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Job Description
Position Overview
The Department of Design at The Ohio State University invites applications for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Computational Visual Design starting August 15, 2025.
Applicants should possess expertise in at least two of the following areas: interaction design, computational design, storytelling with generative systems, and design research that anticipates and visualizes future needs. We seek a candidate whose scholarship is at the intersection of technology and design and who thinks through technologies in innovative ways to conceive designs across domains such as immersive training, educational exhibitions, digital media and entertainment, public spaces, retail, advertising and brand communication. The successful candidate’s research will occur within the department’s overarching commitment to promoting sustainable and socially impactful design. The ideal candidate will engage with established and emerging technologies and creative design processes as they provide strategic guidance through research, experimentation, and prototyping. Responsibilities will also include undergraduate and graduate teaching and service to the department.
We seek a colleague interested in exploring topics that are situated beyond traditional areas of design, and who will invite transdisciplinary and innovative collaboration across the university and within the surrounding communities. As the department advocates for the development of socially relevant and sustainably produced objects, messages, environments, or services, the successful appointee will contribute to the community-engaged research and creative activity. This could occur in interdisciplinary centers and institutes across the university, including Ohio State’s DESIS LAB (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability), VLab (Visual Communication as knowledge building), and ACCAD (Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design).
Performance Objectives
- Commit to excellence in graduate and undergraduate education
- Develop impactful, productive and novel research programs in computational visual design
- Collaborate within and beyond the department including surrounding community
- Support departmental operations as an active citizen through service
Education and Experience Requirements
Required: A terminal degree (MFA or equivalent) in Computational Design, Interaction design, Visual Communication Design, or a related field by August 15, 2025.
Desired: A PhD in in Computational Design, Interaction design, Visual Communication Design, or a related field is preferred by August 15, 2025. ABDs welcome to apply. Experience as a design educator is desirable as is research work on generative design, organic algorithms, and predictive modeling. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to building a diverse intellectual community, in line with OSU’s Shared Values (see below).
How to Apply
Apply to the Careers at Ohio State website at https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Assistant-Professor-in-Computational-Visual-Design_R115415-1. A competitive application consists of the following required elements: cover letter, curriculum vitae, separate research and teaching statements, and three letters of references*. Review of applications will begin on November 4, 2024. Inquiries may be directed to Kyoung Swearingen at swearingen.75@osu.edu
You will be invited to attach up to FIVE documents in the Application Documents section. Please include the following:
• Attachment 1: Cover Letter: A 1–2-page letter including a summary of your academic background and why you are interested in this opportunity.
• Attachment 2: CV (Curriculum Vitae): A detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, funding, and publications.
• Attachment 3: A Research Statement and Portfolio summarizing your past and current creative work/research accomplishments, and proposal for your future research plan as a faculty member.
• Attachment 4: A Teaching Statement and Portfolio highlighting your approaches, experience and philosophy of teaching, learning, and mentoring, including samples of student work.
Reference letters will be requested from applicants invited to an initial interview.
The College
With more than 80 majors and 100 minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The Arts and Sciences provides extraordinary opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, blending creativity and analysis to truly be at the forefront of thought. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the college gives students and researchers the critical thinking and adaptability essential for a lifetime of success.
Department Information
The Department of Design offers collaborative learning opportunities in four undergraduate majors (Industrial Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication Design, and Experiential Media Design) and two master’s degree tracks (Digital Animation and Interactive Media and Design Research and Development). The successful applicant can anticipate an opportunity to teach in more than one program. The ability to teach from a student-centered perspective at the undergraduate and graduate levels and support the department’s long-standing commitment to increasing the diversity of the design professions is expected.