Assistant or Associate Professor in Design Technology

Cornell University; Town of Ithaca (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornell University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor in Design Technology, based in Ithaca, NY, with a July 1, 2027 start date. The multicollege Design Tech program integrates design, computation, AI, materials, robotics, fabrication, and creative technologies across disciplines.

Candidates must hold a terminal degree and demonstrate a strong research/teaching profile in physical interaction design or related areas, with a field-spanning approach

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in the field required.
• Advanced design degree (M.S., M.Arch or Ph.D.) required by start date.
• Evidence of strong research and teaching in design technology or related areas.

Responsibilities

• Teach studios, seminars, and lectures at graduate and undergraduate levels.
• Mentor and supervise students; advise Masters and PhD candidates.
• Develop and maintain an active, innovative research profile and contribute to service.
• Shape the culture and environment of Design Tech and cross‑college collaborations.

Skills

Design Tech

Physical Interaction Design

Research & Teaching

Education

Terminal degree

Advanced design degree (M.S./M.Arch/Ph.D.)

Job description

Assistant or Associate Professor in Design Technology

TheCollege of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University (Cornell AAP) includes the departments of Architecture, Art, City and Regional Planning, the Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate, jointly led by AAP and the SC Johnson College of Business, the multicollege Department of Design Tech, and the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities. The college spans three locations in Ithaca, New York City, and Rome, Italy, each with world-class facilities and cutting-edge technologies.
Cornell AAP is about acts of transformation. We are committed to reimagining and reshaping the world in new ways, every day. A vital college at one of the nation's foremost research universities, Cornell AAP brings faculty, staff, and students together from around the world to take up some of today's most urgent challenges and advance research, inquiry, and collaborative approaches to designing, making, and doing that make a more just and resilient future.

As part of a unique Radical Collaboration hiring initiative, the multicollege Department of Design Tech at Cornell University invite applications for one full-time, tenure-track Assistant or Associate faculty position in design technology beginning July 1, 2027, based in Ithaca, NY. Design Tech is pioneering a new model of design education and research that integrates design, computation, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, robotics, fabrication, and creative technologies across disciplines. The department serves as Cornell's hub for innovation at the intersection of design, engineering, computing, and the creative arts, educating designers who shape the future of intelligent products, environments, interfaces, and material systems. We seek design candidates who can engage in the full breadth of the design tech curriculum whose research and creative practice advance the field of Physical Interaction Design, broadly defined, with expertise that intersects with tangible embodied interfaces and design. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: creative physical computing, human-AI-assisted design, immersive and responsive environments, industrial and product design, and interactive physical systems.

Candidates for the position intersecting with physical interaction design will contribute to the department's transdisciplinary graduate curricula, including the highly enrolled core course Design for Physical Interaction, while developing an internationally recognized design research profile that strengthens collaborations across Cornell's colleges and campuses. Successful applicants will present design and research projects that address critical areas of investigation from a physical interaction design perspective, integrating technical and creative innovation with broader societal, cultural, or ethical dimensions. The successful candidate will help shape the future of Design Tech as Cornell continues to build a globally recognized program at the forefront of AI, design, and creative technology.

Background

Recognizing design’s integral role in the development of technologies to address complex societal problems and the reshaping of our environments and interactions, we seek candidates who engage in convergence research and transdisciplinary design to develop hybrid thinking in design and emerging technologies. The multicollege Department of Design Tech bridges existing disciplines at Cornell to complement and build upon strengths in the design-focused disciplines in arts, architecture, science, and engineering, as well as the design professions and industry. Design Tech believes that synergizing advancements in design and technology is not only imperative to design education, but also critical for preparing the next generation of designers, engineers, scientists, technologists, and creatives. The program advances hybrid, transdisciplinary concepts, and new models for pedagogy and collaborative research.

The Department of Design Tech is composed of a multi-disciplinary faculty with expertise in design and technology, who co-teach transdisciplinary design courses, studios, and seminars, and engage in collaborative research and workshops by sharing resources and moving beyond existing barriers. Participating Cornell colleges include: The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Cornell Bowers), Cornell Human Ecology (CHE), Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, and Cornell Tech in New York City. Design Tech faculty are designers, scientists, engineers, architects, artists, urbanists, and humanists whose work demonstrates how experimental, nonlinear, design-driven philosophies and practices emanating from 3D spatial biology, materials science, human-computer interaction, engineering, and generative design can result in radical advances in both scientific and design research and applied practice. The department’s first degree offering is an interdisciplinary 2-year Master’s in Design Technology that launched in the 2024-25 academic year. A new PhD program in Design Technology will launch in 2028.

The new M.S. degree in Design Technology and Design Tech’s state-of-the-art facilities – including the recently completed dedicated spaces in Ithaca and at Cornell Tech in NYC – reflect both a continuing commitment to excellence and an ongoing investment in design education at Cornell.

Qualifications

Candidates must hold a terminal degree in their field, an advanced design degree (M.S., M.Arch or equivalent) or a Ph.D. by the start of the position, in a design-adjacent field. Candidate qualifications must include evidence of exceptional strength in research and teaching as well as visionary practice and/or research work related to interaction design (as applicable). The candidate’s tenure home will be in the Department of Design Tech. Faculty responsibilities will include teaching design studios, seminars, and lectures at the graduate and undergraduate levels, mentoring and supervising students, advising Master’s and doctoral students, developing and maintaining an active and innovative research profile, contributing to service, and shaping the culture and environment of Design Tech, the collaborating departments, and the university.

The potential ranks are assistant or associate professor, and the pay range is $110,000 - $165,000, based on selected candidate’s qualifications. A generous benefit package includes start-up research funds, educational benefits, access to wellness programs, employee discounts, health care options, generous paid leave provisions and excellent retirement contributions. Cornell has been nationally recognized as an award-winning workplace for health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

Required application materials: (to be submitted digitally as a bookmarked pdf)

• Letter of application including intended rank, a brief statement outlining teaching and practice/research objectives and how the candidate's skills and experiences align with the required qualifications and search criteria.
• A full CV that highlights notable achievements.
• A portfolio of design practice/or research, pedagogical materials, and student work. A selection of peer-reviewed papers and publications are required.
• List of three references with telephone and mailing/email addresses. (Information about references must be provided at the time of application, but referees will not be contacted without notifying the applicant in advance.)
• We ask applicants for all faculty positions to share their experiences and/or approaches (past, current, or future) to fostering learning, research service, and/or outreach. Applicants may choose to submit a stand-alone statement or embed the information in other parts of their application materials.

For questions and additional information, please contact:

Design Technology Search Committee

Department of Design Tech

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

133 E. Sibley, Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 14853-7301

607.255.1123

[e-mail]

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2026, and continue until the positions are filled for a start date of July 1, 2027.

For more information about Design Tech and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, please visit:

https://designtech.cornell.edu/academics/designtech

https://www.aap.cornell.edu/

https://www.cornell.edu/

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
• Academic Discipline
• Unique applicable skills.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [e-mail] .

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice [phone], or email at [e-mail] .

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing [e-mail] .

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Cornellwelcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeksjob candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. Wehire based on merit, andencourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.