cultivate an understanding of how the environmental imagination informs the literary imagination.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

+ Degree: MFA in creative writing or PhD in creative writing, English, or related field conferred by time of appointment.

+ Genre: Fiction and demonstrated proficiency in a second creative writing genre.

+ Publications: Two books in the field of creative writing (published or in press) with a reputable commercial, university, or independent press. One book must be in the genre of fiction.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Documented commitment to interdisciplinary engagement of the environmental imagination in creative research and teaching, including incorporation of themes and issues related to disciplines within the natural sciences, the social sciences, and/or the humanities.

+ Quality publications and further potential to develop high impact research in first genre (fiction) and second creative writing genre.

+ Experience teaching fiction writing and ability to teach in a second creative writing genre at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as experience mentoring graduate-level thesis projects.

+ Experience administering tasks within a creative writing program, serving in an editorial capacity with a literary journal/publisher, engaging in professional practice, and/or coordinating a visiting writer series.

Department/Program & College Description:

The Creative Writing Program at Iowa State University, housed within the Department of English, includes undergraduate courses in a wide variety of creative writing genres and an undergraduate literary journal (Sketch Magazine). The three-year (54 credit) MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment serves as home to a literary journal (Flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment), a literary symposium (Pearl Hogrefe Visiting Writer Series) and a 76-acre land reserve (The Everett Casey Nature Center & Reserve).

Interdisciplinary MFA coursework includes a combination of creative writing workshops, literature electives, an environmental fieldwork experience, publishing and creative writing teaching practicums, and thesis work with a mentor (major professor). In addition, MFA students tailor a core of environmental coursework outside of the English Department to engage their creative work with disciplines within the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

The Department of English at Iowa State University also offers two PhD programs—Applied Linguistics and Technology (ALT) and Rhetoric and Professional Communication (RPC)—as well as MA degrees in English (Literature); Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication; and TESL/Applied Linguistics. At the undergraduate level, the Department offers BA degree programs in English, English Education, Linguistics, and a BS in Technical Communication. For more information, see http://www.engl.iastate.edu/ .

Department Unit/Website:

https://engl.iastate.edu/

Proposed Start Date:August 16, 2026

Number of Months Employed Per Year:09 Month Work Period

Time Type:Full time

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click “Apply” and complete the Employment Application.

In Items 1 – 4 requested below, please address how your creative research and teaching dovetail with the central emphasis of the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment.

1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae

2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter

3) Creative Writing Sample in Genre of Fiction (PDF, 25 page maximum)

4) Teaching Philosophy (2 pages maximum)

5) Contact Information for Three References

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.Why Choose ISU?

Iowa State Faculty enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:• Retirement benefits, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans• Generous leave plans• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)• Life insurance and long-term disability• Flexible Spending Accounts• Various voluntary benefits and discounts• Employee Assistance Program• Wellbeing program

Original Posting Date: December 29, 2025

Posting Close Date:February 4, 2026

Job Requisition Number:R18302

By focusing on the future and providing the best student experience possible, Iowa State University (http://www.iastate.edu/) attracts students and faculty who want to make a difference. With a comprehensive land-grant mission of education, research, extension and outreach, we produce scholars whose ideas change the world. And through Innovate at Iowa State, we provide innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Located just 30 minutes north of Des Moines, the city of Ames was recently named one of the Top 10 cities in the U.S. for campus life and career opportunities.

Iowa State University is a welcoming community of students, faculty, and staff. Campus community members have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to engaging with each other respectfully as outlined in the university's Principles of Community (https://www.iastate.edu/principles-community) . Iowa State recognizes that diverse intellectual and philosophical perspectives are vital to innovation, critical thinking skills, and a dynamic academic community that fosters the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology, and human creativity to work.

All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email [email protected].

If you have questions about the application process please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll-Free at 1-877-477-7485. Iowa State University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email [email protected] or call (515) 294-4800 or Toll-Free: (877) 477-7485. TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2942.

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources (https://www.hr.iastate.edu/careers/compensation) website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.