Job description

R0149459
University of Nevada, Reno – Main Campus

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or [email protected]. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.

Job Description

The University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Art, Art History & Design invites applications for a full-time, tenured or tenure track faculty position for an Associate Professor, Director of Graphic Design to begin the fall semester of 2026. We seek an individual with strong experience in Graphic Design in areas of web design, UI/UX, 3D modeling, and animation. The ideal candidate will have an excellent background in teaching, have supervisory experience and a track record leading on design pedagogy. Experience in the latest theory and practice in the field is highly desirable, as is participation in organizations or conferences such as AIGA The Professional Association for Design. The individual will work closely with existing faculty to teach Graphic Design courses that support and connect interdisciplinary approaches, and the varied curriculum taught in the department, while bringing industry experience to the classroom.

Tenure-track faculty members in the department will maintain an active research agenda and have a 2-3 teaching load, with 40% of the time spent will be dedicated to teaching, 40% dedicated to research & creative activities, and 20% to service. The position will oversee equipment maintenance and purchases, the ordering of supplies, and work closely with Graphic Design faculty and adjunct lecturers to ensure clarity and consistency regarding preparation of course materials, timetabling, organizing portfolio review for the Graphic Design BFA, and facilitating access to labs and resources for students. Advising is a component of this role, for current, prospective and transfer students. The Director will work with Graphic Design BFA students on their individual studies and internship courses and help interface with local companies to maintain internship opportunities and to grow our roster of contacts for student employment.

The Department of Art, Art History and Design has approximately 300 majors across undergraduate and graduate programs of which nearly a third are in Graphic Design.

Required Qualifications

• A terminal degree (MFA or PhD) with at least one degree in Graphic Design
• At least 8 years of teaching experience at the college level beyond graduate teaching assistantships
• A substantial portfolio of work made in the Graphic Design field
• Ability to teach Graphic Design courses at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels
• Active record of creative activity and client work

Preferred Qualifications

• Specialized skillsets in web, UI/UX, 3D modeling & animation
• More than 5 years of industry experience in the Graphic Design field
• Participation in organizations/conferences dealing in theory and pedagogy surrounding teaching Graphic Design courses and industry skillsets
• An understanding of graphic design digital software and processes, and how this may be applied within creative industry practices
• Membership to professional organizations directly related to the Graphic Design field

Compensation Grade

Associate Professor

To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select Academic Faculty (Nine-month). Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Remarkable Retirement

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual “A” or “B” contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.

Perks of working at UNR

• Health insurance options including dental and vision – Health Insurance
• Generous annual and sick leave, life insurance, and long-term disability – Faculty Benefits
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers an annual or semester membership and family membership options. E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
• Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life’s difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate
• No state income tax!

Grants-in-Aid for Faculty Employees

The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner. Faculty Grant-in-Aid

Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program

Department Information

The UNR Department of Art, Art History and Design at the University of Nevada, Reno, offers a B.A. and a minor in Art History as well as undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a range of fine art emphases including Book Arts, Ceramics, Digital Media, Drawing, Graphic Arts, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. The Department of Art, Art History & Design functions within the School of the Arts and the College of Liberal Arts, which provides a focused environment emphasizing critical perspectives and historical knowledge leading to an informed appreciation of the world’s artistic potential. Additional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration within the College of Liberal Arts include work with the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art, the Museum Studies minor, the Gender, Race, and Identity (GRI) Department, and the Ozmen Institute for Global Studies. Additional information about the Department can be found at www.unr.edu/art.

College and University Information

The University of Nevada, Reno is a public Research 1 land-grant institution of the Nevada System of Higher Education with a student population of approximately 21,000, including over 3,000 graduate students. We are a comprehensive, doctoral university that has been designated as a Carnegie R1 institution with very high research activity and a Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Nearly half of our students are students of color, and we are an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. In accordance with the University’s land grant tier-one research institution mission, our faculty are expected to contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service in a pluralistic environment.

The University has dynamic intellectual, artistic and sports life and a close relationship to the city of Reno, an emerging tech and innovation hub with a diverse population and a rich cultural history that hosts an active art, music and festival scene. Known for its proximity to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains, Reno is a vibrant, diverse and growing city located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, about 200 miles east of San Francisco, about 100 miles east of Sacramento and 30 miles north of the state capital, Carson City. Combined with the neighboring city of Sparks, the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area has a population of more than 500,000. Reno is only 30-45 minutes from Lake Tahoe and major ski resorts and is rated one of the top locations in the United States for living and outdoor recreation. It has an international airport with direct flights to many U.S. transportation hubs and to Mexico. For more information about the city and the surrounding area, please visit https://www.reno.gov and www.visitrenotahoe.com.

The College of Liberal Arts is home to the humanities, social sciences, and arts, offering more than 25 departments, programs, museums, schools, and centers that foster creativity, critical thinking, and engaged citizenship. As one of the largest academic units on campus, the College combines a strong liberal arts tradition with innovative and interdisciplinary teaching, research, and community engagement, preparing students for meaningful careers and lifelong learning in an interconnected world. The College emphasizes inquiry, discovery, and openness to new ideas and perspectives and supports major scholarly research and creative activity in the three disciplines. The University and the College recognize that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. We are an inclusive and engaged community and recognize the added value that students, faculty and staff from different backgrounds bring to the education experience. We believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity and inclusivity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees, and our community. Visit http://www.unr.edu/liberal-arts for more information about the college.

Contact Information for this position

Search Committee Chair: Professor Kelly Chorpening [email protected]

Search Coordinator: Deirdre Poggi, Administrative Assistant, [email protected]

Exempt
Yes

Full-Time Equivalent
100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at [email protected].

Open Until Filled

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Position is open until filled. First review of applications will begin January 30, 2026.

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver’s license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.

Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University’s website

Founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno is the State of Nevadas land grant institution with a statewide mission and presence. The University of Nevada, Reno is a Carnegie I Research Institution and has been recognized as a “Top Tier” Best National University by U.S. News & World Report. With an enrollment of nearly 21,000 students we offer 145 Tier 1 accredited degree programs. Located in the picturesque Truckee Meadows the University of Nevada, Reno is surrounded by numerous state and national parks, is 45 minutes from beautiful Lake Tahoe, and four hours from San Francisco.

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a persons age, disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race, or religion.

How to apply

To apply, visit