Tenure-track Industrial Design

FAC00178PO25

Tenure-track Industrial Design

Columbia

College of Arts and Sciences

CAS School of Visual Art and Design

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package.

Full Time

40

Full-time Equivalent (FTE)

9 months

Richland

Tenure-Track/Tenured

Faculty

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

The faculty of the School of Visual Art and Design at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus, invites applications for a 9-month, full-time, tenure-track, open rank position to begin August 16, 2026.

In addition to an established career within the field of industrial design, we are seeking candidates with expertise in experience design and/or human-centered design who can bridge design with emerging technologies, e.g. in human-computer interaction; artificial intelligence and machine learning; computational design methods and interactive systems; and/or in design that is broadly focused on the implications for future technologies. The faculty member hired into this position would contribute to the BFA concentration in Graphic Design and Illustration in the first year and, after the BSID is launched, would continue to develop and deliver courses that could potentially serve both degree programs.

The position is a 9-month appointment with a teaching load of four courses for the academic year (2/2). The successful candidate will be instrumental in expanding upon a dynamic design culture within the school and university, implementing and continuing to develop the new curriculum, and collaborating with school, college, and university staff on facilities expansion as the BSID and BFA degree programs grow.

About the Graphic Design + Illustration program: Graphic Design + Illustration (GD+I) is a concentration within the Studio Art BFA degree program in the School of Visual Art and Design. Students undergo a portfolio reviewbefore admission to the program, pursue internships, and have a capstone experience before graduation.Students in the program regularly win awards and recognition with the American Advertising Federation, AIGA,Creative Quarterly, and more. GD+I has an engaged student body and five full-time faculty who teach courses inmotion, interaction, interface and experience design, augmented reality, design with AI and machine learning,
product and packaging design, typography, branding, systems, traditional illustration, drawing, and digitalillustration. Designers and illustrators in our program understand the objects and interactions we create are partof larger systems and that we have responsibilities as message-makers. We lead with research and data to makeinformed solutions. For more information about the GD+I program, please visit http://www.bit.ly/uofsc_design

Candidates must have either an MFA (Master of Fine Arts), MID (Master of Industrial Design), MDes (Master ofDesign), MS (Master of Science), or PhD in a related field by the start date of the appointment.

The successful candidate will advance interdisciplinary research across the School of Visual Art and Design(SVAD), the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, and the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computingin the field of industrial design and will collaborate with faculty to build a distinctive Bachelor of Science inIndustrial Design (BSID) program that bridges the university’s existing strengths in industrial engineering anddesign education, and the region’s growing manufacturing base. The faculty member in this role will be poisedto provide leadership and vision as the program grows.

08/16/2026

09/23/2025

Yes

How to Apply

All applicants must apply online at USCJobs at https://uscjobs.sc.edu.

Applications must include: (1) a cover letter that describes their research and teaching interests, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a portfolio of relevant work and/or sample publications, and (4) the names and email addresses of 3 references. The Search Committee Chair will solicit reference letters of final candidates during the search process.

Applications will be accepted immediately, and committee review will begin November 6, 2025. Inquiries about this position may be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Marius Valdes, at valdesm@mailbox.sc.edu

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This position is open until filled. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/194858

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender (including transgender), gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDs status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or related medical conditions, breastfeeding), race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other bases under federal, state, local law, or regulations.