Associate Professor and Program Head of Industrial Design - The Design School

The Design School in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University seeks a full-time, academic year (9-month), Associate Professor of Industrial Design who will also serve as a Program Head beginning August 2025. This is a tenure-track faculty position with an administrative appointment and includes undergraduate/graduate teaching, research/creative activity, and service responsibilities on the Tempe campus.

The Design School is committed to advancing its mission and programs through a collaborative leadership model that fosters innovation, inclusivity, and excellence. Upon hire, the successful candidate will serve as a co-program head of the Industrial Design program alongside the current program head, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership. After one year, they will assume full responsibility as program head, leading the program with vision and purpose.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and detail-oriented leader who excels at building partnerships to strengthen and advance the Industrial Design program. They will bring a forward-looking perspective to curriculum development, integrating innovation, interdisciplinary approaches, and the evolving role of design in addressing complex global challenges. With a focus on academic and professional excellence, they will help shape the program to prepare students for leadership in the dynamic field of industrial design.

This role involves contributing to the leadership and development of the Industrial Design program, collaborating with faculty to define and implement a strategic vision that aligns with the school’s mission and industry advancements. Responsibilities will also include program administration, course scheduling, curriculum development and coordination, faculty support, and student engagement, fostering initiatives that respond to the needs of the program and the broader industry.

They will support curriculum innovation by integrating emerging technologies and methodologies to prepare students for the evolving future of design. Alongside these duties, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses across studio, lecture, and seminar formats is required, as well as providing mentorship to students to foster their academic and professional growth. They will develop and sustain a record of research/creative activities that includes external funding and peer-reviewed publications. 

About the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the country located within a dynamic research university focused on transformative change. Built on a unique combination of disciplines, the Herberger Institute comprises six schools: ASU FIDM, the School of Art, the School of Arts, Media and Engineering, The Design School, The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. The Institute also includes the ASU Art Museum and the ASU FIDM Museum.  The Herberger Institute is committed to developing and scaling ideas that strengthen the role and impact of designers and artists across all areas of society and culture, and to increasing the capacity of artists and designers to make a difference in their communities. For more information on the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, visit herbergerinstitute.asu.edu.

About The Design School

The Design School in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University is the largest and most comprehensive school for design education, with programs ranked Top 20 in the nation. From programs in architecture, landscape architecture and industrial design to interior design, urban design and visual communication, our students master the skills and research techniques needed for their future design professions through innovative, transdisciplinary methods. Our mission is to educate future designers to shape collaborations, synthesize complexity and catalyze transformation for public good. By engaging in dynamic and ongoing discourse about the future of design education, we aim to create a school that is more relevant, collaborative and equitable. Join us at Arizona State University and be part of creating the next generation of design. For more information on The Design School, visit design.asu.edu.

The Design School is committed to creating inclusive spaces that welcome and decolonize design education. In the next several years, we are conducting faculty searches to help us achieve this goal. We seek colleagues who can contribute, within their design field, to justice, health and sustainability, and work across our school’s disciplines. We are especially interested in applicants who are dedicated to advancing the ASU Charter and realizing ASU’s Design Aspirations.

Required Qualifications:

• A terminal degree (e.g., MID, MFA, MDes, PhD or equivalent) in Industrial Design or related field.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching with a minimum of five years of experience teaching industrial design courses at the university-level. 
• A record of established research/creative activities within the discipline of Industrial Design, with demonstrated potential to achieve and sustain national and/or international recognition.
• A strong advocacy for industrial design, with a demonstrated focus on transdisciplinary, real-world experiences and connections to industry, sustainability, and social innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage operational tasks, including program administration, curriculum coordination, faculty support, and student engagement.

Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated academic leadership experience, with 2–5 years of relevant experience, and a proven ability to mentor varied faculty in teaching, research, and creative activity.
• Demonstrated flexibility and willingness to teach in both in-person and online formats, adapting instructional methods to varied learning environments.
• Five or more years of creative professional practice experience in Industrial Design.
• A research and/or creative practice that thrives at the intersection of disciplines or spans multiple fields, contributing to interdisciplinary collaboration within the Institute or across campus.
• A proven ability to attract funding and partnerships to support research or creative endeavors, as well as projects within the Industrial Design program, ensuring sustainability and impact.
• The capacity to build and support meaningful community partnerships in equitable, ethical, and sustainable ways.
• Experience in managing day-to-day program operations effectively while collaborating on strategic visioning.

About Industrial Design Program

Our top-ranked Industrial Design Program maintains a tradition of academic excellence and has become a leader in transdisciplinary teaching, processes of innovation, and design research. Faculty in Industrial Design have established research and design projects with corporations such as Adidas, Herman Miller, Honeywell, Intel Corporation, Motorola, Procter & Gamble, General Electric, Disney Consumer Products, LG Electronics, and Samsung America. Faculty have expertise in many areas of Industrial Design, including human factors and ergonomics, consumer electronics, graphic design, transportation, branding, universal design, social sustainability, design education, digital visualization, rapid prototyping, innovation studies, and UI/UX. 

The Industrial Design program at ASU focuses on a new model of transdisciplinary product development called Integrated Innovation. The primary goal of Integrated Innovation is to produce transdisciplinary design solutions that meet people’s needs in unexpected ways, create value in the marketplace, and improve society and the environment.

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is April 25, 2025. Applications for a reserve pool will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

About ASU

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world applications blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. In 2022, ASU was named a Hispanic-Serving Institution and in 2023, ASU joined the prestigious Association of American Universities. ASU is deeply committed to advancing in innovative ways while sustaining a welcoming, supportive and empowering environment for all members of our community.

Instructions to Apply: Please submit the following information:

• Letter of interest outlining qualifications for the position, research interests, and teaching
• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio that includes examples professional work; no more than five (5)
• Contact information for three references including name, e-mail address, and telephone number 

Applicants advancing to the second round of review may be asked to provide additional materials.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

(See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.)

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