The Department of Art, Architecture and Design at Lehigh University invites applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Architecture, with expertise in architectural design. The anticipated start date is July 1 2027.
The successful candidate will join a large and multidisciplinary department with undergraduate BA major programs in art, architecture, graphic and product design, and art history. Through a studio culture that encourages peer engagement, collective critique, and open discourse, the department's architecture curriculum fosters engagement with the built environment in its critical, technical, and social dimensions. The standard teaching load for tenure-track faculty is two courses per semester, and the university offers exceptional support to faculty, including generous start up packages for new faculty and numerous internal grant opportunities for ongoing research and creative practice.
As a faculty member in the Department of Art, Architecture and Design, the candidate will be expected to teach introductory- through advanced-level courses in architectural design in regular rotation, as well as courses in the candidate’s areas of expertise. They will also be expected to develop and maintain an active program of scholarship and creative practice that demonstrates excellence and impact, as evidenced by built works, exhibitions, awards, reviews, publications, and other forms of juried or peer-reviewed work, or professional and client-based projects comparably recognized. In both teaching and research, the candidate’s work should be seated in methods that look to make an impact in a range of communities beyond the university setting, serving both disciplinary and public interests. In addition, they will contribute to departmental, college, and university service.
The department promotes forward-thinking scholarship and teaching, with affiliation across the university’s many interdisciplinary programs, centers, and institutes. We are a versatile and experimental program that offers exceptional research opportunities and support for faculty conducting paradigm-shifting work across the boundaries of art, architecture, and design.
About the Department of Art, Architecture and Design
The Department of Art, Architecture and Design is one of Lehigh University’s largest enrolling undergraduate departments. The department offers BA degrees in four majors—art, architecture, graphic and product design, and art history—and minors in each area, as well as in museum studies and apparel design.
We offer an undergraduate education in the arts that combines the depth of an art and design school training with the breadth and flexibility of a liberal arts curriculum. We aim to enable students to become makers and designers, builders and creators—backed by the resources of a R1-level research university that has for generations helped shape innovation, industry, and design in the United States. We also aspire to excellence and distinction in experiential learning by providing students with opportunities to harness the skills they learn in the classroom, both for real-world application and as the basis for service in the community and the world at large. We are part of the College of Arts and Sciences—the heart of Lehigh University—offering a wide variety of academic majors, minors, and interdisciplinary programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
The department is housed in a 40,000-square-foot research and teaching facility on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus, with studio and classroom spaces serviced by extensive resources, encompassing a range of computer labs, printing and digital fabrication technologies, shops, and finishing areas. This includes adjacent resources of the university’s Design Labs, a network of fabrication facilities across campus; and the collections and exhibitions of the Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG), with a permanent collection of over 20,000 works of art. The department is currently expanding its community-facing design-build research programs and curriculum, with funded research and teaching opportunities for faculty and students.
The department upholds Lehigh University’s Principles of Our Equitable Community, affirming the inherent dignity of every member of our community and working to build a culture of mutual understanding, respect, and academic freedom. We are especially interested in faculty whose research, teaching, design work, and scholarship reflect these principles, whether through studio pedagogy, community engaged practice, or research that examines how the built environment shapes access and opportunity for the communities it serves. These values are central to the department’s mission and purpose.
About Lehigh University
Founded in 1865, Lehigh University has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. Recognized among the nation's highly ranked research universities, Lehigh offers a rigorous academic community for over 7,500 students. Lehigh University has some 5,800 undergraduates, 1,800 graduate students, and nearly 600 full-time faculty members. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, PA, a vibrant and historic area. Over 840,000 people live in the Lehigh Valley, which is in close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia.
Lehigh University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or familial status, national origin (including shared ancestry), pregnancy or related conditions, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Lehigh University is committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse academic community and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to this mission. Lehigh University provides competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including domestic partner benefits, and supports faculty members’ work/life balance.
Qualifications
Applicants must hold a MArch, PhD, or other equivalent terminal degree in architecture or a closely related field by date of employment. Applicants must also have at least one year of teaching experience in the university setting, beyond the level of a teaching assistantship.
Application Instructions
For full consideration, applications should be received online by January 8, 2027. Applicants should submit their materials at https://apply.interfolio.com/193666
● Letter describing the candidate’s interest in the position, also addressing intended contributions to Lehigh University’s Principles of Our Equitable Community (3 pages max.)
● Research statement, outlining current and future scholarship, including the candidate’s disciplinary approach (2 pages max.)
● Teaching statement describing pedagogy, experience, and values (2 pages max.)
● Curriculum vitae
● Portfolio of the candidate’s own creative practice and scholarship (collated as one PDF)
● Examples of work by the candidate’s students, focused on one assignment or project, with an explanation of its scope (collated as one PDF)
● Sample syllabi from courses taught or developed (2 courses max.)
● List of three (3) references with contact information (references will only be contacted if the candidate advances in the search)
Any inquiries regarding this search should be directed to Pamela Mongi, Department Coordinator, Department of Art, Architecture and Design: pgm0@lehigh.edu