Seeking applications for an Associate or Full Professor in Games and Engagement Design. This person will serve as the Program Director for the Game Lab at American University, in addition to their own research and/or design practice.
Description
The School of Communication at American University, Washington, D.C., invites applications for a full-time, faculty position at the rank of associate or full professor, with an emphasis on digital games and engagement design in the public interest. Depending on qualifications, the appointee may be recommended for tenure at the time of hiring. Candidates should hold a terminal degree as appropriate to their focus, such as an MFA or Ph.D. AU is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from female and minority candidates.
Qualifications
The American University Game Lab serves as a pioneering hub for experiential education, research on purposeful play, and innovative game design in the public interest. The initiative brings together multiple schools on campus, in particular the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the School of Communication (SOC), which jointly operate many aspects of the program. As part of the Game Lab, the Game Studio works with major external clients on game-related projects, from government agencies to Smithsonian Museums and mission-driven nonprofits. The facility for the Game Lab opened in 2017 in the new Don Myers Technology and Innovation Building, with flexible spaces for brainstorming and design, client meetings, and project-based teaching. The Game Lab’s Master of Arts in Game Design is ranked #25 in the world according to Princeton Review in 2017, and the Lab recently launched an MFA program in Games and Interactivity.
The ideal candidate will be an established leader in the application of game design to one or more domains in the public interest, such as museums, health, cities, education, journalism, environmental, and/or social issue storytelling. Job responsibilities include directing the graduate game programs, which include the MA and MFA in game design and the graduate Game certificate, while also securing new partnerships and funding for original games and high-impact collaborations. Candidates should have strong production skills in multimedia and game design, a track record of securing grants or other funds for game production, and some experience in collaborating to publish academic research.
Candidates must also demonstrate some combination — but not necessarily all — of the following: a high-impact research agenda, gaming industry/entrepreneurship experience, artistic recognition such as at competitive festivals, and/or nonprofit experience in running advocacy campaigns. Responsibilities will also include teaching courses, mentoring students, and participating in School of Communication and University governance.
The position, which will ideally begin in August of 2019, comes with powerful opportunities for collaboration with the unusual mix of organizations in Washington, DC, from arts funders to policy think tanks and global nonprofits. Collaborating across the university with our world-class faculty is particularly well-suited to the Game Lab and is encouraged.
Full posting: https://apply.interfolio.com/