Assistant or Associate Professor

Interior Design

Tenure Track – 9 Months

College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED)

Kent Campus – Kent, OH

[Job #986093]

Opportunity:

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) at Kent State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor of Interior Design. We seek a forward-thinking educator to teach design studios that integrate advanced technologies with human-centered design approaches while developing an innovative program of research, scholarship, and/or creative work. Candidates should demonstrate strong design capabilities and expertise in interior materials, methods, and construction practices; fabrication and making; and/or digital technologies. The successful candidate will possess strong technical expertise and a demonstrated ability to teach and mentor students in a studio-based, hands-on learning environment that fosters experimentation, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving. They will be expected to integrate research, scholarship, and/or creative practice into their teaching while contributing to the continued advancement of the Interior Design program, the college, and the discipline. Teaching responsibilities may include foundational and/ or advanced interior design studios; digital applications; methods and materials; building systems and elective courses aligned with the candidate's research and/or creative expertise.

Minimum Qualifications:

The successful candidate must hold an advanced degree in Interior Design or related discipline and demonstrate teaching experience, professional/scholarly engagement, innovative research and/or creative design practice. Candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing the discipline of interior design and show promise for developing a national reputation through peer-reviewed scholarship/ research and/ or creative practice disseminated through leading venues.

About CAED and Kent State:

The CAED fosters integration of research and practice to address evolving environmental, societal, and technological challenges. The college is dedicated to advancing professional disciplines relating to the built environment and preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly changing world. Our programs engage in interdisciplinary collaboration across undergraduate offerings in Architecture, Interior Design, and Construction Management, graduate programs in Architecture, Healthcare Design, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Construction Management, and a research degree in Architecture and Environmental Design. Aligned university enterprises include Kent State’s highly ranked Fashion School, School of Visual Communication Design, College of the Arts, College of Aeronautics and Engineering, as well as the Advanced Materials and Environmental Science and Design Institutes and Design Innovation Hub dedicated to design education that addresses global challenges and transforms lives. The CIDA- and NASAD-accredited Interior Design Program provides a rigorous, high-quality education grounded in immersive studio experiences. We equip students with the skills, tools, and foundational design knowledge needed to become critical thinkers, innovative designers, and curious problem-solvers who expand the boundaries of the discipline while shaping human experience, well-being, and spatial equity in the built environment.

In addition to a rich array of university assets, CAED resources include a design library branch, materials library, lighting lab, Fabrication Lab ), and the Robotically Augmented Design Lab (RadLAB). The CAED’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) provides an opportunity for community engagement dedicated to the betterment of our region. Substantial international study opportunities include sponsored studio/course travel opportunities, study-abroad programs in Florence and Paris, traveling workshops, and sponsored workshop, lecture, and exhibition series. The CAED's 38 full-time faculty and administrators and over 1300 undergraduate and graduate students occupy the LEED Platinum 107,000 sq. ft. John Elliot Center for Architecture and Design designed by Weiss/Manfredi; the newly renovated Beall Hall, Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative in downtown Cleveland; and the Palazzo Vettori in the historic center of Florence, Italy.

Located midway between New York and Chicago in the Cleveland/Akron metro area, Kent State is an R1 research university in the heart of a burgeoning cultural and industrial region that is home to some of the world’s finest art museums, parks, universities, restaurants, theaters, music venues, and independent cinemas. These include the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra, Playhouse Square, the Akron Art Museum designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, and nearby landmarks such as Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Cleveland Metroparks, Holden Arboretum, and Lake Erie's scenic shoreline. The area also features notable works by internationally recognized designers and architects, including James Corner, Frank Gehry, Farshid Moussavi, NADAAA, Laurie Olin, Stanley Saitowitz, and Rafael Viñoly, offering rich opportunities to engage with exemplary architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and public space.

For more information on Kent State see: http://www.kent.edu/ and the CAED at http://www.kent.edu/caed/.

Application Process:

Apply online at https://jobs.kent.edu/jobs/search/faculty : (search by position 986093). Submit:

1. Letter of interest outlining vision for interior design education, a teaching philosophy, and research agenda.

2. Curriculum Vitae

3. Portfolio (Max 10MB) with research/scholarship, creative work, and teaching evidence (e.g., course syllabi and examples of student work)

4. Contact information for three references

Review begins September 1, 2026. Full consideration will be given to applicants who have submitted by September 30, 2026. For inquiries, contact Search Committee Chair Tina Patel at tpatel10@kent.edu.

Kent State University is committed to creating a community that is culturally and intellectually diverse and to attracting and retaining a diverse staff. We strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that respect differences and are inclusive, welcoming, respectful, and kind.

Kent State University

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Assistant or Associate Professor Interior Design Tenure Track – 9 Months