"Assistant Professor of Game Design"

Job Details

Department: School of Digital Arts

Campus Location: Wichita, KS-WSU Shocker Studios (Harry Street)

Hire Type: Full Time

Pay: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm: Varies depending upon teaching schedule.

Export Compliance Requirement: No export control requirement.

Job Story

We desire a Game Designer interested in collaborating with Animation, Audio, Film, and Acting departments to teach our students how to navigate the video game industry by working in projects. A techno-wizard and industry veteran interested in a stable job with great benefits! Invest your time in students, teaching them to think, to create something new, avoid predatory industry practices, broaden their abilities, in an effort to help them change their stars. Educate young ones about the callous workforce and train them to understand their worth, by making them worth more!

Applied learning is core to our degree; instruct our students to make video games that are compelling, insightful, and world-changing. Explore emerging technology with our students to prepare them for the industry they hope to work in. Help us bring the industry to our students and make us an up-and-coming game hub! The Assistant Professor of Game Design is a full-time tenure track faculty position that will teach, advise, mentor and recruit undergraduate digital arts students with a focus in game design. The academic appointment for this position will be effective August 2, 2026.

About the School of Digital Arts (SODA)
Offering a Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAA) in Media Arts with concentrations in Acting for Digital Arts, Animation, Audio Production, Collaborative Design, Filmmaking, and Game Design, the School of Digital Arts stands out as the fastest growing school within the university. Its enrollment and programmatic expansion are outpacing initial projections and contributes to the institution’s record-breaking growth. The School of Digital Arts at Wichita State University is deeply connected to industry partners, giving students first-hand, applied learning experiences that bridge the classroom and real-world practice. These opportunities prepare students to enter their chosen fields with practical skills, professional networks, and clear career pathways: https://www.wichita.edu/digitalarts

About the College of Fine Arts (CFA)
Wichita State University’s College of Fine Arts includes four schools: Art, Design and Creative Industries, Digital Arts, Music, and Performing Arts. The college is a beacon for arts leadership and economy in the city, state, and region. Learn about the CFA arts and cultural impact: https://www.wichita.edu/about/strategic_plan/documents/2021-WSU-Impact-report-digital.pdf

Job Summary

Teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels using various instructional deliveries (e.g., traditional (face-to-face), hybrid, and fully online). To foster applied learning into the course design and engage with industry and local business community applied projects. To advance knowledge through scholarly activities (e.g., active involvement in committees, student mentorship, recruitment and retention initiative, outreach activities, etc.)

Essential Functions

Meet expectations for research, teaching, and service as set forth by the department and college.

Job Duties

Our new colleague will teach in a range of areas such as Environment Art, Tech Art, Tools Development, or Game Design. This position also supervises practicum students in game design, and work with colleagues on curricular and school initiatives aligned with the field of game design.

Required Education and Experience:

• Terminal degree in direct field
• Teaching experience

Faculty Requirements

• MFA in Game Design or related field (must have completed terminal degree by time of application).
• Professional experience in the field.
• Professional experience in environment art, technical art, game design or game tools development.
• Willingness to accommodate a variety of learning styles and strategies in instructional delivery and learning activities, including online and blended learning, flexible teaching methods, and applied learning approaches.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to use and teach industry standard software.
• Proficiency with Unreal Engine and related pipelines for asset integration and optimization
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate courses in game design.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, and rendering tools (e.g., Maya, Blender, Substance Painter, ZBrush).
• 3+ years' professional experience in the field
• Knowledge of scripting/programming for games (Python, C#, Blueprint, or similar).
• Experience collaborating on interdisciplinary projects involving animation, filmmaking, or audio production.
• Record of creative scholarship or industry projects in game design with regional, national, or international impact.
• Experience teaching or mentoring students in applied learning environments, including team-based or project-driven coursework.
• Familiarity with emerging areas of game design, such as AR/VR, XR, interactive storytelling, or procedural content generation.

Additional Information:

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS:
Cover Letter/Letter of Application
Teaching Philosophy
Portfolio of Creative and/or Scholarly Work (URL): include up to 15 examples of your artistic, creative, or scholarly achievements.

For more information, contact Brian Foster, Assistant Educator of Game Design, Chair, Game Design Search Committee, brian.foster@wichita.edu

Physical Requirements:
Ability to remain in a stationary position – Frequent 60-90%;
Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment including but not limited to phone, printers, copiers, and calculators – Frequent 60-90%

Additional Physical Requirement: