Director of Historic Preservation - Charleston, SC
- Employer
- Clemson University
- Location
- Clemson University
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- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Director of Historic Preservation - Charleston, SC
Clemson University: College of Architecture, Art and Construction: School of Architecture
Location: CU DESIGN CNTR - CIGAR FACTORY
Open Date: Sep 23, 2026
Description
Clemson University College of Architecture, Art and Construction seeks a tenured Associate or Full Professor, or Professor of Practice, in Historic Preservation to serve as the Program Director of the Charleston-based Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. The Director will be jointly appointed between the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture and the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development. Applicants may include a tenured faculty member, Professor of Practice, or seasoned professional from related disciplines such as architecture, construction, landscape architecture, or cultural heritage fields. The Associate or Full Professor/Professor of Practice & Program Director appointment is assigned to the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, South Carolina, with an anticipated start date of August 15, 2027. Candidates who are already tenured at another R1 university will be considered for tenure and a rank commensurate with their current rank. About the Program, School, College, and University Clemson's Graduate Program in Historic Preservation is based at the Clemson Design Center, housed in Charleston's historic Cigar Factory, and is jointly administered by the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture and the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development. The Design Center places students and faculty inside one of the nation's most significant historic cities, with direct access to its buildings, sites, and preservation community. The School itself, part of the College of Architecture, Art and Construction, offers degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, and City and Regional Planning to more than 500 students, supported by more than 70 faculty and staff, and participates in the College's interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Design and the Built Environment. In 2025, the School was renamed in recognition of a transformative gift from the late Richard "Dick" McMahan '54, HD '06, and his wife, the late Mary "Dinky" McMahan. The newly formed College of Architecture, Art and Construction (CAAC) brings together the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture, the Department of Art and the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning in an interdisciplinary approach to creative practice, design, and construction. The CAAC offers five undergraduate majors, ten graduate programs and nine centers and institutes, empowering more than 900 undergraduate and 300 graduate students to transform, enhance and sustain the built environment through a blend of practical knowledge and hands-on experiential learning. From the outdoor Experiential Learning Yard to the Fluid Campus® locations in Genoa, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and Charleston, South Carolina, the CAAC connects classroom learning with real-world opportunities, preparing students to excel in their fields and turn their education into lifelong success. Clemson University is a Carnegie R1 research university, a classification reaffirmed in 2025, enrolling more than 29,500 students with an endowment exceeding $1.2 billion and $334 million in research and development expenditures in the most recent fiscal year. U.S. News & World Report ranks Clemson 36th among public universities nationally (2026); Forbes ranks it 33rd nationally among public colleges and first in South Carolina. Founded in 1889 as South Carolina's land grant institution, Clemson is executing Clemson Elevate, a strategic plan built on three goals: delivering the nation's number one student experience, doubling research expenditures by 2035, and transforming lives across South Carolina and beyond. Key Dates for This Search Cycle • Applications received by December 1, 2026 will receive full consideration • Anticipated start date of August 15, 2027
Qualifications
The successful candidate will hold at least a Master's degree in historic preservation, architecture, architectural engineering or a closely related discipline, with a Ph.D. preferred. Candidates should demonstrate a distinguished record of national or international leadership and expertise in historic preservation, supported by a robust portfolio of professional projects and scholarly publications equivalent to the expectations of a tenured Associate Professor at Clemson University. The position requires a proven record of recognized professional achievement and teaching excellence, the ability to recruit top students, along with a demonstrated commitment to collaboration, mentorship, and clear, effective communication.
Preference will be given to candidates with a professional license and evidence of success in community engagement and service-learning initiatives that integrate academic and professional practice. The ideal candidate will have experience in program and team leadership, personnel management, budget management, and the ability to secure external funding or grants to support research and academic initiatives. Expertise in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable: material science, conservation, restoration, construction management, architecture, archaeology, or landscape architecture. Additional value will be placed on experience with innovative technologies for the documentation, evaluation, and rehabilitation of historic structures and sites, including digital modeling, condition assessment, and building science applications. Candidates should also bring a forward-thinking approach to preservation as a driver of sustainability, community revitalization, and social well-being.
