Institute of Design Seeks Assistant Professor

Illinois Tech invites applications for a tenure-track, Assistant Professor faculty position at the intersection of design, computing, and data, to be jointly appointed at the Institute of Design (ID) and the Department of Computer Science (CS).

This position will contribute to the university’s exploration of the power of computation, sensing, and connectivity for building intelligent futures that are sustainable, equitable, and inclusive.

Illinois Tech is a private, Ph.D.-granting research university with world-renowned programs in architecture, engineering, computing, the sciences, humanities and social sciences, psychology, business, law, and design. It is ranked #1 in Illinois and #23 nationally in The Wall Street Journal‘s “America’s Best Colleges 2024.”

Founded in 1890, Illinois Tech’s guiding mission centers on providing access to higher education for students from all backgrounds and to make a difference in the world through technology-oriented education, helping students prepare for meaningful roles in a changing society and achieve professional and economic advancement. As such, Illinois Tech is home to a diverse and global student population; is committed to providing opportunities to enhance the diversity of its faculty and staff; and strongly encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this position, especially those underrepresented in the field.

ID is home to a graduate-only school of design offering degrees in Master of Design, a PhD in Design, and a professional Master of Design Methods. Founded as the The New Bauhaus in 1937, ID is a recognized international leader in the field of design, and its role in responding to changing technological, social, and economic environments. ID also fosters a highly networked institutional and global community at the Kaplan Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship, which serves as the center for interdisciplinary innovation education at Illinois Tech.

The Department of Computer Science (CS) offers bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees in Computer Science, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Artificial Intelligence, a master’s degree in Cybersecurity, and interdisciplinary master’s degrees in Data Science and Computational Decision Science and Operations Research. It boasts a wide range of cutting-edge funded research activity, as well as multiple externally funded research faculty positions.

We invite all interested candidates to learn more about ID’s programs and initiatives and CS’s bachelor’s programs, graduate programs, and faculty.

ID and CS are jointly looking for applicants with passion and experience crafting sophisticated technological solutions that work with and for human behaviors and how people think. Ideal candidates will have an affinity for embracing social and ethical aspects of technology, reflecting sensitivities to inclusion and accessibility that recognize how broader systems shape what gets built, and for whom.

While a firm grounding in applied and theoretical traditions of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a foundational need, including future-facing perspectives (e.g., human/device UX/UI, robotics), additional areas of interest at the intersection of design, computing, and data may include, but are not limited to:

• Human-Machine Interfaces: robotics, sensors and microelectronics, spatial computing, including VR/AR/MR, wearable devices, interaction techniques, mobile application design, affective and emotional computing
• Social, Collaborative, Civic, and Distributed Computing: cross-cultural HCI, NLP and conversational UI, accessibility, cross-cultural HCI, game design, interactive environments
• Design to Support Computing: human-aligned computing and AI, human-data interaction, human-centered software engineering, cultures and norms around computing (STS), Data governance and digital infrastructure through data science, participatory and open-source software development

Applicants for this tenure-track positions must have a PhD in design, computer science, engineering, or other related tech application fields, with a background that demonstrates significant research accomplishments and commitment to excellence in teaching both undergraduates and graduate students from varied backgrounds, including course development. Given that candidates for this position will be expected to embrace interdisciplinary research and applied work both within and outside of the school, practice-based professional experience integrating knowledge of design, computer science, HCI, or engineering is highly desirable.

The appointment carries full-time faculty responsibilities, including attending faculty meetings, advising students at various levels from undergraduate to PhD, and a commitment to outreach within and outside the university. Salary is open and will be competitive and commensurate with experience.

Applications must include (i) a cover letter; (ii) a statement describing experience and areas of interest in teaching (including experience and emergent areas of interest), research (describing prior research experience, publications, grants, and future research plans), and practice (such as representative contributions to civic or industry-specific projects or institutions); (iii) a curriculum vitae; (iv) examples of work (including student work, when available); (v) an equity and inclusion statement; and (vi) three academic and/or professional references. The equity and inclusion statement should address specific past and/or potential contributions to the equitable and inclusive delivery of academic instruction and support to and research mentorship of students from a diverse background of countries, cultures and socioeconomic conditions. All materials submitted must be PDF files or url links without a password.

Please submit all application materials to id_faculty_search@illinoistech.edu. The review of applications will begin at the end of January, 2025, and the search will continue until the position is filled. Candidates who have questions about the position are invited to send an email to Matt Mayfield (mayfield@id.iit.edu).

Illinois Institute of Technology is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer committed to enhancing excellence, equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Illinois Institute of Technology is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and actively seeks applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities regardless of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, age, unfavorable discharge from the military, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, including gender identity and expression, order of protection status, genetic information, and any other protected class. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment.