Assistant Professor in Design Visualization

The School of Design at San Francisco State University offers an exciting opportunity for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Design Visualization, beginning August 9, 2023. We seek a colleague whose teaching interests include traditional and digital 2D and 3D visualization, with an emphasis on concept sketching, 3D modeling and rendering, animation, 3D web content, and augmented/virtual reality experiences.

We are especially interested in qualified candidates with a demonstrated commitment, through their research, teaching, and service, to the diversity and excellence of our program, School, and academic community. 

The School of Design undergraduate and graduate programs express a practical and theoretical design practice that celebrates diversity and community. Design students at all levels are expected to develop professionally competitive skills, producing high-quality work through their engagement in user-centered design practice and strategic decision-making. The School is driven by nationally- and internationally-acclaimed professionally active faculty. Design faculty are committed to high-quality teaching and research, supporting student growth in design practice in a liberal arts context at both undergraduate (BS Visual Communication Design, BS Industrial Design, and Design minor) and graduate (MA Design) levels.

The mission of San Francisco State University is to create and maintain an environment for learning that promotes respect for and appreciation of scholarship, freedom, human diversity, and the cultural mosaic of the City of San Francisco and the Bay Area; to promote excellence in instruction and intellectual accomplishment; and to provide broadly accessible higher education for residents of the region and state, as well as the nation and world. To fulfill its mission, the University is committed to the following goals:

• Attracting, retaining and graduating a highly diverse student body Providing disciplinary and interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional education that is academically rigorous and intellectually challenging Providing curricula that reflect all dimensions of human diversity, and that encourage critical thinking and a commitment to social justice Recruiting, retaining and supporting a diverse faculty whose teaching demonstrates an active engagement with their individual fields of study, and whose creative and scholarly work is an extension of the classroom, laboratory or studio Employing a staff and administration reflecting the diversity of our student community and the values of the campus; Fostering a collegial and cooperative intellectual environment that includes recognition and appreciation of differing viewpoints and promotes academic freedom within the University community; and Serving the communities with which its students and faculty are engaged.

Responsibilities: The position requires undergraduate teaching in design using a variety of traditional and digital media. The courses that the candidate will teach will be offered to both Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design students. The candidate will be tasked with helping students visualize their designs in a range of media, including 2D sketching and illustration, 3D modeling and rendering, web presentations, animations, and augmented/virtual reality experiences. Candidates are also expected to mentor and advise graduate and undergraduate students, develop an active ongoing scholarship program and/or program of creative work in one’s area of specialty, and undertake ongoing committee and service assignments.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D., MFA, or equivalent terminal degree in industrial design, visual communications, graphic design, or a relevant discipline from an accredited program. Terminal degree must be completed by the first day of employment. Current, proven abilities and expertise in visual representation techniques, including but not limited to: freehand sketching and concept drawing, marker rendering, digital painting and/or illustration with Adobe Creative Suite, 3D modeling with SolidWorks and/or Rhinoceros 3D, and 3D rendering with KeyShot and optionally other rendering engines. Record of working and communicating effectively with colleagues and students.

Preferred:

• Record of teaching contributions in the areas of: freehand sketching and concept drawing, marker rendering, digital painting and/or illustration with Adobe Creative Suite, 3D modeling with SolidWorks and/or Rhinoceros 3D, and 3D rendering with KeyShot and optionally other rendering engines.

• Expertise in 2D and/or 3D animation, and/or expertise building web-based 3D experiences, and/or expertise with VR and AR technologies as applied to design process and visualization. Active record of scholarship or creative activities with evidence of juried review, including design awards, exhibitions of work, peer-reviewed publications, etc.  Demonstrated ability to incorporate inclusion, diversity, and educational equity in teaching and/or scholarship/creative works. Experience teaching and working closely with students from historically under-represented communities. Record of contributing to supportive and collaborative work environments.

Rank and salary: Assistant Professor. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The California State University (CSU) provides generous health, retirement, and other benefits.

Application Procedure

A complete online application must be submitted to receive consideration. To apply, please go to

https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/sf/en-us/job/519320/assistant-professor-design-visualization-school-of-design

to begin the application process, and upload the following materials:

1. Letter of intent expressing the nature of your interest in the position and relating your experience to the required qualifications.

2. Curriculum vitae.

3. A diversity statement that provides an understanding of your capabilities to address diversity in support of SFSU’s diverse student and community populations. Please discuss how you have addressed diversity in your teaching, research, and service. (No more than 500 words).

4. A portfolio of creative work, including examples of original creations with an emphasis on the skills and techniques related to the job description (up to 20 slides).

5. A portfolio of your students’ work, highlighting process and results that display learning outcomes related to the teaching duties listed in the job description (up to 20 slides).

6. Evidence of teaching effectiveness, which may include student course evaluations, peer evaluations, syllabi, and/or course materials you have created.

Names and contact information of three references who will provide letters of recommendation upon request. 

Please direct all questions about the position to: Design Visualization Search, design@sfsu.edu

CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so.  Any candidates advanced in a currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to hr@campus.edu

Thank you for your interest in employment with California State University (CSU).  CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California.  Because of this, CSU prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California with very limited exception.  While this position may be eligible for occasional telework, all work is expected to be performed in the state of California, and this position is assigned to on-campus operations.

San Francisco State is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status. We strongly encourage the application of individuals from historically underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting the Senior Human Resources Manager. Additional information on the requirements for new hires may be found at the Human Resources web page (https://hr.sfsu.edu/about-hr ).