Tenured: Associate Professor or Professor and Director - Virtual Production Institute

The College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts at Texas A&M University invites applications for one (1) full-time Associate Professor or Professor [tenure review upon hire] or Associate Professor of Practice or Professor of Practice [academic professional track non-tenure accruing] depending on qualifications, for a 9-month appointment. The successful candidate will also hold an administrative appointment as Director of the Virtual Production Institute (VPI) that includes two months of summer salary for the duration of the administrative position. We are particularly interested in candidates with management experience in both industry and academia.

The successful applicant will lead the Institute’s mission in developing virtual production as an emerging academic discipline aligned for private-sector adoption and enable the research and creative work that propels adoption across multiple key industries including :

• media and entertainment,
• healthcare,
• military,
• manufacturing,
• aerospace

Successful candidates must demonstrate the capacity to sustain extramural partnerships and projects, teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advise and mentor graduate students, actively engage in the College's initiatives, and contribute to the broader professional community. Tenure stream applicants at any rank are required to establish and maintain an independent research program, academic professional-track applicants are not expected to but may engage in an independent research program.

Virtual Production Institute

The Virtual Production Institute (VPI) is a technology focused ecosystem designed for teaching, learning, research, and creative works. The VPI’s mission is to develop emerging applications, and a skilled workforce needed for the use of virtual reality (immersion), augmented reality (hybrid of real-world and virtual objects), sensors, projectors, and computing across multiple sectors of the state’s economy.

The VPI is a technology-first approach that fuses the study and application of computer science, human-computer interaction, the visual arts and performing arts and media arts; all of which are impacted by advances in full-fidelity 3D graphics, custom visual computing tools, physics simulations, sensor inputs and autonomous systems.

Funding for the VPI, provided by the Texas Legislature and Texas A&M University, supports state-of-the art instrumentation required for a learning laboratory, designed as performance capture and sound stages with supporting technology studio classrooms. The infrastructure supports undergraduate and graduate degrees, 10 fulltime faculty, and dedicated staff.

College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts

Director of the VPI

The Director reports to the Dean of PVFA and is responsible for leading the institute in meeting its short-term goals and achieving its long-term mission. Responsibilities include outreach to sponsoring companies and individuals, coordinating service with academic programs to develop the virtual production workforce, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, enabling the research, and supporting creative works of faculty. The Director is responsible for maintaining fiscal sustainability of the institute.

This position of Director includes two months of summer salary for the duration of the administrative appointment. The location of the position is negotiable to be at either the main TAMU campus in Bryan / College Station or the new Texas A&M – Fort Worth campus in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The expected start date is Fall 2025.

Co-Directors for Bryan / College Station and Fort Worth, respectively, report to the Director and support the Director in ensuring progress toward achieving the VPI’s vision and mission. The Director plus the two Co-Directors compose the VPI’s Steering Committee.

For a full-time Associate Professor or Professor [tenure review upon hire] a terminal degree (MFA or PhD) in a related field is required. Strong written and verbal communication skills are required as is an enthusiasm for exploring concepts, solving problems, and collaborating across the range of artistic, technical, and humanistic disciplines represented in the College. Senior candidates should have a demonstrated record of scholarly research and / or creative works, a demonstrated track record of extramural funding or industry partnerships, participation in multidisciplinary research and / or creative activities, university teaching experience, student mentorship, and academic service, and Junior candidates should demonstrate the emergence of a strong record in these areas.