Assistant Professor
The Interior Design Program in the School of Architecture + Design, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, at Virginia Tech is seeking motivated and engaged colleagues to join the faculty as tenure track assistant professors with an anticipated start date of August 10, 2020 for the Fall Semester of the 2020-21 academic year.
The primary responsibilities of this position are to balance teaching a design studio with a lecture course in the accredited undergraduate Interior Design Program (BS.ID) each semester with the development of an externally recognized agenda of research, scholarship and/or creative activity. Possible design studio teaching includes all levels, sophomore through senior of the program. Possible lecture courses include lighting, building systems, professional practice, materials and design detailing. The ideal candidate will combine the development of a robust scholarship agenda with an unwavering passion for teaching students in a professional design curriculum.
Appointment to the rank of tenure-track Assistant Professor carries with it, professional responsibilities in teaching/learning, research/discovery, and outreach/engagement/service. Assistant Professors are expected to practice innovative modes of teaching in accordance with the School’s pedagogical traditions, integrating their teaching activities with School, College and University ongoing research initiatives, scholarship, and creative activities; and engage in outreach and/or service work, including community service-learning projects, service to the profession, service to students through advising work, or service to the School, College, or University through participation on various committees, etc.
The Interior Design Program
The Interior Design program has consistently been ranked in the top ten by Design Intelligence since 2002. The Interior Design program is one of four programs housed in the School of Architecture + Design, which includes Architecture, Industrial Design and Landscape Architecture, and is one of four Schools in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Students and faculty in the program have access to outstanding facilities and equipment, both digital and analog, and each of our approximately 150 students over our four-year curriculum has their own desk in our open-studio setting. Applicants are expected to work collaboratively and encouraged to work across disciplines. New faculty will be expected to work with the College and School in furthering key strategic initiatives in the realization of the University’s Beyond Boundaries Vision and the university-wide Destination Areas.
Our graduates work in some of the best design firms in the country. Visit our webpage for a partial listing of firms where our graduates have worked or are working now.
The University
Virginia Tech, founded in 1872 as a land-grant institution, is currently ranked as a Top 25 Public University by US News & World Report and a Top 25 Public Research University by the National Science Foundation. Through a combination of its three missions of learning, discovery, and engagement, Virginia Tech continually strives to accomplish the charge of its motto: Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). As the Commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech serves a diverse population of 32,000+ students and 8000+ faculty and staff from over 100 countries, and is engaged in research around the world. The University also benefits from a broad and loyal alumni base that fills the town during football games and alumni events throughout the year.
About Blacksburg
Blacksburg is home to 43,000 local residents. Because of the town’s award-winning services, reasonable cost of living, safety, moderate climate, and abundant leisure activities, Blacksburg is consistently ranked among the country’s best places to live and has earned a reputation nationwide as a well-managed, stable, and forward-looking community. In 2016, 2012 and 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek named Blacksburg the best place in the United States to raise children. Blacksburg has been ranked among the nation’s best places to live by Blue Ridge Country Magazine, Men’s Journal, 50 Best Small Southern Towns, The Sporting News, and Retirement Places Rated. Outside Magazine ranked Blacksburg a top-10 “dream town” for outdoors enthusiasts with natural resources for hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, and climbing.
The broader area around Blacksburg is currently one of the fastest growing parts of the State and is connected to thriving artisanal, "farm to table" communities such as Floyd. Nearby Roanoke is a growing city with expanding urban amenities as well as upcoming Amtrak rail connection to Washington DC, New York and Boston. Considerable investments in the local economy continue to make the region increasingly popular for new businesses. Recently Roanoke was named a top 5 city for technology startups by Entrepreneur Magazine. Altogether, the region is also earning a reputation as a hub of work/ life balance.
Minimum Required Qualifications
A terminal degree is required with at least one degree in Interior Design; candidates with degrees in Architecture combined with significant Interior Design experience will also be considered. The NCIDQ credential is preferred or ability to take the NCIDQ within two years of hire required. Candidates should demonstrate an excellent body of work in design, as well as experience in teaching design studio and other courses across the Interior Design curriculum. Successful candidates should demonstrate a teaching style that effectively integrates the learning experience of the design studio with the program’s initiatives in areas such as user-centered design, interdisciplinary/collaborative design projects, research/evidence-based design education, sustainability and wellness, and three-dimensional modeling/digital fabrication. Preference will be given to a candidate that is comfortable with the tools and methods involved in developing design experiences spanning both physical and digital media (Revit, Grasshopper, Rhino, VR, etc.).
Application Process
All applicants must complete and submit the online faculty application at http://listings.jobs.vt.edu. The search will remain open until the position if filled, but to be assured full consideration, complete applications should be submitted by November 15, 2019. Candidates also must submit a cover letter, a resume/curriculum vitae, a statement of the candidate’s approach to teaching, and the names and contact information for three current references as attachments to the online application. In addition, candidates must provide supplemental materials within the application portal, including a portfolio with examples of professional and/or creative work and of the work of students taught, samples of research and scholarship, and/or other pertinent information supporting their application.
Contact
Lisa M. Tucker, PhD, Program Chair - ltucker@vt.edu
Virginia Tech is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and actively seeks applications from women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, or veteran status; or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees, or applicants; or any other basis protected by law.
For inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies, contact the executive director for Equity and Accessibility at 540-231-2010 or Virginia Tech, North End Center, Suite 2300 (0318), 300 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061.
For full consideration candidates are encouraged to apply by the review date.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire accommodation please contact Ms. Ingrid Skenderian at singrid1@vt.edu, or Central HR, email hrservicecenter@vt.edu, or phone 540-231-9331.
Additional Information
The successful Candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check