Position: eCenter Faculty (Art Creation Specialization – 1 position)
Institution: The Guildhall at SMU
Location: SMU-in-Legacy
Date posted: August 1, 2007

 
eCenter Faculty: The Guildhall at SMU invites applicants for the position of eCenter faculty to teach in the graduate-level digital game development program in the Art Creation specialization. Teaching positions are non-tenure track with a one-year renewable term and with a full-time teaching load.  Full benefits accorded to full-time faculty are included.  
 
Unique features of The Guildhall which affect faculty requirements follow:

• The Guildhall exists to serve the needs of the digital game development industry for the very best professionals who have learned how to work in the style and at the pace of the gaming industry.
• The Guildhall involves a program designed from the ground up in conjunction with industry professionals and reviewed on a regular basis to keep it current.
• A key element of The Guildhall’s value proposition is its intimate involvement with the industry and with industry professionals.  As such, The Guildhall will draw on industry expertise in a broad range of ways to enrich the program.
• The Guildhall intends to be a focus for the industry as well as its premier education source. 

An important consequence of conceiving and positioning The Guildhall in this way is that key faculty members should have and maintain credentials as digital game development professionals as well as educators.

Position requirements include the following:

• A minimum of five years of experience in animation, preferably in the game development industry, with two published games
• Highly proficient in 3D Studio Max, Maya and Mudbox
• Key frame animation experience
• Strong understanding of traditional animation theory
• Next generation console game development experience – Xbox 360, PS3
• Traditional art background
• Excellent fundamental art skills such as lighting, composition, scale, and color, as well as critiquing skills
• Experience in character rigging, skinning, and weighting
• Ability to identify and problem solve environment optimizations and memory metrics
• A bachelor's degree in a related field, and an advanced degree is highly desirable
• Some demonstration of teaching excellence is strongly desirable
• Excellent communication and organizational skills

Applicants should send a cover letter, vita, and two letters of recommendation or names and contact information of two or more references to the Guildhall Faculty Search Committee, 5232 Tennyson Parkway, Building 2, Plano, Texas 75024.  To ensure full consideration for this position, the application must be postmarked or emailed by August 31, 2007, but the committee will continue to accept applications until the positions are filled.  The committee will notify applicants of its employment decision after positions are filled.
 
Informal inquiries about this position and the evaluation process may be addressed to diane@smu.edu.
 
All letters will be acknowledged. SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. SMU is also committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Contact Info:
Guildhall Faculty Search Committee
5232 Tennyson Parkway, Building 2
Plano, Texas 75024