Assistant Professor - Design and Urbanism

Position:  492800

Full-Time

Department: Dean, Architecture and Design

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Description: 
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Design and Urbanism with expertise in urban design, ecologies, and systems.

The position is open to candidates with graduate or higher degrees in design-focused fields, particularly MLA, MUD, MAUD, M.Arch, MDes, DDes, or related. Candidates should demonstrate interdisciplinary strengths, a commitment to service, and proficiency in engaging with design theory, research, and practice.

This multidisciplinary role involves integrating urban design, ecological design and thinking, architecture, and technology across various scales, from local to global. Successful candidates will have the capacity to work across scales, linking local conditions with regional, national, and global dynamics, and to engage with new thinking in a variety of urban disciplines. The position will advance teaching and research by incorporating design thinking, data analysis, urban and infrastructural systems, sustainable urban policy, geospatial analytics, and urban design’s role in tackling complex urban challenges—as both form and value. Ecological approaches are a primary aspect of the position.

The position addresses five key societal challenges identified by the University of Houston—sustainability and climate, infrastructure, energy, health, and technology—linked to urban development. The University of Houston, with one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, seeks candidates who bring intellectual curiosity and technical expertise to curricula, program development, and scholarship. Candidates must be able to work with faculty across all three disciplines in our college as well as the spectrum of disciplines beyond the College across diverse mediums and technologies. The successful candidate will join a faculty with expertise in urban systems, contributing to both graduate and undergraduate programs.

The appointment includes a traditional teaching, research, and service load, with a focus on growing UH’s research profile. The overarching goal of this faculty hire is growing UH’s research enterprise. Research will thus comprise a larger percentage of the appointment. Leadership, collaboration, and research skills will be paramount.

Candidates will teach seminars, media courses, and studios, encouraging critical exploration of urban issues in the Gulf and Houston area. These courses will encourage critical exploration of urban systems, ecologies, and design practices, fostering innovative thinking around the challenges and opportunities presented by urbanization in the Gulf and greater Houston area. They should engage students through interdisciplinary approaches that combine theory, research, and speculative design to address urbanization’s opportunities and challenges.

The University of Houston is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples.

Application:
Only electronic applications will be accepted. Applicants should provide the following: a letter of intent responding to the outlined duties and qualifications, a curriculum vitae, a portfolio and publication samples with candidate’s role or responsibility clearly indicated, and contact information for three references.

Submit application to: https://careers.uh.edu/jobs/search/uh-postings.  Application review will begin January 1, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. The successful applicant is expected to start mid-August 2025.

For more information about the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design please visit:  https://uh.edu/architecture/

Qualifications:

Qualified candidates must hold at least one advanced degree in an urban design-related field, such as an MUD, MAUD, MLA, M.Arch, Ph.D., D.Des., or similar. Candidates must demonstrate a record of professional practice or scholarship, and teaching experience.

Required Attachments:

Curriculum Vitae, Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Publications, Portfolio

Official transcripts are required for a faculty appointment and will be requested upon selection of final candidate. All positions at the University of Houston are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The policy of the University of Houston-System and its universities is to ensure equal opportunity in all its educational programs and activities, and all terms and conditions of employment without regard to age, race, color, disability, religion, national origin, ethnicity, military status, genetic information, sex (including gender and pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or status, or gender expression, except where such a distinction is required by law.