Joanna Macy Residential Fellow
Position Title: Joanna Macy Residential Fellow
# of Openings: 1
Department/Program: Joanna Macy Center 13200
Work Location: Hybrid On-Site/Remote
Campus Location: 2111 Arapahoe
Reports to: Senior Director for Mission Integration & Regenerative Futures
FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt/Hourly
FTE: 60% (24 hrs/week)
Compensation: $35.00 per hour, position runs from 1/1/27-6/30/27
Application Deadline: 10/21 or until filled
Job Summary
Lenz Foundation-Joanna Macy Residential Fellowship – sponsored by the Fredrick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism and the Joanna Macy Center for Resilience and Regeneration
The Joanna Macy Center for Resilience and Regeneration (JMCR) at Naropa University, seeks an activist scholar practitioner to support the JMCR mission and Naropa’s values by providing on-campus and off-campus experiences for students, staff, faculty, and the extended campus public.
The ideal candidate will be well-versed in Dr. Joanna Macy's legacy and ideally trained in facilitating “The Work That Reconnects,” demonstrating a strong commitment to social-ecological justice. Expertise in areas such as systems thinking and design, liberation dharma, Buddhist studies, contemplative practice, Earth justice, permaculture design, education, food sovereignty, food justice, ancestral healing, social justice, deep ecology, water and land stewardship, community organizing, and/or sacred activism is highly valued.
This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to deepen professional skills while actively contributing to building a more resilient world aligned with Dr. Joanna Macy's vision of interconnectedness and eco-social active responsibility. Designed to infuse Naropa values and experiences with the scholar/activist/practitioner to bring back to their institutions and communities.
This position requires planned on-site mini-residencies visits but can also involve remote work.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
The selected fellow will play a pivotal role as a strategic partner in envisioning, designing, and implementing programs for Naropa University and our community partners to translate Dr. Joanna Macy's work into actionable events.
Key responsibilities include:
Collaboration and Meetings: Work closely with MCIC staff at regular meetings and occasionally meet with the JMCR Faculty Committee.
Program and Event Development: Organize and deliver Community Practice Day offerings, online seminars, workshops, and dialogues based on Dr. Joanna Macy’s work, serving as a featured presenter for Naropa and JMCR Extended Campus programs.
Support the JMCR by attending, leading, and actively participating in Community Gatherings and/or Town Halls in addition to other Naropa signature events such as Earth Justice Day.
Curriculum Integration: Assist faculty and staff by incorporating Dr. Joanna Macy’s work into curricular and co-curricular offerings or contemplative administration values and practices.
Course Curation and Expansion: Curate, expand, and evolve the Joanna Macy library of asynchronous non-credit course(s), seeking opportunities to make content accessible across internal and external platforms.
Research and Publication: Conduct and publish research and findings related to The Work That Reconnects, liberation dharma, and related fields, with a focus on contemporary challenges.
Community and Partnership Building: Establish and strengthen external partnerships to expand Naropa University and the Joanna Macy Center’s local and global network.
Creative and Community Engagement: Develop and implement creative projects, interventions, and community activities that engage and activate the community around Dr. Joanna Macy’s work.
Immerse in the educational opportunities of Naropa-auditing courses, meeting regularly with the faculty, attending university functions, accessing library resources, etc.
Complete the project proposed in the application to the fellows' program.
Develop a plan for implementing the project after the residency. This may include a plan for publication, teaching, community service, and so on.
Present a public lecture or demonstration, and/or offer contemplative practice or artistic performance.
Acknowledge the fellowship support, from both Naropa University and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism, in all publications, performances or other products resulting from the residency.
Provide a final report describing the Fellowship experience within 60 days of completion of the residency and periodic updates about future avenues of work and the continuing influence of the Fellowship experience.
Educational requirement:
MA required; Ph.D. preferred.
Minimum length of prior applicable professional experience required:
2+ years of experience facilitating the Work That Reconnects