The Department of Science & Technology Studies (STS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) seeks a teaching-track Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Professor of Practice in the area of design and society. We seek a versatile educator who can teach in studio, introductory, and seminar classrooms. The selected candidate will teach required and elective courses for the major in Design, Innovation, and Society (DIS) and the major/minor in Science, Technology, and Society. Studio courses are the curricular core of DIS, where students engage in design practices informed by STS theory and research, with an emphasis on social justice and sustainability. Introductory courses use engaged learning strategies, providing all Rensselaer students with an opportunity to inquire about complex social questions. Seminars address a wide range of topics about the intersections of design, technology, and society. In addition to teaching, the successful candidate will also conduct research, which may include publications, exhibitions, commissions, or collaborative projects. The position is 60% teaching, 20% research, and 20% service. We seek candidates to teach under the normal teaching load of 3-3.
Located within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, STS offers dynamic undergraduate and graduate programs that explore how science and technology shape—and are shaped by—cultural, political, and social forces, offering nuanced insights into the evolving relationships between humans and technology. Faculty in the department engage deeply with the intersections of science, technology, and society, addressing urgent and impactful issues such as environmental challenges, public health, information systems, media, engineering, and design. With scholars from a range of fields—including history, sociology, anthropology, political science, and media studies—the department fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating environment. In STS, subjects that transcend the divisions between disciplines are not merely examined but actively practiced, enabling students and faculty to collaboratively tackle the complex challenges of our time. To learn more visit hass.rpi.edu/science-technology-studies.
Applicants must have a terminal degree in design (such as an MFA, DDes., Ph.D.), or foreign degree equivalent in Science and Technology Studies or a closely related field in the humanities or social sciences. Evidence of effective teaching is required, along with the ability to demonstrate, through accomplishment, promise of academic, scholarly and/or research achievement.
For appointment at the rank of Senior Lecturer, candidates must also have attained a significant level of scholarly activity, research output, or individual creative practice.
A Professor of Practice has obtained unique professional experience, has distinguished research, and/or has performed at an executive or officer level, and has made a significant impact within the field of design. A Professor of Practice is expected to have substantial leadership experience (at least 10-15 years) and, generally, a national or international reputation for excellence in their field of expertise.
Candidates must be able to present evidence of effective teaching, including in a design studio setting. Applicants should have design skills and knowledge, such as digitally assisted design, prototyping, design processes, and visualization skills, among others.
We seek a scholar who will contribute to the STS Department’s broader commitments to socially engaged STS and design of alternative futures. Applicants should have a record of creative research and/or design practice and show promise of advancing the STS department’s mission of synthesizing design practice with the social sciences and humanities.
For further information, contact Matthew Wolf-Meyer, PhD at wolfmm@rpi.edu
See https://careers.rpi.edu/en-us/job/494563/teaching-track-position-design-and-society
