Academic Professional Track (Non-Tenure):Instructional Assistant/Associate Professor or Assistant/Associate Professor of Practice in Technical Arts and Interactive Media for Virtual Production

The School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts, Texas A&M University, invites applications for one (1) part time, 50% appointment, academic professional track position as an Instructional Assistant or Instructional Associate Professor or Assistant Professor of Practice or Associate Professor of Practice in technical arts and interactive media for virtual production. This is a nine-month, part time (50%), non-tenure track academic appointment beginning in Fall 2024 at the Texas A&M campus in Fort Worth, Texas with the opportunity for annual appointments.

The school and the faculty section of Technical Arts & Interactive Media are developing a team of faculty whose career aspirations are in teaching with expertise in one or more of the following areas:

·         Virtual Production

·         In-camera visual effects

·         3D technical art and animation for real-time graphics

·         Volumetric capture

·         Technical production for live immersive performance

·         Mechatronics and fabrication

Faculty are expected to develop and teach virtual production courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Faculty are also expected to participate in academic service, including the following:

·         Virtual production stage setup and operation

·         Virtual production training for students

·         Camera setup and training

·         Motion capture setup and training

·         Identifying and sourcing virtual production staffing needs

·         Virtual production curriculum development and updates

This position is associated with development of the Virtual Production Institute (VPI). The VPI initiative has received $25 million in funding from the State of Texas to pursue the development of new applications of visual computing and interactive technologies and translating their use across multiple industries, entertainment, and the arts. The VPI is committed to educating and training a new generation of industry- and practice-ready engineers, technologists, and artists. The VPI’s first production stages and labs will open in the 2024-2025 academic year near the Texas A&M University main campus in Bryan/College Station and the Texas A&M - Fort Worth campus in downtown Fort Worth.

The VPI is part of the School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts (PVFA). PVFA’s strength is in merging art and science across a broad range of creative pursuits. The mission of PVFA places a heavy emphasis on faculty and student collaboration and interdisciplinary work in both scholarly and creative research. PVFA develops innovative research and creative works, public performances, and degree offerings at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels that build upon our strength in merging art and science, as well as the traditional fields of music, dance, visual art, and theater.

For appointments at Assistant Professor of Practice or Associate Professor of Practice, applicants must have, at the minimum, a master's level degree appropriate for the field in which the faculty member will teach and significant teaching experience at the college/school level in the field or in a related field, or have an extraordinary record of accomplishment in an applied setting. There may be additional requirements depending on the specific faculty title.

For appointments at the Instructional Assistant Professor or Instructional Associate Professor level, applicants must have terminal degree (Ph.D. or M.F.A.) in one of the fields described above or a closely related discipline or a master's level degree appropriate for the field in which the faculty member will teach and significant teaching experience at the college/school level in the field or in a related field. There may be additional requirements depending on the specific faculty title. Applicants at the Instructional Associate level must have a recognized record of teaching accomplishment.

Preferred: A demonstrated enthusiasm for working with students from a range of backgrounds consistent with technical, artistic, and humanistic disciplines represented in PVFA. Applicants should consult the school’s website to review our academic programs (https://pvfa.tamu.edu/).

Interested individuals should apply through Interfolio: apply.interfolio.com/148580 and submit the following materials:

·         Cover letter,

·         Curriculum vitae, (embed links to your work, student work, etc.)

·         Personal Statement: Your statement should include your philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service as applicable,

·         Names and contact information of five (5) professional references.

Review of applications will begin 5 days after posting and continue until the position is filled.

For additional information please contact the search committee chair, David Parrish, (david.parrish@tamu.edu).