Chair, Department of Design, College of Fine Arts

The College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin invites nominations and applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Design. The College seeks a bold, visionary, and collaborative leader committed to innovative and socially engaged new work. The chosen candidate will be brought in at the rank of full, tenured professor. The appointment will be effective for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The Department of Design is at a pivotal and exciting moment of growth. The Department benefits from being a part of a top Tier One research university embedded in a vibrant creative community deep in the heart of Austin, Texas. The Department of Design offers a transformative educational experience that turns students’ creative talents and curiosity for the world into a fulfilling profession. Students and faculty, working together, explore new ways to engage with the most exciting and urgent issues of our time and experience firsthand the power of design to affect positive change.

The Chair is the primary academic, administrative, and external affairs officer of the Department of Design and reports to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts. The Chair will oversee a team of six staff members and manage a budget of approximately $3 million. The Chair serves on the senior leadership team in both SDCT and the College of Fine arts, and is expected to collaborate with colleagues across the institution in ongoing programs and projects as well as strategic planning and implementation. The Chair collaborates with the Chair of the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies and the Assistant Dean of the School of Design and Creative Technologies to ensure operational and staffing needs are met.

Please send all inquiries, nominations, and/or applications to: Susan VanGilder, Co-Practice Leader & Managing Director, and Lareese Hall, Senior Associate at [email protected]