Faculty Director, Imagining America (IA) at Penn State
The Penn State Imagining America Search Committee invites applications for a full-time Faculty Director position for Imagining America (IA), a national organization hosted at Penn State whose mission is to bring together scholars, artists, designers, humanists, and organizers to imagine, study, and enact a more just and liberatory ‘America’ and world. Working across institutional, disciplinary, and community divides, IA strengthens and promotes public scholarship, cultural organizing, and campus change that inspires collective imagination, knowledge-making, and civic action on pressing public issues.
The Faculty Director is an academic administrative role who would be tenure eligible in one of the three colleges: Arts & Architecture, Liberal Arts, and Health & Human Development, preferably with a research profile that aligns with the mission and values of IA. The Faculty Director will lead a team of 2-4 professionals with administrative and programmatic duties, and will work closely with the Imagining America National Advisory Board to collaboratively advance and embody IA’s mission, values, and goals, advocating for and strengthening arts, humanities, and design methodologies within and beyond the cultural disciplines.
This position is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2027. Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience. This is an in- person position. Regular on-campus presence is an essential function of this position.
Key Responsibilities (additional details here)
- National Advocacy and Thought Leadership
- Organizational Leadership
- Engaged Scholarship and Creative Practice
- Institutional and External Engagement
Required Qualifications
- A terminal degree in an academic discipline housed within one of the following three academic schools (College of Arts and Architecture (A&A), the College of Health and Human Development (HHD), or the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) is required by the appointment date
- Eligibility for a tenured faculty appointment at Penn State (at the Associate or Full level), supported by an ongoing record of scholarship, teaching, and/or community engagement that aligns with the core values and work of IA
- Demonstrated excellence as a researcher, scholar, creative practitioner, and teacher with experience in the practice of engaged scholarship and teaching
- Experience leading interdisciplinary initiatives that intentionally bridge silos—among academic disciplines, between faculty and staff, and across university and community boundaries
- Experience building relationships and partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, i.e. college administrative leaders, academic leaders, faculty, staff and students, higher education thought partners, as well as community, cultural arts, and education organization partners
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively across diverse cultural, ethnic, gender, and individual backgrounds, demonstrating a deep respect for difference
- Proven leadership in managing human and financial resources within an environment of shared governance
- Exceptional written, oral, and public communication skills and experience presenting and writing for broad public and higher education audiences, such as the American Association of College & Universities
Application
Applicants must submit 1) a cover letter; 2) a curriculum vitae, including the names and contact information of at least 3 to 5 references; and 3) a statement of leadership/ vision for Imagining America at Penn State and the value of community-engaged interdisciplinary research/ creative endeavors. System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5MB per document) as part of their application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit.
Review of applications will begin November 16, 2026, and will continue until the position has been filled. Applications need to be submitted through Penn State’s career portal:
Please direct questions about the search process via email to the search committee co-chairs:
Nicole R. Stokes, Professor of Sociology at Penn State Abington nks5344@psu.edu
Sylvia Spears, Vice Chair, National Advisory Board, Imagining America sylvia.spears@collegeunbound.edu