Assistant Teaching Professor of Digital Arts and Media Design

About the role

The Digital Arts Program and School of Visual Arts in the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University invite candidates to apply for an Assistant Teaching Professor position of Digital Arts and Media Design focusing on 3D Animation.

Responsibilities

• Teach 3D courses covering animation previsualization, animation, motion capture, lighting, rendering, and compositing.
• Teach production skills necessary to design, rig, animate, light, and render 3D assets for animated films and digital games.
• Teach additional digital arts courses in the curriculum based on areas of expertise.
• Be well-versed in teaching the principles of animation and effective visual storytelling.
• Join with digital art faculty to cultivate a lively animation studio culture and help set production standards that enhance student creative outcomes.
• Participate in the guidance and assessment of students, portfolio development, independent studies, internships, and capstone thesis projects.
• Encourage and support our students in developing animated creative works as part of a socially and culturally engaged research university.

Requirements

• Term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process.
• Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in Animation, Digital Arts, New Media, Cinematic Arts, Film/Cinema Production, or a comparable terminal degree (such as a Master of Fine Arts - MFA, or a PhD) at the time of appointment.
• Evidence of a commitment to a successful 3D animation digital arts practice, commensurate with experience.
• Evidence of equitable considerations for all, awareness, and practice regarding curricula development, along with evidence of working collectively to cultivate a culture that encourages success and enables all members of a college community to thrive.

Preferred qualifications

• College-level teaching experience (one semester, minimum, including teaching assistantships or equivalent technical training/teaching).
• Professional experience working in 3d animation for films, games, TV or creative industries.
• Considerable experience working with Autodesk Maya and Motion Builder.
• Experience with related animation, visual effects, and compositing tools: Blender, Houdini, Substance 3D Painter, ZBrush, Nuke.

Pay

Full university benefits apply.

Schedule

This is a full-time, 36-week, nine-month, non-tenure track appointment. The anticipated start date is August 2026.