Assistant Professor in Residence - Game Design

The University of Connecticut (UConn) is entering a transformational period of growth supported by the $1.7B Next Generation Connecticut (http://nextgenct.uconn.edu/) and the $1B Bioscience Connecticut (http://biosciencect.uchc.edu/) investments and a bold new Academic Plan: Path to Excellence (http://issuu.com/uconnprovost/docs/academic-plan-single-hi-optimized_1).  As part of these initiatives, UConn has hired more than 450 new faculty at all ranks during the past three years.  We are pleased to continue these investments by inviting applications for faculty positions in the Department of Digital Media and Design at the rank of Assistant / Associate Professor in-Residence.  This position is a full-time, nine-month, non-tenure track faculty position to start 8/22/2015, renewable on an annual basis. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate-level classes within the context of a BFA/MFA digital games concentration, in addition to supporting faculty collaborations in game design and implementation through the Digital Media Center (http://dmc.uconn.edu/).

The successful candidate will have working knowledge of the underlying academic disciplines and professional practices involved in game design, including graphic design and animation, artificial intelligence, narrative development, human cognition, computer programming, and human-computer interaction. This candidate will have an opportunity to build upon existing core courses in game studies and game design, and participate in building collaborations across the disciplines intersecting with game studies, including the fields within the humanities and social sciences; health; education; art; design; engineering; and business. Excellent communication skills and a collaborative predisposition are essential, as well as an interest in how we can successfully promote diversity within game and digital media careers.

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to research and scholarship through extramural funding (in disciplines where applicable), high quality publications, impact as measured through citations, performances and exhibits (in disciplines where applicable), national recognition as through honorific awards.  In the area of teaching, successful candidate will share a deep commitment to effective instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels, development of innovative courses and mentoring of students in research, outreach and professional development.  Successful candidates will also be expected to broaden participation among members of under-represented groups; demonstrate through their research, teaching, and/or public engagement the richness of diversity in the learning experience; integrate multicultural experiences into instructional methods and research tools; leadership in developing pedagogical techniques designed to meet the needs of diverse learning styles and intellectual interests.

·         BFA, BS, BA, or equivalent foreign degrees are acceptable.

·         Professional game creation experience;

·         Demonstrated expertise in developing engaging and dynamic digital games;

·         Familiarity with major game engines, game programming languages, and game platforms;

·         Familiarity with a range of game genres including single and multi-player, role playing, simulation, and alternate or mixed-reality games;

·         Knowledge of the complete process of game creation and implementation, including character development, game narrative structures, and associated game mechanics;

·         An understanding of the game project management process;

·         Familiarity with supporting graphics and animation software applications;

·         A strong portfolio demonstrating ideation, design, final project implementation in the field of digital games.

·         MFA or Ph.D. degree;

·         Experience working on published commercial games, especially AAA titles,

·         Production experience in one or more major game engines such as: Unreal, CryEngine, Unity, or Source;

·         Experience in developing games in an academic setting;

·         Strong ability in at least one or more programming language: JavaScript, C++, C#, Python, PHP, Actionscript, or other language commonly used in game implementation;

·         Experience with major middleware, Game Engines, and asset management software.

·         Experience with game development processes including 3D and 2D workflow, play testing, and post-mortem project evaluation techniques;

·         AI experience with a full understanding of the core concepts;

·         Game modification experience;

·         Experience creating a complete Game Design Document;

·         Experience with Serious Games as well as Entertainment Games;

·         iOS and/or Android publishing experience;

·         The ability to contribute to the diversity and excellence of the learning experience through innovative research, teaching, and public engagement;

·         A record of distinguished teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate/graduate level.

·         Grant writing experience

This is a full-time, nine (9)-month, non-tenure track appointment. Salary is competitive and based on qualifications and professional experience. The successful candidate’s primary academic appointment will be at the UConn Stamford campus with the possibility of travel to Storrs on occasion.

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community. We actively encourage women, people with disabilities, and members of minority groups to apply.  The University of Connecticut is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

To apply, submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective learning, concepts for new course development, etc.); research and scholarship statement (innovative concepts that will form the basis of academic career, experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students, etc.); commitment to diversity statement (including broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of diverse learning styles, etc.); sample digital portfolio/work, journal articles or books to Husky Hire.  Three letters of reference should be sent to: Faculty Search Committee, Search #2015298, 1 Bishop Circle, Storrs, CT 06269 or e-mailed to Stacy.webb@uconn.edu. Evaluation of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.  For more information regarding the Department of Digital Media and Design please visit the department website at dmd.uconn.edu. Employment of the successful candidate will be contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check. (Search # 2015298)

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.