Description
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.
Position responsibilities
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.
Requirements
Qualifications
Applicants must hold a MArch, PhD, or other equivalent terminal degree in architecture or a
closely related field by the 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.
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
