Teaching Assistant Professor, Sustainable Design - College of Fine & Applied Arts

The Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invite applications for a Teaching Assistant Professor position in Sustainable Landscapes and Ecological Design. We seek a colleague who brings vision, intellectual depth, and expertise in planting design, ecological design, land use management, landscape performance, and sustainable urban design. This is a full-time, 9-month, non-tenure-track position with opportunity for advancement.

The position is designed to support the instructional mission of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design (BSSD) program while strengthening connections between Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning.

The departments are situated within the College of Fine and Applied Arts at a globally ranked public research university. Together they support undergraduate and graduate education in Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, Sustainable Urban Design, and the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design program. The successful candidate will contribute to teaching and curriculum development across these areas while advancing the educational goals of the BSSD program.

We seek candidates with demonstrated expertise in ecological systems, planting design, sustainable site development, landscape management, climate-responsive design, land use planning, and the stewardship of natural and urban environments. The ideal candidate will engage environmental and social challenges through teaching that integrates ecological literacy, design thinking, sustainability, planning, and professional practice.

Resources and Collaborative Opportunities

Faculty members in the Departments of Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning have access to exceptional resources and facilities throughout the College of Fine & Applied Arts and the interdisciplinary research campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. These include the Siebel Center for Design, the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, the Center for Advanced Study, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Unit for Criticism, and numerous other specialized centers.

Additional collaborative opportunities include the Krannert Museum of Art and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

This position is intended to strengthen educational leadership in ecological and sustainable design while expanding instructional capacity for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design program and supporting the long-term curricular needs of the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

The College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) is singular in thenation for its diversity, innovation and breadth. Its missionis dedicated to the advancement, practice, and understanding of thearts, and its central focus is the synergy between research and the preparation of students for professional careers in the creation and interpretation of the environmental, visual, and performing arts.

Deeply related to that focus is the commitment to elevate and sustain the study of the arts as both a necessary mode of understanding and avibrant expression of human experience within the local, national, and international communities.

This specialized faculty position will be jointly supported by the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, with the appointment structured as approximately:

The position will also serve as a core instructional resource for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design (BSSD) program , supporting the interdisciplinary curriculum of which is shared across the College of Fine and Applied Arts.

The successful candidate will maintain a teaching load of six courses annually, distributed as follows:

• Two courses annually in FAA/BSSD Core curriculum offerings
• Two courses annually in Landscape Architecture
• Two courses annually in Urban and Regional Planning

All assigned courses should contribute directly to the Bachelor of Sustainable Design curriculum in one of the following ways :

• Required courses for the BSSD major;
• Approved BSSD electives; or
• Cross-listed offerings that support student pathways…