Assistant or Associate Professor in Interior Design - Kansas State University

The Interior Design program at Kansas State University is searching for a new team member at the rank of tenure-track assistant or associate professor. The start date for this position is August 2025. Our program’s hallmarks reflect the scholarly and practice expertise of the faculty and our mutual commitment to preparing entry-level professionals for teamwork, collaboration, evidenced-based design, and designed interior environments that promote health and wellbeing.

We invite experienced practitioners and scholars who are passionate about interior design, and its potential to improve human health and wellbeing, to apply for this position. Candidates should be committed to a tripartite mission of teaching, creative and/or scholarly research, and service. We are searching for a colleague with creative energy, drive, and vision that is future-oriented, who shares our values of research and design, and has a collaborative spirit.

Teaching

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to teach in design studios across the curriculum, and the capability to integrate contemporary methods into their design studio teaching. Candidates should be proficient in design software commonly used in practice today, specifically Revit, Enscape and the Adobe Creative Suite. The candidate should be able to develop courses and teach in one or more of the following areas: ID Studio Coursework (various levels), environment and behavior, evidence-based design, materials and construction, and/or digital visualization. Application materials must demonstrate design and/or teaching excellence in one or more of these areas. Our faculty co-teach studio courses, which requires a high level of teamwork and as such, candidates should have collaborative practice experience. This 9-month position at the rank of assistant or associate professor has a starting date of August 2025, with a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Creative and Scholarly Agenda

The successful tenure-track candidate will demonstrate the ability to develop research and creative scholarship based on their teaching and/or creative interests and professional expertise. These interests will form the core of their scholarly/creative agenda and serve as a portion of the basis for promotion and advancement.

This faculty search comes at an exciting time for the Interior Design program. Our new home in the Department of Interior Architecture and Industrial Design (IAID) in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design (APDesign) provides new opportunities for collaboration and supporting resources that will help our distinguished undergraduate program thrive.

Kansas State University’s first interior design course was taught in 1924, and this year marks a 100-year record of excellence in our program. Today, we have 7 faculty and 140 students. In July 2024, the program was moved from the College of Health & Human Sciences (formerly Human Ecology) to the College of Architecture, Planning and Design (APDesign). Our new home, the Department of IAID, is built upon a 60-year tradition of providing students with a nationally recognized and innovative education. The re-location of our program aligns with a pivotal time in the profession as we adapt to new technologies and develop new ideas for pedagogy, curriculum, and research. APDesign provides opportunities for faculty and student collaboration with colleagues in the Master’s programs of Interior Architecture, Industrial Design and the Departments of Architecture and Landscape and Regional Community Planning. We will soon move into a renovated and newly built building, Seaton Regnier Hall. This new facility has the latest technology and houses a world-class facility with 20,000 sq. ft. of fabrication and research laboratories. Our new and robust environment of creative disciplines, collaborative opportunities, and technical infrastructure will launch our next phase of change and advancement.

Students in the K-State Interior Design program have received international recognition through design competitions and strong industry support from alumni and employers for workplace readiness and ability to contribute to team effectiveness. The Interior Design faculty approach design education as a team of engaged scholars who facilitate student success through experiences in and out of the classroom. This success is proven by our students’ degree completion time and employment rates. In Spring 2024, 100% of Interior Design graduates completed their degree in 4 years. Although not required, 100% of these students also had an internship experience while in the Interior Design program.

Please apply to join us if you want to work with a faculty team that co-teaches studios and continuously improves our courses and curriculum to assure students experience a coordinated education that reflects diverse perspectives. The perspective we share is a belief that interior designers change the world through evidence-based design that meets societal challenges while meeting client expectations. We hope our interior design students will become stewards of professionalism and ethical responsibility for social issues vital to design practice.

The Interior Design program manages enrollment by admitting students selectively and is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association for Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Additional information may be found at www.ksu.edu (university), apdesign.k-state.edu (college), apdesign.k-state.edu/IAID (department) and www.manhattan.org (community).