Assistant Professor in Technical Games Research (AI, XR, HCC) - University of Utah Division of Games - Salt Lake City, UT

The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Technical Games Research to begin Fall 2024. We seek applicants with expertise in at least one of three technical games research areas:

(1) Artificial Intelligence (AI);

(2) eXtended Reality (XR) including Virtual (VR), Augmented (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR);

(3) Human-Centered Computing (HCC).

The successful candidate will share our vision of the power that games hold to transform players, groups, and society. This position is part of a significant, multi-year commitment for faculty growth in the Division of Games.

Note: we are committed to recruiting, welcoming, and supporting a diverse community of undergrad and graduate students, postdocs, scientists, staff, and faculty. We are also committed to addressing lifestyle priorities and will work with candidates to develop opportunities for partners and family members.

Necessary qualifications:

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in a technical discipline (e.g., computer science, cognitive science, informatics) at the time of hire. Candidates must be able to demonstrate strong potential for impact, scholarly productivity, leadership, and commitment to the teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students.

Preferred qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates who have a clear interest in shaping the future of our unit as a scholarly community toward a vision of sustainable growth and disciplinary breadth in games. We would be excited to see candidates prepared to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion, especially those with experience in working with diverse populations across research, teaching, and/or service.

The Division of Games is a world leader in games education, with consistently top-ranked programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Utah Games faculty includes artists, social scientists, games studies scholars, designers, and computer scientists who collectively work together on the mission to push the boundaries of what is possible in games. This diversity of backgrounds is one of the core elements within our identity. We strongly value inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to research and education, and seek to foster collaboration across the University of Utah. Currently, our faculty sustain ongoing collaborations with the School of Medicine, the Colleges of Education, Humanities, and Science, and other campus partners. Additionally, we maintain strong collaborations with the vibrant local game development community and other significant game industry-wide partners.

Our unit is committed to removing systemic barriers that have been traditionally encountered from underrepresented groups, and we strive to recruit and support faculty who will further University-wide initiatives for inclusive excellence and belonging. Interested candidates may view examples of how this commitment is exemplified within our unit by visiting https://games.utah.edu/equity-diversity-inclusion/.

We have recently received significant support from the Office of the President to advance our mission. This job opportunity is an integral first step within our plan to expand our program strengths in teaching and research/creative scholarship. To learn more about our PRESS PLAY Initiative, please visit https://games.utah.edu/pressplay/.

If you are interested in joining us to build a culture of academic excellence; to create ideas that advance our understanding of games; to share those ideas with our students, communities, and society; and to apply those ideas to change the world for the better, we strongly encourage you to apply.

The University of Utah is a Carnegie Research I institution located in Salt Lake City, nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. With thriving arts and culinary scenes, and an exploding high technology sector, Salt Lake City offers a unique mix of urban life juxtaposed with access to remarkable national parks, ski resorts, hiking and climbing, and more, just minutes away from campus.