Assistant Professor - Emerging Media Arts

University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Lincoln (NE); On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Assistant Professor in Emerging Media Arts to join a dynamic team at a leading educational institution. This role offers a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of creative leaders in a cutting-edge interdisciplinary environment. The successful candidate will engage students through innovative teaching methods, contribute to curriculum development, and maintain an active research portfolio. The position emphasizes collaboration and exploration, fostering a vibrant learning atmosphere. If you thrive in a creative, supportive community and are committed to advancing the field of emerging media arts, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Strong dedication to criticality and interdisciplinarity in media arts.
• Expertise in computation-based creative practices is essential.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in computational media and related fields.
• Develop new courses and curriculum for emerging media arts.

Skills

Computational Media

Machine Learning

Game Engines

AI Literacy

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Education

M.S. / M.A. / M.F.A in Emerging Media Arts

Terminal Degree in Related Field

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

C#

C++

Python

Job description

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Employment Website

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Click “Apply for this Job,” complete the faculty information form, and submit the following documents:

• A cover letter addressing your qualifications specific to this job description.
• A link to an online portfolio showcasing your work in emerging media arts.
• A 1–2 page teaching statement explaining your pedagogical approach and a research statement highlighting your creative and scholarly contributions. Combine into a single document and attach as "Other Document."
• Names and contact details of three (3) professional references.

Position Information

Working Title

Department: Johnny Carson School-Theatre & Film-1033

Requisition Number: F_250023

Posting Open Date: 03/13/2025

Application Review Date: 04/14/2025

Posting Close Date: Open Until Filled

Description of Work

The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, established with a $57M investment from the Johnny Carson Foundation and the University, is an interdisciplinary center and creative research facility that is re-envisioning the university for the 21st century and how students co-create and learn. Situated inside the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, current areas of research interests include interactive + immersive storytelling; experience + generative design; XR + VR + AR; games, play + performance; embodied cognition; machine learning technologies; sonic + data arts; virtual production + real-time filmmaking; cinematic arts; and entrepreneurship + innovation.

The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts has proven itself as a premier destination for a faculty and student body committed to fostering an innovative social vision beyond today’s media environments. The Center values inclusivity and diversity, taps into the innermost recesses of our imaginations, addresses human-scale challenges, and tells breathtaking stories that stimulate, provoke, and inspire. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the expansion of the Center’s mission as it seeks to broaden its reach across the campus, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in the arts.

The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts opened its doors in the Fall of 2019. We are a pre-eminent interdisciplinary program in the emerging media arts that attracts and supports visionary creative leaders who transform our world through technology and powerful storytelling in order to ensure a brighter and sustainable future. We have world-class faculty and international industry connections. We inspire people to dream bigger.

Position Overview

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Emerging Media Arts. This position comes with a stipend to support innovative teaching and creative practice.

We seek a creative individual with strong dedication to criticality, interdisciplinarity and professional agility in a constantly changing field. We welcome applicants with backgrounds in industry, gallery/museum, or festivals. The successful candidate will have expertise in computation-based creative practices and be able to contribute to curriculum development and delivery.

This position involves teaching courses in computational media, AI/machine learning, AI literacy, game engines, and real-time systems, all within the context of artistic practice. We are seeking a dynamic artist/instructor who is committed to interdisciplinarity, collaboration, training and inspiring the next generation of emerging media artists and professionals, while remaining on the forefront of industry advancements.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses, including foundation courses in computational media.
• Develop new courses and curriculum, including a new emerging media arts minor for STEM focused undergraduate majors across the university.
• Provide mentorship to students.
• Remain agile and keep current with advancements in the field.
• Maintain an active research and creative practice portfolio that contributes to the field’s evolution and aligns with promotion and tenure expectations.
• Participate in university service outreach and student recruitment.

We focus on interdisciplinarity, experimentation and production both inside and outside of the classroom. Our approach to learning emphasizes collaboration to cultivate a creative environment where exploration, analysis, risk, and failure can freely occur. Classes are conducted in a workshop-like setting that facilitates active learning and encourages discussions of concept, content, technique, and impact. All faculty are expected to engage with students beyond the classroom through a culture project consultation, mentorship, and community.

Lincoln, Nebraska is more than a quintessential college community. The University is situated in a dynamic downtown area that includes the state capital and a growing tech industry as well as restaurants, coffee houses, movie theaters, clubs, bike trails, and urban residences. Lincoln has notably excellent public schools, a low cost of living, and has been nationally recognized for its high quality of life. It is a friendly, creative, intellectual, and vibrant community that loves the arts and is home to the Lied Center for Performing Arts, the Sheldon Museum of Art, the International Quilt Museum, the Nebraska State Museum with collections including anthropology, botany, and zoology, and the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, an art house cinema that is part of the College, as well as numerous alternative spaces and venues for visual art and music.

As an EO/AA employer, the University of Nebraska considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• M.S. / M.A. / M.F.A in emerging media arts, computer science, computational design, or a broadly related field.
• A portfolio of work demonstrating achievement in Computational Media and at least one of the following fields:
  • Computer visualization processes and techniques.
  • Computational or parametric design.
  • Machine learning and AI.
  • Game engines/Real-time systems.
  • Computer vision.
  • Sonic arts.
  • Other computationally based emerging media arts (multi-sensory data processing, aesthetic computation, dataviz, robotics).

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal Degree in related field.
• Proficiency in either Unreal or Unity and languages such as C#, C++, or Python.
• Digital fabrication.
• Physical computing.
• Human computer interaction (HCI).
• VR/XR/AR.
• Experience in project-based learning pedagogical design.

Work Location: Lincoln, NE

Pre-Placement Driving Record Review Required: No

Criminal History Background Check Required: No

How to Apply

Click “Apply for this Job,” complete the faculty information form, and submit the following documents:

• A cover letter addressing your qualifications specific to this job description.
• A link to an online portfolio showcasing your work in emerging media arts.
• A 1–2 page teaching statement explaining your pedagogical approach and a research statement highlighting your creative and scholarly contributions. Combine into a single document and attach as “Other Document.”
• Names and contact details of three (3) professional references.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).