Description

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Position Vacancy Listing,  PVL # 84426

Please Note: A change was made to this position announcement on 11/30/15 to extend the

application deadline to 2/26/16.

Title: Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Textile History/Material Culture

Principal duties: The School of Human Ecology seeks an established scholar within material culture studies with depth in the history of textiles and history of fashion to join the faculty of the Department of Design Studies. The position is a 9 month, full time tenure track position at the level of Assistant Professor, or tenured position at Associate or Full Professor levels. This position may lead to an endowed chair position for a qualified candidate.

The individual will serve as faculty director and coordinator of activities between the department and the Center currently anchored by the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection and the Ruth Davis Design Gallery. As such, the successful candidate will be expected to work collaboratively with the Textile Collection and Design Gallery within the School and in partnerships in the broader campus in the area of material culture studies. The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection contains approximately 13,000 objects. You can view over 9,000 of these objects online by searching the University’s Digital Collection. Objects in the collection span the globe and centuries, from archaeological textiles to mid-century American textiles. https://sohe.wisc.edu/research-development/textile-collection/digital-collection

The successful candidate will contribute to the research, teaching and outreach missions of the Department of Design Studies in the broad area of material culture by teaching courses that enrich and support the studio design programs within the department. The Department of Design Studies is inherently interdisciplinary with strong undergraduate and graduate programs in studio design, with faculty who are committed to the rich, innovative interactions that rise from the intersections between research and studio creativity and real-world issues. The department is currently working in Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Ecuador, and China; one project is seeking to enrich the health and wellbeing of women and communities via the incorporation of high quality product design and innovative marketing with microenterprise and health initiatives. Closer to home, the department collaborates closely with other school majors such as Retailing and Civil Society and Community Studies.

The position is open to an individual firmly grounded in the history of textiles and the history of fashion with an established record of publication and active research.   The individual will be committed to an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to humanistic study and scholarship in his or her work. In this approach, the physical object is not passively reflecting a culture but is an active agent participating in broader social and cultural events within which it is embedded.
The individual will benefit from the considerable resources unique to a research institution, designed to enhance scholarly work and teaching. Faculty generally teach two classes each semester on both graduate and undergraduate levels, and guide graduate and undergraduate research. Specific courses that need to be taught are History of Textiles and History of Fashion. Other potential courses include a graduate seminar course in the individual’s area of expertise, an upper level multidisciplinary course in an area of interest/expertise and relevant to the school’s mission, and a course in exhibition development based on the resources of the textile collection and gallery. The successful candidate will have the ability to work with students not only from Design Studies but other allied majors such as Retailing and Consumer Behavior within the school. The candidate will also participate in program development, and provide broader service to the School and University, as well as provide stewardship to donors who support the program and the endowed position.

Additional Information:

– Candidates must have effective oral and written communication skills, demonstrated ability to attract extramural funding and a documented record of publication in peer-reviewed journals.
– The Ph.D. degree must be in a relevant field with a focus on history of textiles and/or history of fashion, and experience within the broader field of material culture studies.
– Candidate must have teaching, research and scholarship experience in the area of textiles within material culture at or equivalent to mid-level assistant professor or higher.
– Candidate must demonstrate evidence of experience and/or interest in working with collections.
– Candidate must demonstrate ability and experience in communicating with a diverse and broad audience such as students, scholars, designers, artists, industry leaders, scientists and potential donors.

THE SCHOOL OF HUMAN ECOLOGY: The mission of the School of Human Ecology is to understand the complex relationships and interdependence among individuals, groups and families, and to focus on quality-of-life issues through research, creative innovation, education, and outreach. The School has four academic departments (Consumer Science, Civil Society and Community Studies, Design Studies, and Human Development & Family Studies) with a collective undergraduate enrollment of 900 students, and 100 graduate students.

THE UNIVERSITY: The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a strong reputation as a research university, ranking as one of the top ten universities in America in every survey of scholarly reputation conducted since 1990. It is a land-grant institution with an enrollment of about 40,000 students. The university has excellent computer and library resources. Madison (pop. 223,000) is the state capital with the culture of a large urban area and the comfort of a small city. See http://wisc.edu

A criminal background check will be conducted prior to hiring.
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Full Time Salary Rate: Negotiable
Term: ACADEMIC (9 months)
Appointment percent: 100%
Anticipated begin date: MARCH 02, 2016
Number of Positions: 1

TO ENSURE CONSIDERATION

Application must be received by: FEBRUARY 26, 2016

HOW TO APPLY:

Materials should be emailed as a PDF file to the attention of Roberto Rengel, Chair of Design Studies to the email: caps@sohe.wisc.edu with the PVL number 84426 in the subject line. A cover letter, 3 representative publications and a detailed curriculum vitae (CV) is required. The CV should include a complete list of publications, as well as research and teaching statements describing how the applicant’s research and teaching goals fit the position description. Those applicants wishing to be considered for a tenure-track, assistant professor position should also provide three letters of reference. Applicants wishing to be considered for a tenured appointment should state so clearly in their cover letter and provide names and contact information for three references.

Applications will be reviewed beginning December 14, 2015. Position will remain open until filled.

Please direct questions about the position to:
Professor Roberto Rengel
Chair, Department of Design Studies
Phone: 608.265.5209
Email: rjrengel@wisc.edu

Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, information regarding applicants and nominees must be released upon request. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality.

NOTE: Please indicate in writing if you request that your identity be kept confidential. If you do not indicate your preference to remain confidential, the University may be required to disclose your identify and/or application materials. The identity of finalists and successful candidates will be revealed upon request. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1 (out-of-state: TTY: 800.947.3529, STS: 800.833.7637) and above Phone number (See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. )

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:  http://www.oed.wisc.edu/478.htm

UW-Madison is required by law to request data from applicants for employment in order to monitor its recruitment and selection practices. In order for us to meet this federal reporting requirement, please go to http://www.oed.wisc.edu/reports-and-forms.htm to fill out the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form and the Applicant Self-Identification Form for Protected Veterans. Please reference the Position Vacancy Number when uploading your completed forms. Completing these forms is voluntary and your responses will be kept confidential and is not considered as part of the hiring criteria.

UW-Madison is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.
Requirements

Degree and area of specialization: A Ph.D. degree in Material Culture, Design History, Art History, Textile History, Costume history or a relevant field with a focus on history of textiles and/or history of fashion, and experience within the broader field of material culture studies.

Minimum number of years and type of relevant work experience:

For Assistant Professor: Completed PhD, and 3 years in a tenure track faculty position, including successful publishing in academic peer-reviewed journals.
for Associate Professor: A minimum of 1 year at the associate professor level with tenure in a peer institution, along with a strong research and publication record to meet standards of UW-Madison Divisional Committee for tenure.
for Full Professor: A minimum of 1 year at the full professor level with tenure, along with a strong research and publication record.

Job Information
  • Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
  • 26063541
  • December 4, 2015
  • Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology
  • Education
  • No
  • Full-Time
  • Indefinite
  • Ph.D.
  • 3-5 Years
  • 0-10%