Assistant Professor of Emergent Media

Job Summary

Position Description

The Animation & Game Design Program in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at The University of Texas at Dallas invites applications for a tenure-system Assistant Professor specializing in one of the following: Emergent Media (Virtual Reality, VR), Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Production (VP). Professional experience in VR/AR, or virtual production studios, LED wall environments, motion capture, real-time rendering, or volumetric capture workflows is preferred along with experience with Unreal Engine, Unity, real-time VFX, or virtual cinematography pipelines.

We seek a creative scholar whose research, professional practice, and teaching advance emerging immersive media fields. The successful candidate will contribute to curricular growth in virtual production, real-time interactive media, and immersive storytelling, with opportunities to collaborate across campus in areas such as computer science, simulation, visualization, digital humanities, and interdisciplinary arts.

This is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track appointment.

The appointment commences for the fall 2026 semester.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience: A Terminal degree (MFA, PhD, or equivalent) in Animation, Game Design, Interactive Media, Film/Media Production, Virtual Production, or a closely related field is required prior to employment; those with ABD status will be considered at the application/interviewing stage. Candidates are expected to demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, engaging, and dynamic environment comprised of individuals with a range of backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. We are seeking candidates able to produce research and scholarly or creative achievements that enhance the program and the discipline, and able to deliver high quality teaching using evidence-based practices to effectively engage students from a range of backgrounds and experiences.

Preferred Education and Experience: Professional experience in VR/AR, or virtual production studios, LED wall environments, motion capture, real-time rendering, or volumetric capture workflows. Experience with Unreal Engine, Unity, real-time VFX, or virtual cinematography pipelines. A strong portfolio showing innovation in immersive storytelling, simulation, or hybrid XR experiences. Evidence of successful student mentorship or lab-based project leadership.

Animation and Game Design Program

Animation and Games at The University of Texas at Dallas is one of the top programs in the state of Texas. We are ranked as the #1 Game Design program and the #2 Animation program in the state according to the Princeton Review. Our program has 17 full-time faculty members with numerous film, television, and game credits that have garnered many awards including the Academy Awards, BAFTA's, Annie Awards, Esports Game of the Year, and others. Our state-of-the-art labs give students and faculty the opportunity to learn and engage in research across all aspects of animation and games whether their interests lie in 3D, 2D, Motion Capture, VR, AR, and anything else they can imagine.

The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology (Bass School) is a community of scholars, artists, and creative practitioners defined by their creativity, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding. Within the context of a Carnegie R1 doctoral research institution, the Bass School fosters the fluid movement between traditional disciplines and cutting-edge experimental investigation of emerging technologies. We prepare students with the skills to craft exceptional work, the ambition to take on new challenges, and the critical thinking to make a difference in a globally connected world.

Application Instructions

Applicants should upload the following:

• Full curriculum vitae and cover letter summarizing their interests and qualifications for the position.
• Statement of teaching philosophy describing their conceptualizations of teaching and learning, and teaching and assessment methods, and how their teaching practices will engage students from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
• Research statement describing past, present, and future research, including how they mentor (or will mentor) student researchers and foster (or will foster) collaborative research environments.
• Samples of creative work.
• Full contact information for at least three academic or professional references.

Reviews will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed on May 31, 2026.