Professor of Product Design (Open Rank)

Design Observer; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Louisville invites applications for a tenure-track Professor of Product Design, Open Rank, who is a practitioner-scholar bridging human-centered design, three-dimensional form development, and hands-on fabrication. The successful candidate will guide students through ideation, research, and prototyping toward finished form, emphasizing sustainable and material-responsible practices.

The role includes teaching across undergraduate and graduate levels, developing curriculum,

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, or closely related field (MFA, MID, or equivalent); ABD considered.
• Expertise in product design processes, form development, fabrication, and prototype-driven making.
• Evidence of effective university-level teaching or equivalent instructional experience.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual rigor, formal sophistication, and material exploration.
• Commitment to inclusive pedagogy and student mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses that include drawing, form-giving, fabrication, prototyping, and human-centered research methods.
• Contribute to curriculum development and interdisciplinary initiatives.
• Mentor students through portfolio development, internships, independent study, and capstone projects.
• Maintain an active program of creative practice and scholarship in alignment with tenure-track expectations.
• Collaborate with engineering and other departments on shared programs and facilities.

Skills

Human-centered design

Form development

Fabrication

Teaching experience

Portfolio

Inclusive pedagogy

Mentorship

Education

Terminal degree (MFA/MID)

Job description

Position Description

The University of Louisville invites applications for a tenure-track Professor of Product Design, Open Rank. We seek a practitioner-scholar whose work bridges human-centered design, three-dimensional form development, and hands-on fabrication.

The University of Louisville invites applications for a tenure-track Professor of Product Design, Open Rank. We seek a practitioner-scholar whose work bridges human-centered design, three-dimensional form development, and hands-on fabrication.

The successful candidate will guide students through the full design process, from ideation, research, and prototyping to finished form, while emphasizing sustainable and materially responsible practices. We welcome candidates whose work engages physical products, systems, emerging technologies, sustainable design, social innovation, or related areas of contemporary product design practice. The successful candidate will prepare students to contribute to interdisciplinary teams and contemporary design practice.

Program and Institutional Context

The University of Louisville is a Carnegie R1 research university located in a dynamic metropolitan region with strong connections to manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and civic innovation.

The Hite Institute of Art + Design is the most comprehensive art and design program in Kentucky, offering BA, BFA, MA, and MFA degrees across multiple disciplines. The Design program is grounded in a shared first-year foundation and includes coordinated tracks in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, and Interior Design.

Students benefit from robust campus partnerships, community-engaged initiatives, and an active internship network throughout Louisville's cultural and innovation ecosystem.

Facilities & Resources

Product Design faculty and students benefit from facilities that connect traditional craft, contemporary design practice, and advanced engineering innovation. Resources include Hite's glass, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and ceramics studios; the Cressman Center for Visual Arts; Rowan, the graduate studio building; and the J.B. Speed School of Engineering's new 114,000-square-foot Student Success and Research Building, which houses advanced makerspaces, fabrication labs, research facilities, and collaborative studios.

Additional opportunities are available through the Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science and Technology (AMIST), a world-class center for metal, polymer, and ceramic additive manufacturing. Together, these resources support interdisciplinary teaching, research, and industry-engaged projects. Faculty are provided with individual studio space as well as access to shared instructional and fabrication facilities.

Teaching Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses that include drawing, form-giving, fabrication, prototyping, and human-centered research methods.
• Contribute to curriculum development and interdisciplinary initiatives.
• Mentor students through portfolio development, internships, independent study, and capstone projects.

Research / Creative Practice

• Maintain an active and visible program of creative practice, scholarship, and/or professional design activity appropriate for a tenure-track appointment.
• Disseminate work through appropriate venues (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, exhibitions, conferences, patents, juried shows, industry partnerships).
• Pursue external funding or sponsored collaborations when appropriate.
• Collaborate with the J.B. Speed School of Engineering on shared programs, facilities, and interdisciplinary initiatives.
• Participate in departmental, college, and university service, including curriculum development, committee work, and student mentorship.
• Engage with professional organizations and regional, national, or international design communities.

Required Qualifications

• Terminal degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, or a closely related field (MFA, MID, or equivalent) completed by the start date; ABD considered.
• Expertise in product design processes, form development, fabrication, and prototype-driven making.
• Evidence of effective university-level teaching or equivalent instructional experience.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual rigor, formal sophistication, and material exploration.
• Commitment to inclusive pedagogy and student mentorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating human-centered design and user research into studio teaching.
• Experience with makerspaces, digital fabrication, additive manufacturing, or related technical facilities.
• Interest in interdisciplinary collaborations involving design, engineering, or other STEM fields.
• Record of industry collaboration, sponsored projects, community-engaged work, or externally funded research.

Job Details

• Department: Art & Design
• Location: Belknap Campus
• Time Type: Full time
• Worker Type: Regular
• Job Req ID: R109258