Associate/Full Professor in Perception and Cognition in Games

Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Associate or Full Professor in Perception and Cognition in Games, with a focus on human perception and cognition in games, play, and virtual worlds. This hire is part of the PRESS PLAY Initiative, a $25 million investment to grow the Division of Games.

The successful candidate will lead a funded research program, teach undergrad and grad courses, mentor students, and collaborate across disciplines and colleges, linking with Computing,

Qualifications

• PhD in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, human-computer interaction, or related field.
• Research examining perception, attention, memory, decision-making, comprehension, or related cognitive processes in games, virtual reality, or other interactive and immersive environments.
• Broad knowledge of games and game development practice, sufficient to teach in-person courses on the Salt Lake City campus.
• Distinguished record of scholarship in game-related areas, qualifying for tenure at Associate or Full Professor.
• Sustained external research funding.
• Commitment to teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
• Capacity to contribute to university and professional service and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses and mentor junior faculty and graduate students.
• Lead a nationally and internationally recognized, externally funded research program and grow the Division's research enterprise.
• Collaborate across disciplines and funding agencies, and engage with industry and government partners.
• Contribute to curriculum development and outreach within the Division and College.

Education

PhD in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, human-computer interaction, or related field

Job description

Associate/Full Professor in Perception and Cognition inGames

Details

The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Associate or Full Professor inGames, with a focus on human perception and cognition in the context of games, game play, and virtual worlds, to begin Fall2027. This hire is part of the PRESS PLAY Initiative (https://games.utah.edu/pressplay/), a $25 million, multi-year investment by the University of Utah in the faculty, facilities, and programs of the Division of Games. PRESS PLAY is growing both our teaching faculty and our research faculty, and new colleagues will help shape the next stage of games education and research at the U.

We seek a scholar whose research examines how people perceive, attend to, interpret, and act within games and virtual worlds, and how that understanding can inform the design, generation, and evaluation of interactive experiences. Candidates should demonstrate strength in advancing theories, models, methods, or tools that deepen our understanding of the perceptual and cognitive processes that shape how people experience and engage with complex game systems. Areas of interest may include computational and cognitive models of perception, attention, memory, decision-making, and comprehension in game play; visual, auditory, haptic, and multisensory perception in games, virtual reality, and other immersive environments; presence, embodiment, and spatial cognition in virtual worlds; the use of AI and machine learning to model players or to analyze behavioral, physiological, or neural data from play; human-AI interaction, including how players perceive, interpret, and engage with AI-driven characters, systems, and generated content; the cognitive and perceptual foundations of narrative comprehension, emotion, and engagement in interactive media; brain-computer and physiological interfaces for game play; and parallels between human and artificial cognition, including cognitive biases and decision-making, as they arise in games.

The successful candidate will lead a nationally and internationally recognised, externally funded research program and will play a leadership role in growing the Division's research enterprise, including graduate education and collaborations across disciplines and funding agencies. They will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and mentor junior faculty and graduate students. We especially welcome candidates who connect these areas to broader domains of games research and practice, and whose work connects with other units in the College of Architecture and Planning, the Kahlert School of Computing, Psychology, Philosophy, the School of Medicine, or the University's planned Institute for Digital Experience.

Necessary Qualifications

• A PhD in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, human-computer interaction, or a related field, with relevance to human perception, cognition, or experience in games, virtual worlds, or interactive media
• Research examining perception, attention, memory, decision-making, comprehension, or related cognitive processes in games, virtual reality, or other interactive and immersive environments.
• Broad knowledge of games and game development practice, sufficient to teach in-person courses across the Division's undergraduate and graduate curricula on the Salt Lake City campus
• Demonstrated depth of expertise and a distinguished record of scholarship in game-related areas, qualifying for appointment with tenure at the rank of Associate or Full Professor
• A sustained record of external research funding
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching and/or mentoring undergraduate and graduate students
• Demonstrated capacity to contribute to university and professional service and leadership, such as collaborative curriculum development, unit or college administrative service roles, outreach to local industry and government partners, or recruitment

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in one or more relevant areas, such as cognitive science, perceptual psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computational modeling of cognition, artificial intelligence, or human-computer interaction, with demonstrated application to games or immersive media.
• Experience with experimental, computational, psychophysical, physiological, or neuroimaging approaches to studying players and play, including the use of AI and machine learning to model or analyze cognitive and behavioral data.
• Research that advances theoretical frameworks, models, methods, or tools that apply an understanding of human perception and cognition to the design, generation, adaptation, or evaluation of games and virtual worlds.
• Demonstrated academic leadership, such as directing a research lab or center, leading interdisciplinary collaborations, or developing externally funded research programs involving multiple investigators, institutions, or industry partners.

About the Division

The Division of Games, in the College of Architecture + Planning, is a world leader in games education, with consistently top-ranked programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Utah Games faculty includes artists, social scientists, games studio scholars, designers, and computer scientists who collectively work together on the mission to push the boundaries of what is possible in games. This plurality of backgrounds is one of the core elements within our identity. We strongly value inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to research and education, and seek to foster collaboration across the University of Utah. Currently, our faculty sustain ongoing collaborations with other departments within our College of Architecture and Planning, as well as the School of Medicine, the Colleges of Education, Humanities, Science and Engineering, and other campus partners. Additionally, we maintain strong collaborations with the vibrant local game development community and other significant game industry-wide partners.

Our unit is committed to being a responsible member of our campus and professional community, and we strive to recruit and support faculty committed to acting in furtherance of our unit's values. Interested candidates may view these values by visiting https://games.utah.edu/utah-games-values/

If you are interested in joining us to build a culture of academic excellence; to create ideas that advance our understanding of games; to share those ideas with our students, communities, and society; to apply those ideas to change the world for the better

About the College of Architecture and Planning

The University of Utah College of Architecture and Planning (CA+P) is a community of award-winning faculty, entrepreneurial students, and support staff that together form a creative community unlike any other. The College is home to four academic units: the School of Architecture, the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, the Division of Games, and the Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design, as well as multiple research centers and collaboratives. Across these units are top-ranked academic programs, outstanding researchers with a strong commitment to addressing defining issues of our time, and a record of unsurpassed societal impact. As part of a campus that values innovation and interdisciplinarity, the College is transforming its disciplines and training graduates to become leaders and changemakers in the built and virtual environments globally. More information is available at cap.utah.edu.

About the University of Utah

The University of Utah is a Carnegie Research I institution located in Salt Lake City, nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. With thriving arts and culinary scenes, and an exploding high technology sector, Salt Lake City offers a unique mix of urban life juxtaposed with access to remarkable national parks, ski resorts, hiking and climbing, and more, just minutes away from campus.

Job Details

Department: 01508 - Games
City: Salt Lake City, UT
Track: Tenure Track
Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes
Requisition Number: PRN01615CF

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number, can be located at https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/.

Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.edu.