As part of a unique Radical Collaboration hiring initiative, the new multicollege Department of Design Tech together with the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at Cornell University invite applications for two full-time, Assistant, Associate, or Full faculty positions in design technology & engineering beginning July 1, 2025, based in Ithaca, NY. Design Tech at Cornell is a leader in the areas of design + materials, design + environments, and design + interactions, including new forms of intelligent and living materials and interfaces. We seek design candidates who can engage in the full breadth of the design tech curriculum with focused interests and demonstrable expertise in one of two distinct design research areas: the first intersecting with materials science, and the second intersecting with mechanical engineering.
Candidates for the position intersecting with materials science are expected to contribute to developing a world-class transdisciplinary program in BioDesign at the interface of design, materials, engineering and technology. They are expected to investigate concepts, materials, structures, and processes in biology to design and develop new engineering innovations. Topics of interest can include but are not limited to bio-inspiration, morphogenesis, and stimuli-responsive, adaptive and intelligent materials. The anticipated goal of the BioDesign program is to transform current processes and industries by leveraging biological principles at the intersection of design and technology for a sustainable environment and future. Considering nature as a collaborator, we are particularly interested in candidates engaged in biodesign research and/or practice that integrates organic and living systems in the design process for technological innovations and applications – from products to buildings – at the nexus of biology and engineering.
Candidates for the position intersecting with mechanical engineering are expected to develop world-class transdisciplinary research strongly rooted in design and mechanical engineering, and also to demonstrate substantive cross-disciplinary scholarship beyond the traditional boundaries of mechanical design, including but not limited to subjects in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and the built environment. Successful applicants will present design and research projects that address significant global challenges or critical areas of investigation from a design and engineering perspective, integrating technical innovation with broader societal, cultural, or ethical dimensions. Topics of interest include but are not limited to design for autonomous systems, cyber physical systems, engineering design for the built environment, human-AI collaboration in design, and design for a human-robot labor market.
Background
Recognizing design’s integral role in the development of technologies to address complex societal problems and reshape our environments and interactions, we seek candidates who engage in convergence research and transdisciplinary design to develop hybrid thinking in design and emerging technologies. The multicollege Department of Design Tech bridges existing disciplines at Cornell to complement and build upon strengths in the design-focused disciplines in arts, architecture, science, and engineering, as well as the design professions and industry. Design Tech believes that synergizing advancements in design and technology is not only imperative to design education, but also critical for preparing the next generation of designers, engineers, scientists, technologists, and creatives. The program advances hybrid, transdisciplinary concepts, and new models for pedagogy and collaborative research.
The Department of Design Tech is composed of a multi-disciplinary faculty with expertise in design and technology, who co-teach transdisciplinary design courses, studios, and seminars, and engage in collaborative research and workshops by sharing resources and moving beyond existing barriers. Design Tech faculty are designers, scientists, engineers, architects, artists, urbanists, and humanists whose work demonstrates how experimental, nonlinear, design-driven philosophies and practices emanating from 3D spatial biology, materials science, human-computer interaction, engineering, and generative design can result in radical advances in both scientific and design research and applied practice. The department’s first degree offering is an interdisciplinary 2-year Master’s in Design Technology that launched in the 2024-25 academic year. A new PhD program in Design Technology will launch in 2 years.
The new M.S. degree in Design Technology and Design Tech’s state-of-the-art facilities – including soon-to-be completed dedicated spaces in Ithaca and at Cornell Tech in NYC – reflect both a continuing commitment to excellence and an ongoing investment in design education at Cornell.
Qualifications
Candidates must hold a terminal degree in their field, an advanced design degree, or a Ph.D. by the start of the position, in a design-adjacent field. Candidate qualifications must include evidence of exceptional strength in research and teaching as well as visionary practice and/or research work related to BioDesign or Design and Mechanical Engineering (as applicable). The candidate’s tenure home will be in the Department of Design Tech with a joint appointment in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering. Alternative tenure home arrangements may be possible at the time of appointment and subject to college and university level approvals. Faculty responsibilities will include teaching design studios, seminars, and lectures at the graduate and undergraduate levels, mentoring and supervising students, advising Master’s and doctoral students, developing and maintaining an active and innovative research profile, contributing to service, and shaping the culture and environment of Design Tech, the collaborating departments, and the university.
The potential ranks are assistant, associate, and full professor, and the pay range is $83,200 – $357,300, based on selected candidate’s qualifications. A generous benefit package includes start-up research funds, educational benefits, access to wellness programs, employee discounts, health care options, generous paid leave provisions and excellent retirement contributions. Cornell has been nationally recognized as an award-winning workplace for health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.
For information on the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning and the College of Engineering, please see the links below.
Cornell embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will foster a climate that attracts students of all races, nationalities, and genders. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups in Design and Engineering to apply.
Required application materials: (to be submitted digitally as a bookmarked pdf)
1. Letter of application including intended rank, a brief statement outlining teaching and practice/research objectives and how the candidate’s skills and experiences align with the required qualifications and search criteria.
2. A full CV that highlights notable achievements.
3. A portfolio of design practice/or research, pedagogical materials, and student work. A selection of peer-reviewed papers and publications are required.
4. List of three references with telephone and mailing/email addresses. (Information about references must be provided at the time of application, but referees will not be contacted without notifying the applicant in advance.)
5. We ask applicants for all faculty positions to share their experiences and/or approaches (past, current, or future) to fostering learning, research service, and/or outreach in a diverse community. Applicants may choose to submit a stand-alone statement or embed the information in other parts of their application materials.
All applicants should submit these materials using the university’s online application tool at: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29054. Please note that any hardcopy materials sent in will not be returned.
For questions and additional information, please contact:
Design Technology Search Committee
Department of Design Tech
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
129 Sibley Dome, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-7301
607.255.1123
Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2024, and continue until the positions are filled for a start date of July 1, 2025.
For more information about the departments, the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, the College of Engineering, and Cornell University, please visit:
