Tinker Visiting Professorships

Summary
The Tinker Visiting Professor program gives Chicago faculty and students an extraordinary opportunity to build lasting collaborations with Latin American scholars, artists, activists, intellectuals, and policy experts. Nominees for the Tinker Visiting Professorship should be distinguished in their fields and be interested in engaging intensely with UChicago faculty and students, usually by teaching a course. They must have a committed faculty host on campus, whose department will usually approve the appointment as visiting professor. Eligible nominees must be from Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Nominees can be invited at any point in their academic careers, and we can host them for appointments of one quarter, as long as a full academic year, or as short as four weeks. The program is open to scholars in all fields, but they must be nominated by a University of Chicago faculty member. We do not accept self-nominations. Please read below for more information.

Program Information
Tinker professors teach one course for each quarter in residence, usually in the nominating faculty member’s department. Tinker professors who are appointed for shorter periods, from 4 to 8 weeks in duration, must have a plan for extensive engagement with the University community throughout the term of their appointment (e.g., delivering workshops, offering a minicourse, organizing a conference or lecture series, etc.). All Tinker professors are required to present their work publicly and to participate in the intellectual life of the University. Courses must be taught in English.

CLACS provides Tinker professors with logistical support, housing, health insurance, travel, research funds, a research assistant, and a standard salary ($34K per quarter, prorated for shorter terms). There are also opportunities for conference support, both during their stay and in the five subsequent years.

Any member of the University of Chicago faculty can nominate candidates for a Tinker Visiting Professorship, so long as: (1) the nominating faculty member will be in residence during the Tinker professor’s stay and is fully committed to hosting the visitor and integrating her or him into UChicago’s intellectual and community life; (2) the faculty member has received assurance from the nominee that he or she will be interested in coming to Chicago during the designated year; and (3) the faculty member has assurance that the nominee will be welcomed by a home department—in particular, that the department will cross-list the course offering and ideally, make available office space for the visiting professor.

Our nomination process begins twenty months in advance of the potential visitor’s tenure at UChicago. For the cohort in residence during 2027–28, CLACS will accept nominations until Sunday, May 10, 2026.

A complete nomination for a Tinker Visiting Professor is composed of the following elements:

A completed nomination form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCJ6mhPOhbt77awWwfM645A2surq72vHpByhCvld9z5WB8oA/viewform?usp=dialog)
A nomination letter from the faculty sponsor.
A brief précis of the nominee’s research.
Title and brief description of proposed course for quarter-long residences or detailed plan of activities (e.g., workshops, seminars, minicourse) for short-term residencies.
The nominee’s current curriculum vitae (including citizenship[s]).
An endorsement of the nomination from the department chair (full departmental endorsement is required upon approval by the Tinker selection committee).
A letter from the nominee indicating willingness to accept the Tinker Visiting Professorship and preference(s) for quarter/dates of residency.
Please note that we do not accept self-nominations.

The criteria and priorities in assessing Tinker Visiting Professor nominees are as follows:

Demonstrated scholarly achievement and prominence in the candidate’s field of expertise, or equivalent prominence and achievement in their field of work.
Programmatic synergy with the host department in terms of proposed course/activities and research interests.
Potential for broad interdisciplinary, interdepartmental connections with students, faculty, and the community on Latin American scholarship.
An equitable distribution of appointments in various disciplines, representing the diversity of the region.

Although most Tinker Visiting Professors at the University of Chicago have been practicing academics, the Tinker Foundation and CLACS selection committee accept nominations of other prominent professionals, such as artists, human rights or environmental advocates, journalists, policy experts, and representatives of foundations or non-governmental organizations. We encourage you to think broadly and creatively about potential nominees, as we strive to build as diverse a candidate pool as possible.

For more detailed information on the Tinker Program and its terms and requirements, please see the attached program overview.