Visiting Assistant Professor in Animation

The Department of Film & Media Arts at the University of Utah invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor Animation. We seek a colleague to teach foundational and intermediate courses in 2D and 3D computer animation and storyboarding. The position will start in August of 2021 and end in May of 2023. This is a full-time, benefited, non-renewable position, with a teaching load of six courses per year.

The Department of Film & Media Arts is the largest unit in the University of Utah’s College of Fine Arts, with over 700 undergraduate and graduate majors pursuing degrees in film production, animation, and media arts. Our animation curriculum emphasizes the integration of critical, historical, theoretical, and practical components of animation studies and production. Our ideal candidate will have a broad understanding of the field, including industry and art standards, and a working knowledge of a range of animation methods and styles. The successful candidate will also be expected to advise and mentor animation students, collaborate with other faculty and administrators, and maintain an agenda of creative research.

We enthusiastically welcome applications from talented individuals from diverse creative backgrounds. The Department of Film & Media Arts values diversity of both artistic practices and perspectives, including those held by people from different ethnic, religious, ideological, and geographic backgrounds.

Required Qualifications
• M.F.A. or other terminal degree in animation or a related field.
• Evidence of successful post-secondary teaching in 2D and 3D animation.
• Proficiency with a range of software tools, including Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, ZBrush, Blender, and 3ds Max.
• An active record of creative work, evidence of which may include produced credits or festival screenings.

Preferred Qualifications
• Ability to contribute to other areas of the curriculum, such as upper-division electives in computer animation; animation history and criticism; visual effects and compositing; traditional animation; and new media/media arts production.

Applicants are invited to submit the following materials online:
1. A letter, not to exceed two pages, addressing the position’s qualifications and the candidate’s approach to teaching.
2. A current CV.
3. Link to a portfolio of creative work.
4. Names and contact information for three current references.

Review of applications will begin on January 11, 2021, and continue until the position is filled. Questions about this position may be directed to search committee chair Associate Professor Lien Fan Shen (lienfan.shen@utah.edu).

The University of Utah has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the 115 research universities with the “highest research activity” in the nation and is the flagship of the Utah System of Higher Education. The University is located in Salt Lake City at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. This location offers unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation, with ten world-class ski resorts and five national parks within hours of the city. Salt Lake City is the center of a metropolitan area with a population of approximately one million residents, and has extensive arts and cultural activities.