Professor of the Practice in Ceramics

Tufts University; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University seeks a full-time Professor of the Practice in Ceramics to begin September 1, 2027. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate studio courses in Ceramics, with strength in moldmaking, slip-casting, modular production, and expanded ceramic processes.

Their practice may incorporate digital tools such as CAD modeling and 3D ceramic printing as part of sustained inquiry into material translation, repetition, scale, labor,

Qualifications

• Artist-educator with a significant record of professional achievement.
• Active creative and research practice within ceramics.
• Ability to envision teaching, research, and practice within SMFA’s cross-disciplinary structure.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate studio courses in Ceramics.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students and contribute to curriculum development.
• Collaborate with Ceramics and related programs to strengthen disciplinary depth.

Skills

Ceramics practice

Teaching

Moldmaking

Digital fabrication

Education

MFA or equivalent in ceramics

Teaching experience at college level

Tools

CAD modeling

3D ceramic printing

Job description

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University seeks a full-time Professor of the Practice in Ceramics to begin September 1, 2027. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate studio courses in Ceramics, with particular strength in areas such as moldmaking, slip-casting, modular production, and/or expanded ceramic processes. Their practice may incorporate digital tools — including CAD modeling and 3D ceramic printing — as part of a sustained inquiry into material translation, repetition, scale, labor, and production, rather than as isolated technical competencies.

SMFA provides dedicated ceramics studio staffing and technical support. This position is focused on teaching, research and creative practice, curriculum development, and graduate and undergraduate mentorship, rather than studio operations or infrastructure management.

About SMFA

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) is a school within Tufts University’s School of Arts and Sciences. SMFA grants the BFA, MFA and MA degrees; students do not major in a single studio practice or area. SMFA faculty are practicing artists and researchers, and sustaining an active creative and research practice — alongside teaching — is an ongoing expectation of the role. Candidates should understand this structure and be prepared to envision their teaching, research, and creative practice within it.

What We’re Looking For

We seek an artist-educator whose practice is grounded in ceramics as a discipline and whose research and teaching engage mold-based, serial, and/or digitally mediated material processes as a central methodological and conceptual focus. The successful candidate will demonstrate a significant record of professional achievement and maintain an active creative and research practice that situates ceramics within contemporary conversations in art, design, and material culture.

The successful candidate will bring broad knowledge of ceramic materials, processes, and histories, with the ability to teach foundational skills and support advanced and graduate inquiry across diverse approaches to ceramic practice.

This position is envisioned as a collaborative appointment that strengthens disciplinary depth in Ceramics while connecting, through shared material processes and critical questions, with Sculpture, Installation, and related spatial practices. Working with Ceramics faculty, the successful candidate will contribute to curriculum development and shared mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students, while maintaining clear curricular boundaries and sustainable administrative structures.

While this search seeks a colleague with specific disciplinary expertise, SMFA’s programs and degrees are grounded in a broader institutional commitment to interdisciplinarity. We are looking for someone who will bring depth in their own practice while actively supporting students whose work moves across media and disciplines — and who can envision how their own teaching, research, and practice fit within SMFA’s cross-disciplinary structure.

We are also looking for a colleague with experience and interest in academic leadership. Relevant experience might include service as a department chair, director of graduate studies, or leadership of curricular or governance work.

We particularly welcome candidates whose work and teaching engage diverse cultural perspectives, expand the conceptual and material boundaries of ceramic practice, and support students from a wide range of backgrounds and educational pathways.

Tufts University, founded in 1852, prioritizes quality teaching, highly competitive basic and applied research, and a commitment to active citizenship locally, regionally, and globally.

Tufts University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. See the University’s Non-Discrimination statement and policy here https://oeo.tufts.edu/policies-procedures/non-discrimination/. If you are an applicant with a disability who is unable to use our online tools to search and apply for jobs, please contact us by calling the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 617-627-3298 or at [e-mail]. Applicants can learn more about requesting reasonable accommodations at https://oeo.tufts.edu/.