Associate Professor or Full Professor in Teams, Processes and Collaboration in Games

The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-track Associate or Full Professor in Games to begin in Fall 2026. We seek a scholar whose primary area of expertise is Teams, Processes, and Collaboration in Games: the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations create, coordinate, and innovate within game development, game play and game-based environments. Candidates should demonstrate strength in advancing theories, models, methods, or tools that deepen our understanding of how people work together to design, create, and/or engage with complex game systems. Relevant subareas include, but are not limited to team cognition and collaborative creativity in game development, human-computer interaction and human-centered computing for creative teams, organizational behavior and production processes in games and interactive media, learning sciences and creative collaboration in technical and design education, computational social science and data-driven modeling of team dynamics, human factors, human-AI teaming, and socio-technical systems in creative practice. We especially welcome applicants who connect these areas to broader domains of games research and practice, and who are eager to lead collaborations across disciplines and funding agencies.

Hires will be part of the PRESS PLAY Initiative (https://games.utah.edu/pressplay/), a significant, multi-year commitment for faculty growth in the Division of Games that seeks to build the division into a world-leader in both games research and teaching. The successful candidate will join a collegial and supportive community dedicated to advancing both research and pedagogy in games who are excited to help define the division's research enterprise. They will share our vision of the power that games hold to transform players, groups, and society.

Applicants should hold a terminal degree in a relevant field (e.g., Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Centered Computing, Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Learning Sciences, Communication, or related disciplines) by the time of appointment.

At the rank of Associate Professor, candidates must demonstrate a distinguished record of high-impact publications, a strong track record of securing competitive external funding, evidence of leadership in collaborative research, and a commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring students at all levels. At the rank of Full Professor, candidates must show an internationally recognized record of scholarly achievement, sustained success in securing major external funding, demonstrated capacity for academic leadership at scale, and evidence of significant impact on the advancement of their field.

Successful candidates are expected to develop and sustain a robust program of research supported by external funding. They should demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality scholarship while fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Candidates will also be expected to contribute to university and professional service.

About the Division of Games at the University of Utah:

The Division of Games at the University of Utah is one of the world's leading academic programs in games, ranked #1 among public institutions for three years in a row. Now in its fifteenth year, the Division spans technical, artistic, design, and analytic domains, advancing both the creation and the study of games as a transformative medium. The Division is in the second year of a five-year growth period through the PRESS PLAY Initiative, a major investment in new faculty lines, funding, and facilities that expands opportunities for cutting-edge research, teaching, and collaboration.

The Division of Games is one of the four academic units of the College of Architecture and Planning, which also includes the School of Architecture, the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, and the Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design.

The University of Utah is a Carnegie Research I institution located in Salt Lake City, nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. With thriving arts and culinary scenes, and an exploding high technology sector, Salt Lake City offers a unique mix of urban life juxtaposed with access to remarkable national parks, ski resorts, hiking and climbing, and more, just minutes away from campus.

Department: 01508 - Games
City: Salt Lake City, UT
Track: Tenure Track
Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes
Requisition Number: PRN01438CF

To apply, visit https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/199229