Full-time tenure-track position; salary commensurate with experience; excellent benefits. 

The School of Interior Architecture within the College of Architecture + Design at the University of Tennessee invites applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE), nine-month, tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant professor or associate professor to begin August 1, 2021. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications. The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in creative and meaningful ways to advance the discipline, diversity, and intercultural goals of the University. 

As a collective, the faculty seeks to advance the discipline by situating spatially-driven interior architecture, maker culture, design research, and theories of interiority at the forefront of our teaching and research. Overall, the College's larger values underpin these diverse approaches to design education, including cross-disciplinary collaboration, digital fabrication, community engagement, established research presentations, publications, and creative scholarship. As a land grant institution, we also have a public commitment to our students and the state to promote a variety of diverse perspectives. 

The School offers a Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture within a highly competitive professional program attracting over 200 first-year applicants across the United States. There are approximately 30-40 students in each cohort year, with the total number of students equaling approximately 140. The School is located in the College of Architecture and Design with the Schools of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Design, and we share the building with the School of Art. The position offers rich opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The School is distinguished with recent national and international student and faculty awards. DesignIntelligence ranked the school 9th “Most hired from” amongst comparable universities in 2020. Student accolades include Metropolis Magazine’s Future100 and five Gensler Brinkmann Scholarships since 2015. The program was reaccredited by the Council of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) in spring 2018. 

The successful candidate will join the Interior Architecture program to become part of a progressive design education environment. The curriculum encourage cross-disciplinary studies and collaborations, and prepares students for professional practice. 

The School of Interior Architecture seeks a full-time faculty member to teach at all levels in the undergraduate BSIA program. The position includes teaching, research/creative activity, and service; each category’s workload assignments are commiserate with our institution’s R1 Carnegie Classification. The candidate will contribute to the development of undergraduate minors and a future graduate curriculum. The successful candidate will develop/expand a nationally recognized scholarly program and engage in peer-reviewed scholarship or creative activity. 

We celebrate the rich identities and multiple perspectives within our college, university, and the broader community through a design culture that is deeply rooted in making, problem-solving, critical thinking, service, and social responsibility. We welcome candidates with an array of research and teaching interests that may include the below: 

• Intersection between practice and design research
• Evidence-based design
• Emergent technologies
• Participatory design
• Social and ecological sustainability 
• Latent lighting and material tactics
• Multisensory storytelling
• Workplace futures
• Other areas not listed are welcomed

Required qualifications: 

• Terminal degree and one degree in interior architecture/design, architecture, or related discipline. 
• Evidence of promise as a skilled instructor and the ability to teach undergraduate interior architecture studios. 
• Research and/or creative scholarship that exhibits promise of a cohesive agenda at a national level.
• Instructional integration and competency of both digital and analog skills. 
• A spirit of entrepreneurial initiative in pursuing actively engaged, multi-disciplinary collaborations, and external partnerships.
• Ability to thrive and contribute to a collegial and collaborative working environment.
• A proven record of incorporating equity and inclusion into research and teaching, and/or professional practice.
• A commitment to participation in student recruiting activities and community outreach.

Desired qualifications: 

• Degree in interior architecture/design. 
• Established reputation as a skilled instructor.
• An awareness of university expectations for tenure and promotion or qualifications that predict success in this process.
• Research and/or creative scholarship that exhibits an established research agenda with originality and significance, nationally.
• PhD in related field and/or a studio-based master’s, exceptions may be considered based on outstanding career achievements.
• NCIDQ Certification, or the ability to qualify and pass the exam by 2023. 
• Professional experience in a design firm. 
• Degrees in multiple disciplines.

Review of applications will begin on April 23, 2021, and will continue until the position is filled. 

Qualified candidates should send: 

Please submit the following application materials to apply.interfolio.com/85456:

• Cover letter of intent 
• Current curriculum vita 
• Statement of research/creative activity program and goals 
• Statement of teaching philosophy
• Complete contact information for three references 
• Digital portfolio of your work 
• Digital portfolio your student’s work if applicable 

For more information on the position, please contact Liz Teston, Search Committee Chair, eteston@utk.edu, 865.974.3424.

For more information on the College of Architecture + Design see: archdesign.utk.edu