Chair of the Department of Art and Art History

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) seeks an innovative and visionary leader to serve as Chair of the Department of Art and Art History. This position would begin in Fall 2025. The department offers a BA in Art with concentrations in Art History, Art Studio, and Graphic and Digital Design, a BFA in Art, an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies (an innovative multidisciplinary program and the first of its kind in the state of Alabama), and an MA in Art History offered jointly with the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. 

The successful candidate will be an accomplished scholar/artist with administrative experience and vision to lead a department that emphasizes quality undergraduate and graduate instruction, research, and community outreach. They will be an effective, collaborative leader and administrator with strong interpersonal and leadership abilities and a deep understanding of broad curricular and academic matters within the discipline. They will have a successful record of facilities management, personnel administration, and budget oversight. Appointment at full professor rank is expected. A terminal degree in the studies of art history, cultural heritage, or art studio is required.

The department chair is responsible for fostering continued growth in enrollment, supporting faculty development, nurturing intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting innovation, critical inquiry, and creativity within the department. 

The Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA), designed by renowned architect Randall Stout, is the home of the Department of Art and Art History and contains gallery spaces, a graphic design studio, a media lab, and art history classrooms as well as departmental offices. In addition, a newly renovated and well-equipped facility provides instructional and lab space for numerous studio arts courses.

The Department of Art and Art History is a growing department with a diverse range of disciplines. It has an award-winning, research-driven faculty who are shaping the arts in the Southeast and nationally. It enjoys strong relationships with numerous local organizations like the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, Sloss Furnace, as well as galleries and local businesses. These connections offer outstanding opportunities for experiential learning. See the department website for more information (https://www.uab.edu/cas/art/).

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is home to 19 academic departments and six centers and institutes. The 19 departments — home to over 300 full-time faculty and more than 58 baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees — make CAS the largest academic entity in the UAB academic enterprise. The college is home to research centers, community outreach programs, and interdisciplinary cooperation.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a research university and academic health center that discovers, teaches, and applies knowledge for the intellectual, cultural, social, and economic benefit of Birmingham, the state, and beyond. UAB is internationally renowned for its intensely collaborative culture that has — for more than five decades — produced breakthroughs in education, healthcare, research, and service.

Birmingham is the central hub of a metropolitan area of 1.1 million people that offers a vibrant cultural community with award-winning restaurants, and a wide array of recreational opportunities including easy access to many outdoor activities in the Appalachian foothills and the beaches of Alabama.

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

To complete the application process, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vita, statement of leadership experience and philosophy, contact information for three professional references, and a portfolio to include a sample publication or 20 images of creative work or representative research samples.

To apply, please follow this link: https://uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/23332. Formal letters of recommendation will be requested for finalists. Questions may be directed to Professor Kelly Allison, Art and Art History Search Chair, kallison@uab.edu. Review of applications will begin December 1, 2024, and continue until the position is filled.

UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and veteran’s status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.

A pre-employment background check investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.