All Things Urban

One of the world’s great intellectual destinations, the University of Chicago empowers scholars and students to ask tough questions, cross disciplinary boundaries, and challenge conventional thinking to enrich human life around the globe.

The University of Chicago’s Urban Theory Lab (UTL) seeks to develop frameworks of critical spatial knowledge that illuminate the dynamics of planetary urbanization, with particular reference to the territorial, infrastructural and ecological preconditions and consequences of city-building under modern capitalism. The Senior Research Associate in Cartography and Spatial Media will be a key member of the UTL senior research team who works closely with the faculty Director and Associate Director to develop the Lab’s approach to the visualization of urbanization and associated socioecological transformations. This will entail the assembly, critical analysis and creative deployment of diverse forms of (geo)spatial data, as well as other sources of spatial information, to produce maps, data visualizations and video animations, among other outputs. The appointee will conduct original research, generally in close collaboration with other Lab researchers, and will play a leadership role in developing cartographic representations and visualization strategies for the public presentation of UTL projects.

The position requires an advanced degree in any discipline that provides appropriately specialized training in spatial visualization and media—this may include the design disciplines and the spatial/environmental social sciences. Candidates should have a minimum of four years of work experience in an organization dedicated to spatial research, some experience in university teaching on questions of spatial representation, and a record of previous engagement with the UTL’s core research agendas.

This job is available for international candidates.