Date Posted: 02/24/2021
Teaching Fellowship (3 Positions Available)
University of Oklahoma College of Architecture
Position Description:
Job Details:
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Gibbs College of Architecture seeks candidates to fill three, full-time faculty fellow appointments, starting in August 2021. Two fellowship appointments will be made in Architecture; and one joint fellowship appointment will be made in Architecture/Interior Design. Each appointment is 9 months/year, for a two-year term. Please note that Gibbs College is also hiring three tenure-track or renewable term faculty members in Architecture (visit http://apply.interfolio.com/83982), as well as a tenure-track faculty member in Interior Design (visit http://apply.interfolio.com/83981)
These fellowships enable emerging designers and scholars to spend two years immersed in the creative community of the OU Division of Architecture. Successful candidates will be collaborative designers, scholars and teachers prepared to work with interdisciplinary faculty and students in Gibbs College’s ranked, fully accredited design programs.
To honor the legacies of three important University of Oklahoma alumni, these fellowships carry the following titles (see below for more information about each alumnus):
- Herb Greene Teaching Fellowship
- Violeta Autumn Teaching Fellowship
- Robert L. Wesley Teaching Fellowship
Fellowship Duties
Fellows will be given the time and support necessary to develop their creative activities and research, as well as opportunities to grow as teachers. Each fellow is required to teach three courses per academic year, as well as develop a creative project or research agenda to be shared with the OU community through a public lecture or exhibition. Possible areas of investigation may include, but are not limited to: improving equity and belonging in design practice and pedagogy; housing; resilience; community design; real estate; and building technology. Fellows with an interest in architectural history will also have access to the incredible body of work produced by the architects of the American School, now housed in the OU Libraries American School Archive.
Opportunities at Gibbs College
The appointment offers the following exciting opportunities for one’s career path in higher education:
- To work with inspired leadership and nationally recognized faculty committed to creative and innovative approaches to design education
- To contribute to an architecture program recently ranked #4 by Design Intelligence in the “Most Hired From” category and/or an interior design program which was recently ranked #7 by DesignIntelligence in the “Most Hired From” category
- To develop teaching and scholarly/creative collaborations across the College, including with an Environmental Design and an Urban Design program, and with accredited programs of Construction Science, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture (#11-ranked public graduate program*), and Regional & City Planning, as well as OU colleagues from other colleges
- Regular internal grant funding opportunities, including research and community engagement grants, guest lecturer funding grants, and travel funding
Required Qualifications at the Time of Hire
- At least one degree held by the candidate must be in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design, or other related design discipline
- Experience working in an architecture office, design firm or evidence of an emerging research agenda
- Ability to teach a design studio in architecture and/or interior design
- Ability to thrive in a collegial and collaborative working environment
Preferred Qualifications
Individuals who truly value interdisciplinary collaborative teaching, scholarship/creative activity, and service are preferred. Additional preferences include:
- Demonstrated potential for successful peer-reviewed research, competition awards, or design awards
- Evidence of innovative teaching strategies in architecture and/or interior design studios, including, but not limited to, community engagement and inclusive design projects
- Professional registration/licensure in architecture or interior design or a Ph.D. in architecture or a related field
Application Instructions
Please submit one package to be considered for all three fellowship positions. Interested candidates should submit the following materials via Interfolio as soon as possible:
- Cover letter which highlights 1) teaching philosophy and interests, 2) scholarly/creative activity and/or community engagement interests, and 3) relevant experiences and accomplishments, works in progress, or proposed work that demonstrate your potential for success in a teaching fellow position
- Full contact information for two professional references (please indicate if these are to remain confidential)
- Current curriculum vitae
- Digital portfolio of teaching, research and professional/creative activity (max. 20 pages)
- All application materials may be submitted online through the Interfolio website at: http://apply.interfolio.com/83997
Application Review
Review of applications will begin on March 8th and continue until the positions are filled. Please submit questions by email to Camille Germany (germany@ou.edu).
About the Fellowships
These fellowships pay tribute to the contributions of OU alumni Herb Greene, Violeta Autumn, and Robert L. Wesley; their years at OU during the American School period were formative ones in which they grew as designers. Through these fellowship opportunities, we aspire to provide the same fertile conditions for growth and development to today’s emerging designers and scholars.
