Director and Associate Professor

The Digital Worlds Institute in the College of the Arts seeks a Director to oversee and guide all aspects of the Institute, continuing the current strong trajectory and balancing the need to support both research and teaching. The successful candidate will demonstrate a deep understanding of faculty research (both externally sponsored and departmentally sponsored) in Digital Worlds, a clear commitment to student success, both in and out of the classroom, and the ability to connect with external funders, whether in industry or private philanthropy.

The University of Florida College of the Arts intends to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond. As artists and scholars, we embrace the complexity of our evolving human experience and seek to empower our students and faculty to shape that experience fearlessly through critical study, creative practice, and provocation. We seek a colleague who identifies as a change-maker. We seek a colleague who will position emerging artists and researchers as catalysts for justice on local and global levels.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop, foster, and maintain an environment where interdisciplinary faculty and student research thrive.
• Help shape the curricula to ensure that graduating students are prepared to move into the professional world or advanced study.
• Manage the administrative, budget/fiscal, facilities, academic and research operations, and degree programs of Digital Worlds in ways that are in alignment with the strategic plan of the College of the Arts and the University of Florida.
• Articulate Digital Worlds’ vision, goals, and accomplishments to its constituencies and promote visibility.
• Serve as a connector between Digital Worlds and collaborators both internal and external to UF
• Lead efforts in external engagement and fundraising.
• Maintain an active national and international research profile consistent with the expectation of tenure and promotion.

DIGITAL WORLDS INSTITUTE: Digital Worlds Institute (DW) is an interdisciplinary institute that offers academic and research programs at the intersection of the arts, communications, and technology. Founded in 2001 as a partnership between the College of the Arts and the College of Engineering, DW has grown its initiatives across additional units including the Colleges of Education, Journalism & Communications, and the Health Sciences. DW offers both a graduate and an undergraduate program in Digital Arts & Sciences. By bringing together the diverse talents of UF faculty, students, and staff in a multifaceted collaborative environment, the Institute serves as a platform for interdisciplinary research and teaching that would not have occurred within the confines of any one college or department. Through the use of interactive tools and technologies, the Institute promotes transdisciplinary creativity across classrooms, continents, and cultures. For more information, visit  www.digitalworlds.ufl.edu.

THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS: The mission of the College of the Arts is to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond.  We achieve the university’s mission by training professionals and educating students as artists and scholars, while developing their capacities for critical study, creative practice, and provocation.  The College offers baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Approximately 1,700 students are pursuing majors in degrees offered by the College of the Arts under the direction of 135 faculty members in its three accredited schools— the School of Art + Art History, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre + Dance, and in the Center for Arts in Medicine, the Digital Worlds Institute, and the Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship. In addition, the college comprises the University Galleries, and the University level of the New World School of the Arts in Miami. 

The University of Florida: The University of Florida is a comprehensive learning institution built on a land grant foundation. We are The Gator Nation, a diverse community dedicated to excellence in education and research and shaping a better future for Florida, the nation and the world. Our mission is to enable our students to lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit. UF is a graduate research institution with more than 50,000 students and membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Gainesville, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most livable cities, is located midway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the University and the community comprise the educational, medical and cultural center of North Central Florida.

$200,000 max

Required Qualifications: The successful candidate must meet all of the following:

• Terminal degree in a relevant field to the Digital Worlds Institute.
• Record of advancing interdisciplinary collaboration and incorporating diverse perspectives into teaching, research and service.
• Record of achievement in the field at a national or international level, in alignment with the unit’s tenure and promotion criteria.
• Evidence of skill in designing and facilitating academic work that advances curiosity, respect, open intellectual discourse, and the welcome incorporation and well-being of all in an environment of complex differences.
• Demonstration of administrative experience overseeing budgets and operations.

Preferred Qualifications: The successful candidate will meet some of the following:

Demonstrated skills and a record of success in:

• managing, developing, and working with students, faculty, staff, stakeholders, and community members.
• communication with internal and external audiences.
• communicating, navigating, and innovating within the evolving landscape of emerging technology.
• building and implementing academic programs, including curriculum and assessment.
• raising funds, stewarding finances, and allocating resources.
• engaging collaboratively with others, particularly across disciplines.
• navigating and leveraging the networks and structures of a large, public university.
• integrating emerging technologies into curriculum, research, and creative practice.

Application Deadline: To ensure consideration, application materials must be submitted by October 20, 2025.

Application Process: Applications must be submitted via the University of Florida’s online application system.  Online applications must include the following: (1) a detailed letter of application that explains how you match the particular qualifications of this position and how your work and perspective will contribute to and enhance our transformative community; (2) a curriculum vitae; and (3) names and contact information of three professional references. The UF system will give you the option to upload letters of reference. We are not requiring letters of reference with initial application materials. Please ignore that option. The Search Committee may request additional materials at a later time.

Inquiries may be sent to:
Osubi Craig
Chair, Digital Worlds Institute Director Search
Email: osubi.craig@ufl.edu

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call +1 (352) 392- 2477or the Florida Relay System at +1 (800) 955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.