Edward Larocque Tinker Visiting Professors
Columbia University is one of five major universities to have a professorship endowed by the Tinker Foundation. The goal of the Tinker Visiting Professor program is to bring to the campus pre-eminent scholars and professionals - journalists, writers, artists, public officials - who are citizens of a Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking Latin American country, Portugal, or Spain, and reside in the region, as a means of encouraging contact and collaboration. Please note that If the applicant is a citizen of Portugal or Spain, she/he must have expertise on Latin America.
Since the inception of the Tinker program in 1971, Columbia has hosted many distinguished visitors for one-semester periods of residence. These guests have strengthened our curriculum offerings on Latin America, complemented departmental strengths, and contributed to understanding of Latin American issues.
A Tinker Visiting Professor offers to teach or co-teach one course, a mixed graduate/undergraduate class in their field of expertise. The visitor is also asked to give two public lectures. The visiting professor receives a stipend, office space at ILAS, assistance arranging Columbia housing, roundtrip airfare from their home country, and part-time research assistance. Funding can also be made available to support conferences or other events at Columbia related to the visitor’s fields of interest during or following their semester of residence.
Eligibility
Eligible candidates must be a citizen of a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking Latin American country, Portugal, or Spain. If the appointee is a citizen of Portugal or Spain, she/he must have expertise on Latin America.
We anticipate most candidates will reside in Latin America. However, the program is open to citizens of Latin American and Iberian countries residing outside these regions assuming their nomination fits the overall goals and spirit of the program. Individuals residing in the U.S. permanently are not eligible.
Candidates may work in academia or other professions, including, but not limited to, the arts, architecture, business, diplomacy, non-profit and civil society activities, journalism, and law. They may be at any stage of her/his professional career (i.e., early, mid, or late). However, the candidate should be a distinguished individual in her/his field.
Application Process
Applicants are invited to submit a one- to two-page statement of interest that explains the qualifications of the candidate, their research concentration, and the specific goals of the visit to Columbia. They will also need to provide a current and summarized curriculum vita and a note from a Columbia faculty member on campus endorsing their application. The ILAS Executive Committee reviews proposals by the beginning of May and invites a limited number of candidates to submit a full application, which will consist of a personal statement describing their research and proposed teaching areas with the description of one course, a complete vita, and the names of two references. For more information, contact Romina Quezada ([email protected]).
Applications are now open for consideration for a fellowship position during the Fall 2025 semester (September-December, 2025), or Spring 2026 semester (January-May, 2026). Applicants will be notified by June 1, 2024.
The application deadline is March 15th, 2024. Materials must be submitted in English.