Visiting Assistant Professor of Scenic Design

Visiting Assistant Professor of Scenic Design; Non-tenure track, One academic year contract with the possibility of one-year renewal. Start date August 12, 2024

The Department of Theatre at Purdue University is seeking a visiting assistant professor with expertise in scenery to teach up to four courses per semester (or equivalent), from the following: Scenic Design, Props Design, Scene Painting, Advanced Scenic Design, Theatre Production, Production and Design Seminar, with potential for courses in theatre appreciation, theatre history and literature, as needed, and to supervise TAs in teaching Introduction to Scenic Design and in the scene and paint shops. Other duties include: advising and mentoring of undergraduates; review of portfolios and resumes; serving as major professor to the MFA degrees; designing in the season (with a course release).  

Required qualifications include a graduate degree (MFA) in Scenic Design, Theatre Design or related field, and professional experience, or an equivalent combination of teaching and professional experience. At least one year of successful university-level teaching in design; experience teaching design including the use of computer-aided drafting, rendering, and modeling; the use of digital tools such as Adobe Creative Suite; traditional rendering and model-making skills; an active record of creative professional work and/technical work related to the specialties. 

Candidates must have the ability to work in the U.S. without immigration sponsorship from Purdue University.

The Department of Theatre seeks to cultivate maker-citizens with a strong sense of identity and agency, who have the tools to navigate the entertainment industry as well as create their own artistic work. We offer a BA degree, which has an interdisciplinary, liberal arts focus, and MFA degrees in acting, costume design, sound design, set design, lighting design and technical direction. We are one of five academic units (along with Art & Design, Dance, Film Video, and Music) in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. 

The Department of Theatre has 130 undergraduate theatre students (majors/concentrations/minors), 17 graduate students, 10 faculty, and 5 staff. The Department is housed in Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts and is closely affiliated with the innovative Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering, a university center focused on developing and disseminating the best teaching and learning practices at the intersection of engineering and the entertainment industry. Purdue University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and is a member of the University/Resident Theatre Association. For additional information visit:  http://www.cla.purdue.edu/theatre/

Candidates should submit application materials electronically via https://careers.purdue.edu/   The job requisition ID for this position is 30326.

A complete application includes a letter of application, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, online design portfolio, and names of at least three references. 

Please direct questions to: [email protected]  or visit http://www.cla.purdue.edu/theatre/

Review of applications will begin March 16, 2024, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

A background check is required for employment in this position. 

Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.