Tenure-Track or Teaching-Track Faculty Position in Communication Design for Fall 2022

The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, welcomes applications for a tenure-track or teaching-track position at the rank of assistant professor for Fall 2022.

Position and Qualifications
We are looking for a tenure-track or teaching-track faculty member to enrich the School’s work in communication design, emphasizing contributions to our undergraduate Communications track. The ideal candidate brings an innovative approach to interaction design, user experience, and interface design, with a clear interest in systems, branding, information design, motion, and narrative. We hope the candidate is innovative and pushes the discipline of communication design into new territories at the same time honoring strong graphic design underpinnings (stellar understanding and application of typography, imaging, grid systems, color, composition, etc.) and a demonstrated agility in a range of digital media.

We are seeking a faculty member who will:

• Teach various classes across all levels of the undergraduate and graduate programs, at times in a co-teaching capacity
• Be familiar with critical issues including social, political, environmental and economic and their connection and relevance to communication design
• Commit to contributing to, and promoting a culture of equity and inclusion, including in teaching, research, creative practice, and service
• Exhibit excellent leadership and team-building skills
• Advise Masters’ students (thesis, independent and/or research projects) and possibly PhD students in Transition Design
• If choosing to apply as a tenure-track faculty member, show an interest in evidence of current/future design research and creative practice

The School invites applicants with the following qualifications:

• A terminal degree in a design-related field (e.g., Master of Design, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, and/or PhD) or equivalent professional experience
• Experience designing innovative/emerging interactive, communication design systems with a record in publication, exhibition, digital, and professional and creative practice to serve a diverse student body
• University-level teaching experience—either full-time or adjunct—at the undergraduate and graduate levels, or equivalent professional experience
• Additional areas of expertise in one or more of the following areas to help us evolve our curricula:
  • Future-oriented communication design methodologies specialized in visualizing systems, story-telling and interfaces
  • Critical design practice in information design (considering data literacy and media literacy)
  • Use of technologies that afford experimental approaches in form-giving and new forms of sense-making (e.g., computational and generative design)
  • A values-driven design approach to designing products, environments, and services

About the position options

Tenure-Track
In addition to teaching four classes per academic year, tenure-track faculty are expected to produce research, scholarly work, artistic work, and/or engage in design practice that elevates the field. Examples of faculty activities include but are not limited to: participation in practice-based research, a significant client base, gallery exhibitions; work published, in print or online, in scholarly, popular journals, and trade publications; invited talks/workshops at notable national and international venues; patents held; items in production or collections; grants and sponsored research; professional honors and awards; and significant contributions to professional societies and organizations.

Teaching-Track
In place of research, teaching-track faculty take on an additional two courses, for a total of six courses per academic year. Teaching-track faculty also frequently participate in freelance or consultancy work or other external professional activities that inform and continually advance their teaching.

Track and rank are negotiable, and all positions include a comprehensive benefits package and a competitive salary.

Application Package
Interested individuals should include the following in their application package:

• A letter of application that includes:
  • Stated interest in either a tenure-track or teaching-track position
  • Your interest in this position and how you see yourself fitting into the program, for example, courses within our curriculum that you might teach, a description of projects, and courses or initiatives you would like to develop in the future
  • Your position on the current and future state of design education and practice
• A one-page statement about your past, present, or future contribution to promoting a positive culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion as exemplified through teaching, research, practice, and outreach
• A one-page statement that describes your approach and overarching goals as an educator
  If applying for a tenure-track position, a one-page statement that describes the topics you aim to investigate and their importance to the field
• A current Curriculum Vitae (CV) (resume)
• 8–10 visual examples and descriptions of student work as evidence of your teaching experience, where applicable, and/or descriptions of potential projects
• 2–3 examples of course syllabi, where applicable, and/or descriptions of potential courses
• A portfolio that includes 8–10 visual examples and descriptions of creative practice in personal work, professional work, and research relevant to the position (web link preferred)
• If applying for a tenure-track position, examples of publications (e.g., journal articles, books, chapters, published conference papers, exhibition catalogs) and research proposals
• 3 professional references—please include name, title, phone number, address, and email

Candidates should apply online at: https://apply.interfolio.com/97907
The deadline for submission of applications is Sunday, January 9, 2022. Interviews will be conducted from late January through mid-March 2022. Successful candidates will be notified in early April in anticipation of a fall 2022 academic start date.

About the School of Design
The School takes a transdisciplinary approach to design education, and its position within a premier research university provides faculty with an unparalleled opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from diverse disciplines. Faculty at the School of Design believe in teaching through making, are passionate about their work, and interact with students at all levels in our program. We have a highly collaborative, values-based culture, and faculty often “team teach” with colleagues with complementary expertise. We are actively engaged in a conversation about the future and the positive role of design and designers. The School of Design’s approximately 225 students come from various backgrounds and bring a diverse set of experiences to their education.

The School offers a Bachelor’s degree in Design (BDes) with undergraduate curriculum tracks in Communications, Products, and Environments. At the graduate level, we offer a two-year Master of Design degree (MDes), a one-year Master of Professional Studies degree (MPS), and a one-year Master of Arts degree (MA). The School of Design offers a PhD in Transition Design.

More information on the School of Design can be found on the School’s website at: http://www.design.cmu.edu.

About the Communication Design Track
Communicating effectively across a wide variety of media is one of the most powerful and ubiquitous forms of design in today’s world. Our program honors strong graphic design history, but constantly incorporates new innovative technologies, platforms, and methods, ultimately pushing the discipline of communication design into new territories. Today, we face many challenges resulting from communication breakdowns and misinformation. Through diverse perspectives, we use new narrative frames, storytelling, and future-casting to prepare students as future leaders, playing critical roles across various industries, organizations, and settings. We celebrate our interdisciplinary approach to teaching—working alongside students to develop the necessary 21st-century skill-sets, posture, and critical consciousness to effectively use Communication Design practice, leading to positive impact. Further, our curriculum acknowledges that the act of designing does not exist in isolation but instead is part of complex social, political, environmental, and economic systems.

About the College of Fine Arts
Since its founding, Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts (CFA) has provided an unparalleled platform for groundbreaking critical inquiry and creative production. CFA is distinguished as one of the few colleges in the nation to encompass rigorous, multidisciplinary studio training, and vanguard research under one umbrella. CFA is organized into five schools: the School of Architecture, School of Art, School of Design, School of Drama, and School of Music, and also includes a robust ecology of interdisciplinary programs.

About Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private, top-ranked global research university recognized for its excellence in the arts, technology, transdisciplinary programs, and research and located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (http://www.cmu.edu)