About Herb Greene:
Herb Greene (b. 1929) was drawn to the University of Oklahoma by the promise of studying architecture with Bruce Goff. Greene left Syracuse University destined for Oklahoma in 1948, where he quickly emerged as one of the most talented designers. Goff, however, did not encourage imitation by his students; rather he challenged each student to develop their own unique identity as designers. Greene embraced this philosophy and developed his own radially creative approach to design evident in projects such as his 1961 Prairie House (pictured above). Greene also emerged as a gifted teacher known for being able to coax the very best work out of his own students. After graduating and spending time in practice, Greene returned to OU in 1957 to join the faculty. A generation of inspired architects were fortunate to have Greene as their teacher and mentor.
About Violeta Autumn:
Violeta Autumn nee Eidelman (1930-2012) was born in Peru. Autumn studied architecture with Bruce Goff at the University of Oklahoma, where she embraced an organic approach to design. Autumn practiced architecture and served as a community leader in the San Francisco Bay Area. She partnered with fellow Oklahoma architecture graduate John Marsh Davis to found the award-winning firm Davis-Autumn & Associates. She designed her own home in Sausalito, California, which was featured in Progressive Architecture magazine and Look magazine. Autumn served her local community in many capacities including on the Planning Commission and as a City Councilwoman. She was also an artist and cookbook author.
About Robert L. Wesley:
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Robert L. Wesley received his Bachelor of Architecture (1962) and Master of Architecture (1963) from the University of Oklahoma, where he was the second Black graduate of the OU architecture program. Wesley joined the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became its first Black partner in 1984. During his nearly four decades with the Chicago office of SOM, he worked on an impressive range of civic, educational, commercial, master planning and infrastructure projects located in the US and internationally, including Algeria, Australia, Canada, Mexico and the UK. Among his major urban Chicago projects, Wesley worked on included The Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Symphony Hall, Chicago Lyric Opera House, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Chicago Lakefront Millennium Park, O’Hare International Airport and Collateral Land Planning, Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago International Entertainment District.
Our Culture of Excellence
The Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma, whose oldest program was established in 1916, supports a future in which all communities are designed for resiliency and empowered to maximize their social, economic, and environmental well-being. Gibbs College educates more than 650 students through undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs across seven academic units in Architecture, Construction Science, Environmental Design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Regional and City Planning. Gibbs College is also home to the Institute for Quality Communities, a community engagement program which has completed more than 50 community projects in 28 Oklahoma counties. For more information about college programs, please visit gibbs.ou.edu.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Belonging
These positions reflect a renewed commitment by Gibbs College to improve equity and belonging in our communities through scholarship, teaching, and professional practice. Gibbs College of Architecture is committed to recruiting faculty and students from underrepresented identities and is dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for all. Candidates who share and contribute to this commitment are strongly encouraged to apply, including those from underrepresented identities and/or with experiences working with underrepresented communities. Please see “Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity + Belonging statement” to learn more (link).
About the University of Oklahoma
Established in 1890, the University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Carnegie R1 Institution (Very High Research Activity) known for its excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement, including its service to the educational, cultural, economic and health-care needs of the state, region, and nation from three campuses located in Norman, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. OU enrolls over 30,000 students and has more than 2,700 full-time faculty members in 21 colleges. In 2014, OU became the first public institution ever to rank #1 nationally in the recruitment of National Merit Scholars; today, it is home to over 600 National Merit Scholars. Its 277-acre Research Campus in Norman was named the No.1 research campus in the nation by the Association of Research Parks in 2013; in 2017, Architectural Digest named OU’s Bizzell Library among the 18 most stunning university libraries in the world. Learn more about OU’s aims and purpose in our “Lead On” strategic plan (2020).
Norman, Oklahoma, is a culturally rich and vibrant town located just south of Oklahoma City. With outstanding schools, amenities, and a low cost of living, Norman is a perennial contender in “Best Places to Live” rankings. Oklahoma City was recently named one of the “50 Best Places to Travel” by Travel + Leisure magazine. Visit ou.edu/facultyrecruitment for more information about what OU and the local communities have to offer.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Oklahoma is an EO/Affirmative Action institution (http://www.ou.edu/eoo/). Women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. The University of Oklahoma, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to: admissions, employment, financial aid, housing, services in educational programs or activities, or health care services that the University operates or provides.
Land Acknowledgement
The University of Oklahoma is on the traditional lands of the Caddo Nation and the Wichita & Affiliated Tribes. This land was also once part of the Muscogee Creek and Seminole nations. It also served as a hunting ground, trade exchange point, and migration route for the Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, and Osage nations. Today, 39 federally recognized Tribal nations dwell in what is now the State of Oklahoma as a result of settler colonial policies designed to confine and forcefully assimilate Indigenous peoples. Read our full land acknowledgement (link).
Contact:
| Camille Germany |
| Administrative Assistant |
| University of Oklahoma College of Architecture |
| OK United States |
| germany@ou.edu |