Application Instructions
Applications should be submitted via Interfolio at:
https://apply.interfolio.com/176784
Please include the following in your application materials:
1) A cover letter summarizing the preferred qualifications described above
2) Curriculum vitae
3) Names and contact information of three references (letters are not required at this time)
4) Three samples (combined into one PDF file) of relevant academic or professional work, such as evidence of teaching electiveness, sample publications, conference proceedings, or other evidence of peer-reviewed scholarship, research, or projects; and/or nationally or internationally recognized professional work. The three examples should be representative of the candidate's area of expertise. Do NOT include more than three. Additional materials will be requested and reviewed only for the short list candidates later in the search process.
For full consideration, applications must be received by December 1, 2026. Review will continue until a suitably qualified candidate is identified. Selected candidates may be required to submit additional materials needed for Promotion, Tenure, Reappointment Committee review.
For nominations or inquiries regarding this position, please contact search administrator Mimi Rose miriamr@clemson.edu.
For more information and to apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/176784
Clemson University is an EEO/AA employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law including disability and protected veteran status.
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Organization
Working at Clemson University
Clemson is a dynamic research university located in Upstate South Carolina at the center of the booming I-85 corridor between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. One of the nation’s most selective public research universities according to U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Clemson University is the school of choice among top students in South Carolina and is increasingly competitive for the best students in the region and the nation. More than 17,100 students select from 70 undergraduate and 100 graduate degree programs through five academic colleges: Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Architecture, Arts and Humanities; Business and Behavioral Science; Engineering and Science; and Health, Education and Human Development.
Clemson’s transformation into a leading research institution — currently attracting in excess of $140 million in externally funded research and sponsored program awards per year — is based upon an academic plan that identifies eight emphasis areas in which the University has opportunities to increase education and research, to align with South Carolina’s economic development needs and to draw upon faculty strengths. Emphasis areas include automotive and transportation technology, advanced materials, biotechnology and biomedical sciences, leadership and entrepreneurship, sustainable environment, information and communication technology, family and community living, and general education.
Major economic development initiatives that have emerged from the academic plan include the Clemson International Center for Automotive Research — a 250-acre campus in Greenville, which has generated more than $225 million in public and private commitments in just four years; an advanced materials initiative at the Clemson Research Park, which includes a new LEED Silver-certified facility; and the South Carolina Health Sciences Collaborative — an initiative of the state’s three research universities and major health-care systems.
As the state’s land-grant university, Clemson reaches out to citizens, communities and businesses all over South Carolina. The Public Service Activities division includes the county-based Cooperative Extension Service, five off-campus research and education centers through the Clemson University Experiment Station and critical regulatory responsibilities for plant and animal health.
The University boasts a 1,400-acre campus on the shores of Lake Hartwell within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Surrounding the campus are 18,000 acres of University farms and woodlands devoted to research. A warm campus environment, great weather and recreational activities offered by proximity to both the natural surroundings and large cities are part of the Clemson Experience.
Points of interest at Clemson include the following:
The Clemson Conference Center and Inn is a state-of-the-art facility for symposia, meetings, seminars and special events. The complex includes the Madren Continuing Education and Conference Center, the Walker Golf Course and the Martin Inn.
The South Carolina Botanical Garden, a 295-acre public garden, features several thousand varieties of ornamental plants and a unique collection of nature-based sculptures.
The Robert Howell Brooks Center for the Performing Arts brings an exciting array of concert, theater, dance, comedy and other live performances to the community.
The Robert Campbell Geology Museum at the Botanical Garden displays meteorites, minerals, dinosaur fossils and the largest faceted-stone collection in the Southeast.
The T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena is a showplace for livestock activities in the state and has hosted horse and livestock shows, rodeos, sales, 4-H activities, educational programs, and industrial and agricultural exhibitions.
Fort Hill, the home of John C. Calhoun and later of his son-in-law, University founder Thomas Green Clemson, is a registered National Historic Landmark located in the center of campus.
The Class of 1944 Visitors Center is the front door to Clemson — a friendly place to get tours, information, assistance and an introduction to this beautiful, historic university and community.
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