Assistant-Associate Professor of Industrial Design (Tenure-Track)

The School of School of Art & Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications for Assistant Professor or Associate Professor in Industrial Design faculty ranks, depending on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and record of achievement.

These positions offer exciting opportunities to contribute to and expand one of the nation's leading Industrial Design programs through design research, creative practice, teaching, and professional engagement. We seek accomplished designer-educators whose work advances industrial design as a discipline that integrates human-centered inquiry, creativity, technology, making, and innovation to address contemporary human, social, environmental, and technological challenges.

For tenure-track appointments, we seek candidates who possess ID core skills with a demonstrated design research agenda that contributes new knowledge, methods, and perspectives to the discipline of industrial design. Successful candidates will be expected to build a sustained program of research, scholarship, and/or creative activity while contributing to undergraduate and graduate education.

Industrial Design at Illinois is grounded in the core competencies of industrial design, including human-centered design, design visualization, prototyping, materials and manufacturing, systems thinking, critical inquiry, and innovation. We are particularly interested in candidates who understand industrial design not only as the development of products and experiences, but also as a means of generating new knowledge, advancing responsible innovation, and creating meaningful impact across physical, digital, social, and environmental contexts.

As part of a world-class research university, faculty in Industrial Design benefit from extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues across engineering, computer science, business, healthcare, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and emerging technology initiatives. The successful candidate will join a collaborative community committed to advancing the future of industrial design through research, creative practice, education, and public engagement.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

The College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) is singular in the nation for its diversity, innovation and breadth. Its mission is dedicated to the advancement, practice, and understanding of the arts, and its central focus is the synergy between research and the preparation of students for professional careers in the creation and interpretation of the environmental, visual, and performing arts. Deeply related to that focus is the commitment to elevate and sustain the study of the arts as both a necessary mode of understanding and a vibrant expression of human experience within the local, national, and international communities.

The college comprises the Schools of Music , Architecture, and Art and Design; Departments of Dance, Landscape Architecture, Theatre, and Urban and Regional Planning; the Sustainable Design program; Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; Krannert Art Museum; and Japan House. This unique constellation of academic, research, and cultural institutions creates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across the arts, design, technology, culture, and the built environment.

FAA employs more than 660 faculty and staff members, including more than 150 tenure- system faculty, and serves more than 1,850 undergraduate students and 635 graduate students enrolled across more than 30 majors and 10 minors. The College provides a vibrant environment for innovative teaching, scholarly inquiry, creative practice, and public engagement, making it an ideal setting for advancing the future of industrial design education, research, and professional practice.

About the School of Art & Design

The School of Art & Design, within the College of Fine and Applied Arts, is home to a diverse community of artists, designers, educators, historians, and researchers. The School supports creative practice, scholarly inquiry, and interdisciplinary collaboration across a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Industrial Design Program has a long-standing reputation for excellence in design education and is recognized for preparing students to address human, technological, environmental, and societal challenges through design. The program emphasizes human- centered design, critical inquiry, design research, systems thinking, visualization, making,prototyping, sustainability, emerging technologies, and responsible innovation. Faculty and students explore how industrial design can generate new knowledge, create meaningful experiences, and contribute to positive social and economic impact.

About the Position

The School of Art & Design invites applications for full-time tenure-track faculty positions in Industrial Design at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Industrial Design at Illinois embraces a broad understanding of design as a human- centered, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented discipline. Faculty on the tenure track contribute to undergraduate and graduate education, student mentorship, curriculum development, and service, while emphasizing design research, scholarship, and creative activity.

Areas of Research and Creative Practice

We seek candidates whose research and creative practice are grounded in the core competencies of industrial design and who demonstrate the potential to advance knowledge, methods, and innovation in the discipline. Candidates should combine excellence in industrial design core skills with a clear design research agenda that addresses contemporary human, technological, environmental, and societal challenges. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Industrial and product design
• Product development and Strategic foresight
• Color, Material, Finishing (CMF) Research
• Human-centered design and experience design
• Design methods and innovation processes
• Emerging technologies / artificial intelligence
• Physical-digital products and interactive experiences
• Manufacturing, and advanced production systems

Candidates should demonstrate the ability to develop a sustained program of research and/or creative scholarship, contribute to graduate education, and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration.

Responsibilities

Faculty members will:

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Industrial Design
• Mentor and advise students
• Contribute to curriculum development and program advancement
• Participate in service activities within the program, School, College, University, and profession
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations across campus and beyond
• Maintain active research, scholarly, and/or creative practice agenda
• Develop externally recognized contributions to the discipline
• Pursue externally funded research opportunities where appropriate
• Supervise graduate student research and creative activity

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Terminal degree in Industrial Design (MFA in Industrial Design, Doctor of Design in industrial design, PhD in Design/ industrial design or product design focused ) or a closely related field
• Evidence of emerging research, scholarly, and/or creative agenda
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching and student mentorship
• Ability to contribute to undergraduate and graduate education
• Evidence of research, creative practice, or professional achievement relevant to industrial design
• To be considered Associate Professor, established record of research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement
• To be considered Associate Professor, recognition appropriate to rank at the national or international level
• To be considered Associate Professor, evidence of leadership in research, creative practice, or academic initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in a discipline related to design
• Evidence of interdisciplinary research or creative collaboration
• Record of publications, exhibitions, patents, funded projects, or related accomplishments
• Experience teaching design studios and related coursework
• Expertise in emerging areas of industrial design research and practice
• Potential to secure external funding and develop collaborative initiatives
• To be considered for Associate Professor, significant interdisciplinary engagement
• To be considered for Associate Professor, leadership in curriculum development and program advancement
• To be considered for Associate Professor, demonstrated scholarly, creative, or professional impact at national or international levels

Desired Candidate Profile

The strongest candidates will demonstrate excellence in industrial design fundamentals, including human-centered design, design process, visualization, prototyping, communication, critical thinking, and innovation. They will contribute to a collaborative academic culture while advancing a significant design research agenda and will help prepare students to become leaders in the evolving field of industrial design.

Application Materials

Required application materials include:

• Cover letter

○ Please describe the strategies you would develop collaborative research opportunities, and strengthen your research profile within the university and the broader academic community.

○ Please describe your creative and teaching practices and how they could contribute to industrial design teaching and creative practice within the Industrial Design program.

○ Please discuss potential connections between your practice and research areas

○ Candidates may also use the cover letter to describe how their professional or educational background prepares them for either the Assistant or Associate Professor rank.

• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching statement
• Research Statement
• Portfolio of creative work

○ PDF or link to an online portfolio

○ Please identify your role in collaborative or professionally produced work when appropriate.

• Samples of syllabus, if available
• Samples of student work, if available
• Names and contact information for three references

○ Name, Title, Email, and Phone Numbers