"Professor of Practice in Interactive Media"

Description

NYU Abu Dhabi is currently inviting applications for a full-time contract faculty position in the Interactive Media program to begin potentially as early as Fall 2026. The position is a renewable appointment based on curricular demand and performance. The Interactive Media program is a Bachelor of Arts major at NYUAD that combines art, interaction design, communications, computer science, engineering, and critique. While the program is formally housed in the University’s Arts and Humanities Division, it is a multidisciplinary major and has broad reach across the University. The mission of the program is to foster the creative use of emerging technologies for research, communication, and expression, while advancing a deep engagement with theoretical frameworks and critical discourse in Interactive Media. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach that connects artistic practice with intellectual inquiry and social responsibility.

Professors of Practice have professional, industry, or public sector experience and bring those qualifications to bear in their teaching. Appointees must be experienced or highly knowledgeable in their particular fields and, where relevant, have had experience in curriculum development. They are principally engaged in teaching and are also expected to remain active in professional, research or creative activities.

We are looking for a faculty member who:

• Possesses an understanding of the aesthetic, cultural, social, political, critical, and ethical implications of interactive media and emerging technologies, and fosters an awareness of how these technologies shape and are shaped by societal contexts through historic and contemporary perspectives.
• Can engage students in developing a conceptual foundation for interactive media, integrating critical texts, reflective analysis, and creative practices that combine theoretical understanding with hands-on experimentation.
• Can engage students with a wide range of artists, scholars and practitioners whose work has shaped the field of interactive media fostering a nuanced understanding of its evolution and future directions
• Can support students in cultivating a critical vocabulary to articulate and analyze interactive media concepts, theories and projects, both in writing and discussion.
• Can engage students in creative practice, storytelling through various forms of media, designing rich user experiences, and exploring new modes of human-computer interactions.
• Has demonstrated experience in exhibiting works and/or presenting at festivals and conferences, with the ability to teach and support students in developing and showcasing their own work in similar professional contexts.

The Interactive Media program is integrated into the NYUAD liberal arts experience and is interested in faculty who consider teaching an extension of their research. Inherent to the program’s values is an agility with regard to interactive media and its rapid evolution, and thus we welcome faculty who will contribute to the development of the curriculum, specifically in the area of AI.

Applicants who can teach the following are encouraged to apply:

• Theoretical courses that explore concepts, questions, and components that encompass interactive media as it relates to creative expression and critical engagement.
• Foundation courses that survey various technologies including web development, sound, 2D and 3D design, XR, digital imaging, video, effects and animation, and digital fabrication.
• Intermediate and advanced electives within the program’s three electives’ clusters: Media and Design Thinking, Computational Media, and Physical Computing
• Senior capstone seminar and senior capstone project work

Across the program, Interactive Media faculty focus on experimentation and production both inside and outside of the classroom. Our approach to learning relies more on collaboration rather than competition so as to cultivate an accessible environment in which playful exploration, critical analysis, risk-taking, and failure can freely occur. While our foundation classes emphasize reading and writing, they are run in a workshop-like environment facilitating active learning and encouraging discussion of concept, content, technique and impact. Engaging with students beyond class time in the program's lab space through project assistance, personal direction, and community activities is key.

Qualifications

Good interpersonal skills to collaborate with colleagues and actively interact with students in a multicultural education setting are highly desirable. Connection or experience with the region is also a plus.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should submit:

• Cover letter,
• Curriculum vitae,
• A statement of teaching philosophy,
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness,
• Two syllabi for courses you would be inclined to teach
• Three contact references.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled and will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with as a priority deadline. Due to the high volume of applications, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Hiring for this position is subject to final budgetary approval.

NYUAD is an equal-opportunity employer committed to upholding a culture of non-discrimination, anti-harassment, dignity, and mutual respect; providing equal access and opportunity; and fostering academic excellence in learning, research, and teaching.