Associate Faculty, BioDesign

Welcome to the official site for employment opportunities at MICA. At MICA, we empower our employees to use their talent in a variety of ways. We are pleased that you are interested in career opportunities offered at MICA. Title: Associate Instructional Faculty in Design and Innovation Department: Design Division: School of Art, Media, and Design FLSA Status: Exempt Reports to: Chair of the Design Department Appointment: Full-time, annual renewable Associate Faculty appointment General Purpose The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) invites applications for a full-time Associate Instructional Faculty with expertise in Biodesign.

MICA is recognized for the quality of its fine art and design programs at national and international levels, its dedication to student learning and teaching excellence, a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, and for preparing students for successful creative careers. From this heritage of creative practice two new Biodesign programs have been launched at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We invite applications from designers, artists, and researchers who have a demonstrated commitment to education to join our faculty with a preferred start date of August 1, 2027. Teaching responsibilities will be to the Design department and fulfilled in the Design and Innovation BFA program and the Biodesign MA program.

Program Description MICA is a small, private art and design school with a rich legacy of experimentation and avant-garde practice. It is from this legacy of pushing creative boundaries that the Biodesign programs were developed. Collaborations across disciplines and species are the energizing force of innovation that open new approaches to design and making, and also ground Biodesign practice in relationships of care that guide us in the challenge to live together more sustainably and vibrantly. The Biodesign degree programs at MICA are the first of their kind in the United States.

Biodesign in Undergraduate Studies: The Design and Innovation BFA is the curricular core that serves as a nexus for design thinking and skill development, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students from graphic design, product design, architectural design, biodesign, and social design. This curricular core includes; practice based design strategy and research studios, and skill building courses in drawing, analogue/digital fabrication, and visual communication. Undergraduates pursuing Biodesign are enrolled in the Design and Innovation BFA Major with a Co-Major in Biodesign. Within the 120 credit BFA degree, the course load for an undergraduate Biodesign student is divided roughly evenly across First Year Experience, Liberal Arts, Design and Innovation, and Biodesign.

Biodesign in Graduate Studies: The Biodesign MA is a 1 year, 30 credit, graduate program integrating studio practice, scientific literacy, and interdisciplinary research to prepare artists and designers to work responsibly and imaginatively with living systems. This program focuses on building skills in biotechnology with hands-on training that builds from and integrates with students’ existing expertise in art and design. Lab practices are informed by academic courses that establish scientific understanding specific to Biodesign practice. Academic seminars ground the practice culturally and ethically.

The program prepares graduates to operate at the intersection of the creative economy and the bioeconomy and supports career pathways in research, studio practice, entrepreneurship, and education. Biodesign Teaching and Research Facilities: In early 2027 MICA will open a dedicated Biodesign facility for teaching and research in the Dolphin Design Center. This new 2,000+ sq ft space includes a BSL1 Biodesign Lab shared across both programs, a flexible science classroom, a Research Lab dedicated to externally-funded Biodesign R&D, office space for lab staff, and storage. The facility supports a wide range of biodesign practices.

Cell culturing is enabled by a full sized -80C freezer, autoclaves, laminar flow biosafety cabinets, filtered Type II water, small static incubators, stacks of shaker-incubators, and centrifuges for volumes from a microliter to a hundred liters. The growth and processing of biomaterials is supported by laboratory balances, heated stir plates, a vacuum oven, and large format incubators with humidity and CO2 control. Genetic engineering is facilitated by pipettes, thermocycler, nanodrop spectrophotometer, electroporator, a liquid-handling robot, and other equipment. The facility will be supported by dedicated staff, a lab inventory management system integrated with an electronic lab notebook platform, and a culture of care for the space and all working, learning, and growing in it.

This Biodesign facility is complemented by instructional fabrication shops in the Dolphin Design Center, that include analog fabrication, 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC routing capacities. Students and faculty also have access to a wide variety of fabrication studios on campus for working in wood, metal, fibers, and ceramics. At MICA, interdisciplinarity is encouraged through shared making practices. Summary of Essential Functions The primary focus of this position is teaching and program development in the undergraduate Biodesign Co-Major and the graduate Biodesign MA.

Teaching responsibilities could also include courses within the First Year Experience (FYE) program or the Design + Innovation core curriculum depending on the needs of the department and the college more broadly. Associate Instructional Faculty are expected to fulfill a 4/4 teaching load. A portion of the 12 credits each semester may be reassigned, at the discretion of the Chair of Design, to advancement of the Biodesign programs (developing courses or outreach), service to the College (on committees or within the D+I Hub), or research activities (contributing to externally-funded research or translating developments to the classroom). The role offers a unique opportunity to help define a foundational program in Biodesign pedagogy and to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of this emerging field.

As a transdisciplinary practice that opens new possibilities for how we design, make, and live in the world, Biodesign is aligned with MICA's mission and is integrated into key initiatives that are charting the future of the college as it enters its third century. This role demands specialized knowledge in Biodesign and a willingness to engage broadly with concepts and methodologies shared with other disciplines, such as sustainability, materiality, and context-based design research. Faculty in the Design and Innovation program work with the D+I Hub to collaborate with external partners to bring real-world challenges into the classroom as creative experiential learning (CEL) opportunities. This position will lead multiple CEL courses, which will advance students’ knowledge and preparation while also demonstrating the impact of Biodesign in the world.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities Teaching 8 undergraduate or graduate studio classes per academic year (4 Fall, 4 Spring) OR additional participation in departmental and institutional service at the discretion of the Chair of Design. Teach a range of courses in Biodesign. Course may include: Intro to Biodesign Biofabrication Genetic Design Biodesign at Scale Convergent Practice Work with the Endowed Chair of Biodesign to develop and implement a curriculum that integrates biodesign design principles with experiential learning and other design practices. Mentor and advise students, fostering their creative and professional development.

Contribute to departmental initiatives, including but not limited to program development, assessment, and strategic planning. Actively participate in departmental service including: Curriculum and program development, assessment, and strategic planning Coordinating department exhibitions of student work Student recruitment and outreach College-wide committees and initiatives that promote shared governance Appointment Terms The initial appointment is for one year, with no guarantee or expectation of renewal. After the initial appointment, the Provost and the Vice President for Academic Affairs may award renewals of one or three years. Associate faculty are members of the bargaining unit, represented by SEIU Local 500.

They receive all benefits available to full-time principal faculty and are compensated under Article 26 of the collective bargaining agreement.

Minimum Qualifications

Masters degree or higher in art, design, bio-science, or other relevant field (or commensurate experience) 1+ year experience teaching in high