Asst. Prof of Prac, EMA: Designing Experiences
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NEThis is a Full Time Job
Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Practice, Emerging Media Arts – Designing Experiences.
We seek a designer, or creative technologist professional whose practice explores human experience across emerging media systems — from spatial experience and interactive design to spatial computing and sensory design. The ideal candidate creates work that merges concept, form, and technology to produce meaningful, participatory, or embodied experiences — whether through games, sound, light, movement, or data-driven interaction. The Designing Experiences faculty encompasses teaching and professional practice that engage sensory design, interactivity, and emergent systems. We are interested in candidates whose work examines how media and technology shape perception, presence, play and participation.
Possible areas of expertise include (but are not limited to):
Interactive and immersive environments design.
Spatial computing and interactive systems design.
Sound, light, and motion as design media.
Experimental interface design.
Embodied and participatory experience design.
AI-driven storytelling, performance, or design.
Game design.
Key Responsibilities
Teach courses across interactive systems, spatial experience, and computational or foundational visual practice.
Lead project-based studios that integrate technology, design, and experimentation.
Collaborate with colleagues across film, theatre, design, art, graphic design, music, computer science, and architecture.
Mentor students to develop critical, technical, and creative skills in experiential media.
Contribute to undergraduate and graduate curriculum development and service at the School and College levels.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with at least five years of professional experience in experience design and/or interactive media, including work in areas such as spatial experience design, interactive systems, immersive media, and user-centered experience prototyping.
Working career as an experience designer or creative technologist, represented through a body of work that has received national or international exhibition in festivals, museums, public installations, live events, or digital and immersive media platforms showcasing experiential and interactive arts.
Preferred Qualifications
Terminal degree (MFA, Ph.D., or equivalent professional experience) in experience design, media arts, or a related field; OR in exceptional cases, significant professional credentials and experience in lieu of a terminal degree.
Evidence of teaching effectiveness or the potential to develop innovative pedagogy.
Experience with creative coding, or prototyping methods (e.g., Unity, Unreal, TouchDesigner, Arduino, and other creative coding platforms).
Knowledge of AI/ML frameworks applied to creative practice.
Salary/Benefits
Nebraska offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with the successful candidate’s background and experience. Faculty status with opportunities for promotion in rank and sabbatical opportunities for continued learning and professional development are additional key benefits. This position comes with resources to support innovative teaching and creative practice.
Additional Information
Lincoln, Nebraska, is a vibrant college community that features a dynamic downtown area, home to the state capital and a burgeoning tech industry, alongside a variety of restaurants, coffee houses, movie theaters, clubs, bike trails, and urban residences. The city is known for its excellent public schools, low cost of living, and high quality of life. It fosters a friendly and creative atmosphere, with a strong appreciation for the arts, exemplified by institutions such as the Lied Center for Performing Arts, the Sheldon Museum of Art, the International Quilt Museum, the Nebraska State Museum, and the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Within this context, the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts serves as an interdisciplinary center and creative research facility established with a $57M investment from the Johnny Carson Foundation. It focuses on areas such as filmmaking, interactive storytelling, experience design, XR, machine learning, and innovation, bringing together world-class faculty and students to explore inclusive storytelling that addresses human-scale challenges and inspires creativity.
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/.
Job Code: F_250089
The search committee will begin formal review of applications on March 2, 2026, and will continue until an appointment is made. Interested applicants must apply online and complete the faculty information form, and upload the following required documents:
A letter of interest addressing your qualifications specific to this job description.
Artist statement.
Teaching statement – OPTIONAL (1-2 pages).
A current Curriculum Vitae.
A link to an online portfolio of writing work – to include one full-length short screenplay and excerpts from at least one full-length feature film, or episodic work, or game, or other form of storytelling.
The names and contact details of three professional references.
If submitting a teaching statement, please combine it with the artist statement for upload. Website:
