Associate or Full Professor of Game Design & Development - University at Albany | University at Albany (SUNY) - Military Veterans

Location: Albany, NY Category: Faculty Posted On: Mon Feb 3 2025 Job Description: The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) at the State of New York University at Albany is the first of its kind in the nation; uniting people, technology and knowledge to address the challenges of the 21st century. Located within the $180 million ETEC complex, CEHC enjoys access to advanced research, teaching, and entrepreneurial spaces, equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities for its faculty. CEHC's Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) is seeking applicants for a tenure-track Associate or Full Professor to lead the newly created undergraduate and graduate programs in Game Design and Development. Candidates should be able to take an integrative approach in working with faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds within and outside the college. The ideal candidate will The Game Design Program Director plays a pivotal role in shaping and leading the program. The responsibilities for this position encompass a wide range of activities aimed at ensuring the programs' success and relevance in the ever-evolving field of game design. The director leads the implementation and continuous improvement of the game design curricula, ensuring they meet both industry standards and academic rigor. Additionally, the director organizes workshops, seminars, and training sessions to keep faculty current with industry practices and academic methodologies. They work closely with the University's Advisement Services Game Design advisor to gain valuable insights into the program's status and student needs. In this role, the selected candidate will coordinate and manage the game design spaces and technology needs, recruit and mentor faculty members, and foster a collaborative and innovative environment. The director also identifies and applies for grants aimed at game design and digital media, collaborating with foundations, government agencies, and the private sector. They project industry trends to integrate them into the academic game design program. To stay connected with the latest developments in the field, the director participates in industry events and gaming conferences for networking and recruitment purposes. They advocate for game design to help build a talented, welcoming, and inclusive game design community. The director also engages with the broader community through public lectures, workshops, and events to promote the game design program and its contributions. Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), the successful candidate is an integral part of the Department's instructional team. Associate or Full Professors deliver undergraduate and graduate-level instruction, conduct research, and partake in advisement responsibilities. Each semester, the tenure-track and tenured faculty generally teach two courses. While we welcome candidates from a range of specializations and methodologies, we especially encourage candidates whose scholarly work critically engages with diverse ways of understanding issues in technology and society. This could include scholarship in topics such as theoretical or applied game design; educational game development; virtual and augmented reality in education, entertainment, and/or industry; and gaming pedagogy. The successful candidate will also be expected to participate in College and Department activities, serve on committees, attend faculty meetings and retreats, participate in end-of session activities along with graduation and other meetings that arise, in addition to developing curriculum. CEHC has a goal of creating a dedicated team of educators and researchers capable of enabling our students to successfully explore and interpret the rich array of disciplines and perspectives contained within Informatics. The IST department within CEHC is committed to increasing diversity in the related fields that have traditionally been underrepresented by minority and women's participation. The successful candidate will join a department with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence and will be expected to contribute actively to these efforts. The Associate or Full Professor will play an integral part in developing and offering classes that foster a sense of welcoming to traditional, diverse, and non-traditional students. There are opportunities for collaboration across departments, particularly through our interdisciplinary Information Science doctoral program. Partner departments include Business, Art & Art History, Computer Science, Education, Music and Theatre, and Communication. The College The mission of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC) and its constituent departments is to make a difference in the world by providing high-quality academic programs, blending an interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial spirit, fostering enthusiasm for learning and teaching, promoting operational application of knowledge, and leading cutting-edge research initiatives that bring together people, technology, and knowledge to address the challenges of the 21st century. As the first college of its kind in the nation, CEHC is growing rapidly as it has recently established both undergraduate and graduate academic programs in Cybersecurity, Emergency Management, and Homeland Security, in addition to the already established Information Science and Informatics programs. One of the hallmarks of the College and its departments is the crosscutting nature of the education and research efforts across these fields. UAlbany and the State of New York are committed to seeing the College become a global leader in education and research in these fields and are providing significant support to the establishment and planned growth of the unit. CEHC is a participating iSchool. At the undergraduate level, the Department of Information Sciences and Technology prepares the next generation of leaders to confront technological challenges of the 21st century through interdisciplinary understandings of information and information technologies in society and in organizations. Students can earn a B.S. in Informatics with one of our concentrations, such as Data Analytics or Software Development; or through the newly created B.S. in Game Design and Development (GDD). At the graduate level, we offer a M.S. in Strategic Game Design and Applied Development; a Master of Science in Information Science (M.S.I.S.) and a Master of Science in Information Science, School Library (M.S.I.S.S.L.) the latter degrees are accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). Additionally, the College supports a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Information Science, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science. A combined B.A./M.S.I.S. or B.S./M.S.I.S. permits highly qualified students to begin work on the master's degree while still an undergraduate. Like the University, the College and the departments are committed to increased diversity in all its activities. Faculty and students are encouraged to engage with relevant communities in research and teaching, and the Department has a strong record of such engagement both locally and abroad.We wish to hire a colleague whose scholarship and teaching fosters transformation toward a more just society and involves meaningful partnership with community-based organizations. We value diverse lived experiences that inform research, teaching, and mentoring. **Candidates must indicate in their cover letter if they are applying to the Associate or Full Professor position. Job Requirements: Minimum Qualifications: The successful tenure track candidate must hold a PhD or terminal degree from a college or university accredited by the US Department of Education or an internationally recognized accrediting organization in game studies, information science, computer science, digital media, interactive media or an allied or related technical field, by 8/15/25. Candidates who will not hold the degree by this date will not be considered. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role. Applicants must address their plan and ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in game design & development, in varying modalities (in-person, online, and/or hybrid) requisite for appointment as tenured associate or full professor, and contribute to the curriculum of the GDD program. Applicants must have a record of innovative, meaningful research, published scholarship or creative works on topics in the field of game design and development, virtual/augmented reality, computational media and/or closely related fields, requisite for appointment as associate or full professor. Applicants for Associate Professor must have experience in applying for research funding, as expected for an associate professor, or securing financial backing for projects in the gaming industry, such as grants, sponsorships, or publisher/investor funding. Applicants for Full Professor must have experience in applying for and obtaining funding for their research, requisite for a full professor. Experience in developing or managing an academic program, preferably in gaming/game development, or experience managing a collaboration effort in the gaming industry. Applicants must have experience in game programming languages (e.g., Python, C#, C++), designing, prototyping, and building interactive experiences, and/or creating tools and engines for 3D and 2D games. Applicants must address in the application their ability to mentor students from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds and to work collaboratively with a diverse group of faculty and stakeholders, internal and external. Preferred Qualifications: 1-5+ years of professional experience in developing the design of a released digital or analog game. Experience developing a game design and/or development program at a higher education institution. Additional Information: Professional Rank and Salary Range: Associate or Professor 10 Months, Salary commensurate with experience. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies.The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov . THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYER Please apply online via http://albany.interviewexchange.com/candapply.jsp?JOBID=185257 Apply Online