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University of Louisville are hiring a

Assistant Professor Product Design (Tenure-Track)

Department: Fine Arts

Location: Belknap Campus

Time Type: Full time

Worker Type: Regular

Job Req ID: R107861

Position Description:

The Hite Institute of Art + Design at the University of Louisville invites applications for an assistant professor, tenure-track position in Product Design. We seek a practitioner-scholar whose work bridges human-centered design, three-dimensional form development, and hands-on fabrication. The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping an emerging BFA in Design (Product Design track) and will collaborate closely with faculty and facilities at UofL’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering. This position starts August 2026. We are especially interested in colleagues who can connect rigorous form-giving with user research, iterative prototyping, sustainable/materially responsible practices, and systems-level thinking—preparing students to contribute meaningfully to contemporary design practice and interdisciplinary teams.

Program & Institutional Context

The Hite Institute of Art + Design is the most comprehensive art and design program in Kentucky, offering BA, BFA, MA, and MFA degrees across multiple disciplines. The Design program is expanding with coordinated tracks in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, and Interior Design, grounded in a shared first-year foundation and advanced, discipline-specific studios. The Institute is supported by robust campus partnerships, an active internship network, and community-engaged initiatives across Louisville’s cultural and innovation ecosystem.
The University of Louisville is a Carnegie R1 research university located in a dynamic metropolitan region with strong connections to manufacturing, health, logistics, and civic innovation—sectors that provide rich contexts for applied product design research and student opportunities.

Facilities & Collaboration Opportunities

Faculty in Product Design have access to:

  • J.B. Speed School Student Success & Research Building — a new, 114,000 sq. ft. facility that includes advanced makerspaces, fabrication labs, high-tech research spaces, and collaborative studios (opened following a $90M investment).
  • AMIST (Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science & Technology) — a world-class institute with metal, polymer, and ceramic 3D printing capabilities and a long history of academic-industry collaboration.

These resources support interdisciplinary teaching, sponsored research, and externally engaged projects that connect design students to engineering practice and industry partners.

Responsibilities

Teaching & Curriculum Development

  • Teach, develop, and refine BFA courses in Product Design, emphasizing concept development, form-giving, drawing as a communication/thinking tool, materials, and fabrication.
  • Integrate human-centered methods, iterative prototyping, sustainable practices, and systems thinking across studios and critiques.
  • Contribute to foundation-level courses (e.g., 3D Design, Drawing) that build students’ visual thinking and shop literacy.
  • Mentor students through portfolio development, internships, competitions, and capstone projects.

Research/Creative Practice

  • Maintain an active scholarly/creative agenda demonstrating conceptual rigor and material sophistication.
  • Disseminate work through appropriate venues (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, exhibitions, conferences, patents, juried shows, industry partnerships).
  • Seek external funding or sponsored collaborations when appropriate.

Collaboration & Service

  • Partner with Speed School faculty to create joint learning experiences, co-taught studios, and/or applied research initiatives at the design–engineering interface.
  • Engage in service to the department, college, and university; participate in professional organizations (e.g., IDSA) and regional/national design communities.

Required Qualifications

  • Terminal degree (MFA, MDes, PhD, or equivalent) in Product/Industrial Design or a closely related field by the start date; ABD considered.
  • Demonstrated excellence in conceptual development and three-dimensional form-giving.
  • Hands-on fabrication expertise (shop safety and practices; materials knowledge; relevant manufacturing processes).
  • Foundation in human-centered design research and application.
  • Commitment to sustainable and materially responsible design practices.
  • Strong drawing skills and the ability to teach drawing as a tool for ideation, analysis, and communication.
  • Record of creative/scholarly achievement commensurate with rank.
  • Demonstrated commitment to inclusive pedagogy and mentoring.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Professional practice experience in product/industrial design.
  • Successful university-level teaching.
  • Breadth across fabrication methods (e.g., wood, metal, plastics, composites, textiles).
  • Facility with digital fabrication (CNC, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing) and potentially emerging technologies (IoT, smart materials, interactive systems).
  • Foundation in systems thinking to situate products within broader contexts and lifecycles.
  • Record of interdisciplinary collaboration, especially with engineering or technical fields.
  • Community-engaged or socially responsible design work.
  • Experience with grant writing, industry sponsorships, or external funding.
  • Portfolio evidencing conceptual depth, formal sophistication, material exploration, and user-centered problem solving.

All applicants must apply online and include the following:

  1. Text documents: 1 PDF in order as follows (required)
    a. Cover Letter (1-2 pages) addressing qualifications, your approach to human-centered/form-giving pedagogy, and your research/creative agenda.
    b. Teaching Statement (1 page) including brief notes on inclusive pedagogy and assessment.
    c. Research/Creative Practice Statement (1 page) outlining future work and potential collaborations (including with engineering/industry).
    d. Contact Information for Three References (names, titles, emails, phone numbers). References will be contacted at later stages.
  2. Curriculum Vitae: 1 PDF (required)
  3. Portfolios
    • Professional Work: (required)
      1. 1 PDF up to 20 pages of professional work
      2. include the year, material, project title, and collaborator names/roles
      3. option to include a description
    • Teaching Portfolio: (preferred)
      1. 1 PDF up to 20 pages
      2. label with student level and material/software used
      3. optional to label with course/project title, project description, and year

File guidance: Please name files LastName_FirstName_Document and, for PDFs, ensure embedded links are active. If using a PDF portfolio, we recommend a file size under 1MB to ensure smooth review. Review begins December 15, 2025; applications received by that date will receive full consideration. The position remains open until filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion. Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.

Assistance and Accommodations

Computers are available for application submission at the Human Resources Department located at 215 Central Avenue, Ste 205 - Louisville, Kentucky 40208. If you require assistance or accommodation with our online application process, please contact us by email at employment@louisville.edu or by phone 502-852-6258.