Assistant/Associate Professor in Gaming at Virginia Tech University, School of Visual Arts, Creative Technologies

The School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor, tenure-track faculty position with a specialization in Gaming; with experience teaching 2D and 3D gaming at the university or college level beyond graduate school teaching appointments; maintaining a strong national/international creative research agenda; and advising students. Faculty are expected to participate in school, college and university level service and outreach programs including collaboration and cross-disciplinary work with other programs within the School of Visual Arts (SOVA), committee work, and administrative duties.

The School of Visual Arts (SOVA) is housed within the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Within three areas of SOVA (VCD, Studio Arts and Art History). The school also offers an MFA in Creative Technologies, an MA in Material Culture, and an individualized Ph.D. in Human-Centered Design. Information can be found at: http://www.sova.vt.edu.

This faculty search is part of a cross-college cluster hire being conducted within the Destination Area and the Creative Technologies and experiences Strategic Growth Area, which are two initiatives created to recruit and support world-class groups of faculty colleagues that bridges disciplinary strengths. This cluster hire will foster interdisciplinary collaborations that explore interactive approaches to thinking and problem solving through the lens of technology. (http://provost.vt.edu/destination areas.html)

This position requires a terminal degree in Gaming or related field; experience teaching 2D and 3D Gaming at the university or college level beyond graduate school teaching appointments; a desire to work collaboratively and across disciplines with proven academic leadership experience. The candidate’s portfolio should demonstrate a good sense of level and set design, environment design, lighting, texturing and character design in gaming, know how to weave storytelling and content into games, experience in browser based gaming, experience in AR and VR gaming; professional experience in the field of Gaming is highly desirable.

Virginia Tech recognizes the critical importance of diverse teams of scholars. It seeks to diversify its faculty along multiple dimensions, including those that have been historically marginalized and excluded given the institutional history and legacy of the university. Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT — serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community (http://www.inclusive.vt.edu/), which are fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. Virginia Tech actively seeks a broad spectrum of candidates to join our community in preparing leaders for the world.

The ideal candidate should have a strong working knowledge of industry standards in content creation software packages (Unity, Unreal, Maya, Zbrush, Substance Designer, Headus and Photoshop); evidence of an on-going and active professional exhibition record at a national and international level with a broad understanding of the history and theory of contemporary 2D and 3D gaming. Expertise with coding in Unity or Unreal game engines is highly desirable.

contact Search Committee Chair Thomas Tucker thomasjt@vt.edu

Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT—serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. Virginia Tech actively seeks a broad spectrum of candidates to join our community in preparing leaders for the world.

The School of Visual Arts (SOVA) at Virginia Tech offers an expansive undergraduate and graduate education in fine art, creative technology, art history, and graphic design. Our Studio Art, Creative Technology and Graphic Design BFA programs offer an inclusive approach to educating artists and designers, implementing new and established technologies that are uniquely available at Virginia Tech.

Our Art History BA educates students to place visual culture in its broader historical context. We offer an MFA in Creative Technologies, a cross-departmental MA in Material Culture and Public Humanities. Our programs enable students to combine technical expertise with critical and creative inquiry.