Professor of Practice in Design

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment invites applications for a full-time faculty position in the Design Program at the rank of Professor of Practice. We seek candidates to join our interdisciplinary team with the capacity to teach in their area of specialization, as well as lead coursework across multiple design disciplines, including studios at the introductory level.

The TuSABE undergraduate Design program offers a major and minor, with curriculum engaging a range of design disciplines—including graphic, sewn goods, industrial, and interior design—while connecting innovation to cultural, social, and environmental contexts.

Preference will be given to candidates with expressed expertise in industrial design or graphic design. All applicants who can advance design pedagogy and critical discourse are encouraged to apply. In addition to demonstrated excellence in studio teaching and creative practice, ideal applicants will bring an interdisciplinary approach to a program that emphasizes both digital and analog fabrication, creative problem-solving, and synergies between traditional design disciplines. Faculty at TuSABE have the opportunity to collaborate with other programs within the school.

Salary and academic rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The expected start date is July 1, 2027. For questions about the Design program and/or this search notice, please contact the search committee chair, Wes Michaels, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture (kmichaels@tulane.edu), or the Design Program Director, Meghan Saas, Professor of Practice in Design (msaas@tulane.edu).

ABOUT THE TULANE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND TULANE UNIVERSITY

The Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment provides global leadership through excellence in design, research, and practice in the built environment. The School includes undergraduate and graduate Architecture programs and several other allied programs and degree paths. Faculty members teach coursework and collaborate as appropriate to their expertise across the School’s programs including Architecture (B.Arch, BSA, M.Arch and M.S.ARC), Landscape Architecture and Engineering (MLA-MS RCSE), Real Estate Development (BSRE, MSRED), Historic Preservation (MSHP), Design (BADes), Sustainable Urbanism (BS SURB), Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (Undergraduate Minor), and Climate Change: Science and Practice (Undergraduate Minor). Other schools, programs, and centers at the University provide ample opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration.

The school is recognized for robust initiatives in community-engaged design (The Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design), design-build (URBANbuild), interdisciplinary research studios, and research initiatives supported by the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism. Over the past five years, the school has experienced significant growth across all its programs, and in spring 2025, the school returned to its newly renovated home, Richardson Memorial Hall, complete with new studios, fabrication shops, classrooms, exhibition space, and offices.

Located in New Orleans, Tulane University is a tier-one research university in the United States and a member of the selected group of top research universities integrated in the Association of American Universities (AAU). Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is an innovator at multiple scales, from materials to buildings to neighborhoods and from urban landscapes to regional planning. The City of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta are our natural research domains, with the social and ecological challenges of this complex region at the forefront of contemporary discourse on global rural and urbanized territories, cities, and towns. The city’s culture and community are steeped in a long history of action and exchange. The University has firm commitments to build a welcoming community and foster opportunity, goals which the School pursues in multiple ways through curriculum, research, and practice. We are dedicated to serving society and advancing climate action, charting a path for climate change education across our representative programs, and recognizing that social equity and climate are interconnected phenomena that demand new approaches to the built and unbuilt environments.

Responsibilities

Faculty members at Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment are expected to teach studios, lectures, and seminar courses, work with colleagues to develop curriculum, contribute to cross-disciplinary research initiatives, and serve on a range of academic committees. Candidates for Professor of Practice positions are expected to pursue a clear agenda of practice-based research and creative production. Professor of Practice positions typically begin with three-year appointments and may be renewed for longer terms following appropriate review. Please reference the Tulane Faculty Handbook for a description of faculty positions.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a terminal degree in Design (e.g. Masters) or equivalent industry experience. A minimum of one year of teaching experience with design research and innovative curriculum development is desirable. We welcome applications from the broadest array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Note: TuSABE is also currently searching for candidates for an Assistant/Associate Professor in Design (Tenure-Track/Tenured) position. Please see the respective job posting for more information if that opportunity is more suited for you.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

To be considered for the position, please submit the following documentation in PDF format through WaveWorks:

1. Current curriculum vitae (CV)
2. Letter of Interest
3. Research/Practice statement and sample research materials and/or creative work (maximum 20 pages)
4. Teaching statement
5. Contact information for three (3) references. We will contact references only after candidates reach the finalist stage of the interview process.

Optional: Samples of teaching materials (e.g. course syllabi, sample student work), maximum of 20 pages.

The search committee will commence its initial screening of applications on December 15, 2026, and conclude its initial review on January 4, 2027. However, applications will be accepted and reviewed until the position is filled.

About Us

Tulane University is an equal opportunity educator and employer committed to providing an education and employment environment free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Legally protected demographic classifications (such as a person’s race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, shared ancestry, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws) are not relied upon as an eligibility, selection or participation criteria for Tulane’s employment or educational programs or activities.

Tulane University is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing an application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the Office of Human Resources by phone at 504-865-4748 or by email at hr@tulane.edu.

If you are a current Staff, Faculty, Student Employee or Affiliate, DO NOT apply through this site. Please log into WaveWorks with your Tulane SSO and apply in the "Opportunity Marketplace."