Clinical Assistant Professor – Costume Design and Technology

Clinical Assistant Professor in Costume Design and Technology, with a focus on teaching and mentoring emerging costume designers, knowledge of traditional and digital patterning and fabrication techniques, and innovation in the field. This is an academic year, career-track faculty position beginning fall 2026, based on the Tempe campus with potential for online and hybrid courses.

About ASU

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, combining academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy, and broad access. This New American University is a unified institution with four differentiated campuses and innovation hubs that impact economic, social, cultural, and environmental health. ASU’s research is inspired by real-world application, blurring traditional academic boundaries. In 2022, ASU was named a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and in 2023, it joined the prestigious Association of American Universities. ASU is committed to a welcoming, supportive, and empowering environment for all community members.

About The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the U.S., located within a dynamic research university focused on transformative change. It comprises six schools: ASU FIDM, the School of Art, the School of Arts, Media and Engineering, The Design School, The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. The Institute also includes the ASU Art Museum and the ASU FIDM Museum. The Herberger Institute develops and scales ideas to strengthen the role of designers and artists in society and increase their capacity to make a difference in communities.

About The ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre

The School of Music, Dance and Theatre prepares artists, scholars, visionaries, and entrepreneurs to become creative leaders who transform society through their art. Internationally recognized faculty mentor students in a comprehensive range of degrees, minors, and certificates, with over 600 concerts, events, performances, productions, and recitals annually. Located in the culturally rich Southwest, the school offers an inclusive environment and engagement with Phoenix’s thriving arts community. The theatre program is a collaborative community shaping the future of theatre through inventive curricula and innovative programming, grounded in learner-centeredness, respect for humanity, consent-based practices, transparency, and accountability. With over 250 undergraduate theatre majors and over 20 MFA and PhD students, the program features hundreds of live events engaging over 10,000 community members annually. The Design & Production concentration is a cutting-edge program with over 80 students, emphasizing process over product to achieve high production value and learning outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Teach a rotation of undergraduate core classes and develop new courses, both in-person and online.
• Mentor costume technology students’ senior projects and practicum courses.
• Serve as a technologist on productions as needed.
• Coordinate with the Costume Shop Manager(s) to structure the shop’s workflow.
• Perform service to the school, institute, university, and profession.
• Contribute to growing dynamic and innovative degree programs, attracting new students, and supporting enrollment goals.
• Increase research expenditures through grants or other funding for design and production.
• Advance the Institute’s commitment to inclusive excellence.
• Collaborate with artists, designers, and scholars across campus and in the community.

Requirements

• MFA or MA in Costume Design or a related field.
• Demonstrated teaching excellence and innovation, with a record of professional mentorship in costume design.

Qualifications

• College teaching experience (strongly preferred).
• Record of collaborative, professional, and relevant industry experience.
• Expertise and ability to teach in one or more of these areas: costume construction, costume design for television and film, digital costume technologies, pattern making, period dress, styling and history, tailoring, traditional and digital rendering.
• Knowledge and experience in current trends and technology (e.g., laser cutting, 3D printing, 3D drafting).
• Additional talents in craft areas (e.g., dyeing, sculpting, millinery).
• Skills in stage makeup, hair, and wigs.
• A minimum of three years of professional and relevant industry experience.