The faculty of the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus, invites applications for a 9-month, full time tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin August 16, 2026. The successful candidate will teach 4 courses per year (2 per semester) and develop new courses in animation that create synergy with existing courses in 2D and 3D animation, game design, new media, and manga. The position's location in an art and design school means that courses and curriculum can intersect in exciting ways with other school disciplines such as drawing, graphic design, illustration, and a future degree program planned in industrial design. The faculty member's teaching contributions will accentuate student skills and career readiness so that they can enter industries of multiple kinds where animation is applied (entertainment, industrial, medical, etc.). The faculty member will also provide service and leadership to the Media Arts program, school, college, and university. Expectations include maintaining a high level of research accomplishment via exhibited creative work and/or scholarship, active pursuit of professional opportunities in the field, and strong and engaged teaching.
Candidates must have a PhD, MFA, MPS, or equivalent in film, media or closely related field by the start date of employment, plus research expertise in animation, and either the potential for or a demonstrated record of excellence in teaching. We welcome applications from individuals who are interested in moving from industry to academia.
In addition to the required education and experience the successful candidate will have a research profile in media production with a focus on animation and demonstrate the potential for ongoing contributions to the field as an artist-researcher. We are especially interested in candidates who can incorporate 2D animation concepts and techniques in their teaching and research to produce novel and exciting contributions to industry and/or arts and culture. While the research profile should align with the film and media program's existing focus on the media industries (video game design, 3D animation, film/video production, and manga), it may also expand upon it through interdisciplinary research with other fields, including industrial design. For example, the candidate's research profile could center on narrative animation production for entertainment, documentary or experimental animation, animation for industry and science communication, or a combination of research interests.