Assistant Professor of Illustration (T/TE)

University of Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Arizona invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible Assistant Professor in Illustration, Design, and Animation (IDA). The role will primarily teach undergraduates pursuing the BFA in IDA and contribute to related programs. Candidates should maintain an active professional practice and a strong teaching/mentorship record.

Review begins Nov. 30, 2026; visa sponsorship is not available.

Qualifications

• Active professional practice in illustration, design, animation, or related fields.
• Evidence of professional illustration/client-based work.

Responsibilities

• Teach two 3-credit courses per semester.
• Maintain active professional practice and national-level achievement for promotion and tenure.
• Contribute to evolving illustration, design, and animation curriculum.
• Engage in service at division, school, college, university, and professional levels.
• Recruit, outreach, retention, and advisement to strengthen the program.
• Mentor students and support career development for diverse student populations.
• Participate in graduate committees and supervise TAs/technicians.

Education

MFA in Illustration, Design, Writing, or related area

Job description

Assistant Professor of Illustration (T/TE)(UPDATED)

The University of Arizona School of Art, an R1 research institution and member of the Association of American Universities, invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible Assistant Professor to join the Illustration, Design, and Animation (IDA) program. The position will primarily serve undergraduate students pursuing the BFA in IDA, while also contributing to the School's Design Arts Practice BA program and interdisciplinary MFA program. The ideal candidate will maintain an active professional practice, emphasizing illustration as a tool for visual storytelling, and demonstrate a strong record of effective teaching and mentorship with students of varied backgrounds.

The IDA program within the School of Art fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration beyond the classroom and encourages the development of various methodologies as part of the student experience. The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses that include both traditional and digital media. The new faculty member will contribute to the continued evolution of the Illustration, Design, and Animation curriculum, strengthening storytelling and visual communication as foundational practices for the future of illustrators, designers, animators, and their interdisciplinary collaborators.

This position within the School of Art also emphasizes community-engaged practices. We use this term broadly to encompass practices that engage with one or more of the following: social practice, public pedagogy and scholarship, community-based art, community arts organizations, arts activism, engagement with place, borderlands concepts and theories, and related areas of inquiry. In your application, please describe how your creative practice, teaching, and/or research would contribute to and support community within the College of Fine Arts and the University at large.

Review of candidates begins Nov. 30th, 2026. Priority consideration will be given to candidates who submit materials by this date, but the position will remain open until filled.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

Location and Working Conditions

• Campus: Tucson Campus
• Address: Tucson, AZ USA
• Full Time/Part Time: Full Time
• Hours per week: 40
• FTE: 1.0
• Work Calendar: Academic
• Job Category: Faculty
• Tenure Information: Tenure Track (T/TE)
• Contract Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)
• Rate of Pay: DOE
• Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits
• Number of Vacancies: 1
• Target Hire Date: 8/2/2027
• Open Date: 11/4/2026
• Open Until Filled: Yes
• Background Check: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Duties & Responsibilities

The School of Art is part of Arizona Arts, which serves as a unified gateway to visual and performing arts experiences, programs, and assets at the University of Arizona (U of A). Arizona Arts offers the opportunity to work with people of many different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We foster opportunity and excellence in the arts with a commitment to success for every student, research that shapes the future, and community engagement. Learn more by visiting https://cfa.arizona.edu/about/arizona-arts/. The U of A is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and among the nation's strongest public universities, offering more than 150 majors. We live our Purpose, Mission, and Values as a land-grant university.

• Teach two 3-credit courses per semester, fostering an engaging and supportive student learning environment that promotes student success.
• Maintain an active professional practice in illustration, design, animation, and/or related fields, demonstrating national-level achievement appropriate for promotion and tenure at an R1 university.
• Contribute to an ever-evolving illustration, design, and animation curriculum, ensuring coursework remains responsive to evolving professional practices, emerging technologies, and the needs and interests of an expansive student body.
• Meaningfully engage in service activities at the division, school, college, university, and professional levels.
• Participate in student recruitment, outreach, retention, and advisement efforts in ways that strengthen the program and encourage student engagement and success.
• Advance student success through effective teaching and mentorship, supporting the creative development, professional goals, and career preparation of a vibrant demographic of traditional, nontraditional, first-generation, and transfer students.
• Serve on graduate review and thesis committees in ways that support their academic progress and professional development.
• Supervise and mentor graduate teaching assistants and technicians.

Minimum Qualifications

• MFA in Illustration, Design, Writing, or related area, with evidence of professional practice/client-based work.
• Evidence of a professional illustration or client-based practice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Teaching experience beyond graduate teaching assistantships.
• Community-engaged teaching, professional, or creative practice experience.
• Demonstrated cross-cultural communication skills and experience working with various communities.
• Record of teaching and mentoring students in a range of narrative and sequential visual practices, with experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Narrative Illustration and Sequential Art: Graphic novels, comics, picture books, artists' books, visual poetry, and zines.
  • Time-Based and Moving Image: Animation, motion graphics, film, and video.
  • Illustration for Information and Specialized Audiences: Scientific and medical illustration, editorial illustration, and data visualization.

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Four Additional Documents

Contact Information for Candidates

Kelly Leslie
[e-mail]

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