Assistant / associate professor user experience and user interface design - track

School of Art & Design

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The School of Art & Design, housed within the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, invites applications for two full-time tenure-track faculty positions in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, with an anticipated start date of August 16, 2026.

These positions will play a central role in the development and instruction of the BS in Computer Science + Design degree, a collaborative program that bridges design and technology. Faculty will contribute to three programs including Graphic Design, Industrial Design and Studio Art to foster interdisciplinary teaching and research.

We Seek a Candidate With a Terminal Degree (MFA, PhD, Or Equivalent) In a Field Engaging Art, Design, And Computation. The Ideal Candidate Will Be Both a Practicing Artist/critical Designer—with a Strong Record Of Public Engagement Through Exhibitions, Installations, And/or Performances—and a Researcher Whose Writing And Publishing Investigate The Social, Cultural, And Aesthetic Dimensions Of Computation. Candidates Should Demonstrate Expertise In Computational Media And Contribute Through Creative Interventions In Areas Such As But Not Limited To

• Artificial Intelligence as medium and cultural system
• Platform culture, computational logics, and interface aesthetics
• Digital rights, privacy, and ethics of computation
• Race, gender, and technology
• Algorithmic bias, equity, and social justice
• Design for Accessibility
• Bio-art, Art–science, Data Visualization, and emerging crossover disciplines, including Behavioral Sciences
• Code as art
  
  

We are looking for an artist-designer-researcher whose creative practice and critical inquiry together advance new ways of engaging with computation, interface, and interaction in their wider cultural, social, and political dimensions.

Context: The School of Art & Design

The School of Art and Design supports interdisciplinary and socially engaged creative practices and offers a range of programs, including undergraduate and/or graduate degrees and concentrations in Art Education, Art History, Fashion, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Design for Responsible Innovation, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Studio Art. Our School emphasizes both technical excellence and conceptual rigor, encouraging students to challenge themselves and use their creative skills in building a better, more just and sustainable world.

In all areas, student and faculty work is supported by state-of-the-art labs for traditional and contemporary media, including spaces for digital imaging and printing, audio-visual production, rapid two- and three-dimensional prototyping, and darkroom photography. Facilities for bookbinding, letterpress, printmaking, and fashion design are also available.

Teaching Responsibilities

The teaching load includes two courses per semester. The successful candidate will teach courses that position computation as an artistic and critical design medium, ranging from introductory coding for creative practice to advanced, research-driven practice and method-based seminars. Areas of teaching could include (but are not limited to): computational art, critical interface design, interactive art, data art, information art, net art, and related emerging practices. The candidate will contribute to both undergraduate and graduate curricula, mentor students across disciplines, and help shape the evolving identity of computational art and critical design within the School of Art and Design.

Minimum Qualifications

• Terminal degree (MFA, PhD, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
• Evidence of an active creative practice with a strong record of public engagement through exhibition, installation, and/or performance.
• Evidence of critical research through writing, publishing, or equivalent scholarly contributions that engage computational media, design, and the arts.
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching, mentoring, and curriculum development at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment and contributing to the diversity of the School and University.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in relevant discipline.
• Familiarity with and a critical perspective on historical approaches to experience design.
• Practice, teaching, and/or research that connect to one or more of the following areas of design: Gender and Design, Equity and Design, Indigenous Design Knowledges, and Design Futures.
• Familiarity with liberatory pedagogical approaches.
• A critical perspective on social biases embedded in technological systems.
• Experience teaching in a program that integrates Design, Technology, and Science.
  
  

Application Materials

• A cover letter addressing qualifications and research/creative practice.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Portfolio of scholarly and creative work.
• Research Statement.
• A teaching portfolio, including a teaching statement, one or two sample syllabi, and (if possible) student work.
• Names and contact information for three references.
  
  

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Assistant/Associate Professor position, appointed on a nine-month basis. The expected start date is August 2026. The budgeted salary range for the position is $75,000 to $80,000 at the Assistant Professor level and $88,000 to $95,000 at the Associate Professor level, for a nine-month service basis. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on December 8, 2025. Interviews may begin prior to the initial closing date; however, the review of applications will continue until suitable candidates are identified. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Bobbie Clegg at [email protected]. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois offers a very competitive benefits portfolio, depending on the position. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.

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The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing [email protected].