Assistant Professor of XR Technologies - Narrative and Emerging Media Program

The Sidney Poitier New American Film School

Description:

The Narrative and Emerging Media Program seeks a full-time, 9-month (academic year) tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in emerging digital technologies and extended reality (XR). This position will be a critical part of a highly collaborative team devoted to transdisciplinary approaches to narrative through the creative use of technology. This tenure-track appointment begins in August 2023. The successful candidate will join the Narrative and Emerging Media Program based in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Building at ASU’s California Center. This appointment requires in-person instruction at ASU’s California Center in downtown Los Angeles, California.

About ASU

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 80,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. Recently, it opened the satellite center in Los Angeles, in the historic Herald Examiner Building, to connect to Los Angeles as a hub for narrative content creation.  ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

About the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts:

Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the country, located within a dynamic research university focused on transformative change. Built on a unique combination of disciplines, the Herberger Institute comprises the Schools of Art; Arts, Media and Engineering; Music, Dance and Theatre; The Design School; The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and the ASU Art Museum. The Herberger Institute is committed to redefining the 21st-century design and arts school through developing and scaling ideas that strengthen the role of designers and artists across all areas of society and culture, increasing the capacity of artists to make a difference in their communities. For more information on the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, visit herbergerinstitute.asu.edu.

About the program: Narrative and Emerging Media

The Narrative and Emerging Media (NEM) Program, powered by the most innovative university in the nation, draws on the talent and energy of the global entertainment capital of the world to drive

innovation and inclusion in next-generation storytelling. Through research, policy, graduate education, fellowships, and industry partnerships, the NEM Program shapes how new technology is designed and deployed to activate human expression for a more just world. The NEM Program, located at the newly renovated historic Herald Examiner Building in downtown Los Angeles, CA, will host hundreds of students who will learn to create immersive media experiences of all kinds while thriving in a rich environment supporting experimentation, research and policy exploration. 

The NEM program is a unique partnership between ASU’s The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, the largest, most egalitarian film program in the country, and the top ranked and award-winning Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The NEM program centers an inclusive approach to immersive experience and design, new forms of journalism, cinematic futures and tech policy leadership, all connected to ASU’s existing state-of-the-art programs in other disciplines. The NEM program has established powerful connections between ASU’s renowned programs in Los Angeles, Tempe, and Phoenix and its new state-of-the art 118,000 square foot film and immersive media facility in Mesa, Arizona. While keeping our mission of inclusivity at its core, the NEM program educates and supports writers, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs and engineers who will build the stories, technologies and policies of the future as part of the growing creative workforce.

The primary responsibilities for this position will be in the Narrative and Emerging Media program based at ASU’s California Center in downtown Los Angeles. The successful candidate will be expected to teach and mentor students; develop and maintain an independently funded and collaborative research program equivalent to the rank in which they are hired; participate in professional and university service; engage stakeholders in the university and the community; and demonstrate national and international leadership in their field.

Required Qualifications:

Candidates must have:

·         A completed PhD or other terminal degree in computer science, engineering, computational media, media arts or a related field by the start date of the appointment.

·         Demonstrated excellence in and commitment to teaching, though this need not be in a formal higher education setting. 

·         Demonstrated dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion in teaching, research, creative work and/or service.

·         Demonstrated expertise in and experience with research in software and content development for XR, game design and/or interactive media.  

·         Demonstrated proficiency in one or more of the following tools and practices: building 3D applications in Unity, Unreal or equivalent game engines; C#; C++, XR optimization; motion graphics; motion capture, Machine Learning (ML) and/or computer vision (CV). 

Desired Qualifications:

Research shows that people from groups closest to the harms of institutional racism and inequality often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Highly qualified candidates for this position may possess a combination of some of the following skills, however, the search committee does not anticipate that applicants will meet all of the desired qualifications listed.

Highly qualified for this position may possess the following skills:

• Commitment to research, creative activity and/or scholarship that has public impact outside of the academy, including work related to community engagement, social justice, communication of science, cross-cultural communication or similar endeavors.
• Evidence of scholarship that demonstrates a union of critical thinking and making.
• Evidence of ability to inspire and instruct learners from diverse backgrounds. 
• Ability to communicate effectively in and across multiple disciplinary cultures; expertise in engaging multiple viewpoints and audiences in a variety of formats. 
• Advanced proficiency in using computer languages and technologies including, but not limited to C++, C#, JavaScript, Python, HTML5, AWS, and PostgreSQL. 
• Proficiency in one or more of the following tools, practices, and systems: cloud infrastructure for XR and mobile application development; iOS and/or Android development; developments for VR/AR frameworks such as Oculus, Hololens, SteamVR, ARKit/ARCore, MRTK, ARFoundation; and hardware/interface development including experience with haptics devices for XR.
• Knowledge of virtual production environments and tools and workflows.
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in UI/UX design.
• Experience with 3D software workflows including Maya, Max, Blender, Revit, Navisworks or similar.
• Advanced experience designing managed plug-ins and/or native plug-ins for game engines or related software.
• Experience collaborating with colleagues from different disciplines (including engineers, game designers, and/or artists, among others) to develop and grow dynamic research and academic programs.

• Demonstrated experience in working with external stakeholders and communities in a highly collaborative or co-creative manner.
• Experience teaching online or creating resources for training/education in an online environment.

Instructions to Apply:

Please submit:

1. A C.V. 
2. A letter of interest/cover letter that includes a description of the applicant's research and teaching interests and addresses their potential alignment with the stated values and mission of ASU and the NEM program.
3. A statement addressing how the applicant’s past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or racial justice will advance ASU’s commitment to inclusive excellence.
4. Contact information for at least 3 professional or scholarly references.
5. Portfolio of creative and/or research work (web portfolio, code repository, software/plug-ins) submitted electronically, as a website or via a downloadable link/application or publication sample (file size limit 100mb).

All applications must be submitted electronically via apply.interfolio.com/120738

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is March 30, 2023. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool.  Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

(See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.)

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

COVID-19 Vaccination - Arizona State University is a federal contractor and subject to federal regulations which may require you to produce a record of a COVID-19 vaccination.  For questions about medical or religious accommodations, please visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s webpage.