How to Apply
To apply, review the instructions below and email your application to [email protected].
Materials
Please combine the following materials into one PDF before uploading.
- CV
- U-M unofficial transcript
Course Description
Anthrbio 167: Evolution, Environment & Global Health
Earth is on the brink of the Sixth extinction event, which is predicted to be more devastating than the asteroid impact in Mexico that ended the reign of the dinosaurs. Scientific evidence shows that humans are the cause. Anthropology is the discipline that seeks to understand human behavior both in the present and in the evolutionary past. It can uniquely contribute to understanding how we got here and what we need to do.
In the first unit of this course, students will gain a deep understanding of evolutionary biology and how to apply it to human behavior. They will learn the cornerstones of natural selection theory and read articles by evolutionary anthropologists and psychologists who test hypotheses about human behavior. They will be able to answer questions, such as: How do genes and the environment interact to make us who we are?
In the second unit, students will study the global environmental challenges of loss of biodiversity, climate change, scarcity of food and water, population growth, invasive species, and sustainability. The solution to these global challenges will require an evolutionarily informed understanding of human motivation, linking the second unit to the first. Using the findings of the first unit, students will learn which kinds of approaches and proposed solutions to environmental problems are more likely to be successful.
The third unit will examine the consequences of our evolved biology and our planetary impact for pressing issues in the area of global health. The focus will be on pandemics and non-communicable diseases, as both comprise an increasing share in the global burden of disease. Students will study the novel insights gained from evolutionary approaches to medicine and how inequality in access to resources shapes disparities in health between people and populations.
Course Requirements: Course requirements will develop students' abilities as active thinkers and problem-solvers. Students will do evidenced-based scientific writing in the form of three short assignments and a term paper, and they will take multiple choice quizzes each week outside of class. The students of this course, and others like it, are the leaders of tomorrow.
Responsibilities*
GSIs must attend all course lectures, lead two or three discussion sections, and attend and be prepared for weekly planning meetings with the instructor (this includes completing the readings and having plans/ideas on how to run discussion sections). Responsibilities also include grading all assignments/exams and providing feedback to students. Office hours are to be posted and held for at least two hours each week. GSIs are responsible for maintaining attendance records.
First-time GSIs are required to attend two orientations: one led by CRLT and one led by the Department.
Required Qualifications*
Applicants must be enrolled as graduate students in good standing at UM, have a GPA of 3.0, and not have exceeded LSA's Ten Term Rule. They must have completed one year of graduate study in Anthropology or courses in a closely related field at UM. In addition to the general Rackham rules, applicants must have no more than one incomplete on record and. They must also speak English or meet the minimum threshold for the Oral English Test at UM.
All GSIs are expected to be present in Ann Arbor by the start of the term on 8/25/25 and throughout the semester to be eligible for this position. First-time GSIs must be in Ann Arbor the week before term.
Desired Qualifications*
LSA student enrolled in a graduate program
The most successful applicants will have completed a graduate course in biological anthropology or a related field, have previous experience as a GSI with favorable student evaluations, and/or previous experience teaching in biological anthropology.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Contact Information
Decision Making Process
All employment decisions will be made by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology. GSIs from outside the department will be selected based on the quality of their past teaching experience, the strength of their references, and also on how well their past coursework and teaching experiences have prepared them to teach the course topic of the open position.
Selection Process
External applicants can expect to hear about initial decisions on or around September 2, 2025. While we do our best to maintain original placements, sometimes the need arises to move GSIs from one assigned course to another. Assignments may change up to the first day of classes.
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an Employee does not receive his or her preferred assignment, he or she can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agent(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
GEO Contract Information
The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.
Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.