Description
The Texas A&M University College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts (PVFA) and the Virtual Production Institute (VPI) invite applications for a full-time, 9-month tenure-track faculty position in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Animation at the rank of Assistant Professor within the Technical Arts and Interactive Media section. The anticipated start date is August 1, 2027.
Candidates should demonstrate strong potential for scholarly achievement and the ability to establish a nationally and internationally recognized research and/or creative works agenda in AI and Animation. We welcome applicants working broadly across animation, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, character animation, human motion, and related areas.
We are particularly interested in candidates whose research and/or creative works can advance performance capture and animation, broadly understood to include the capture, analysis, synthesis, modeling, and generation of expressive human and character movement. Relevant approaches may include motion capture, markerless and multimodal capture, AI-driven and generative motion models, computational performance, expressive character animation, real-time animation, and related emerging techniques.
Areas of expertise may include, but are not limited to:
Animation craft and aesthetics, including performance, acting, timing, and character in animated movement
Character animation and advanced animation techniques
AI-driven animation, generative motion models, and neural representations
Human motion analysis, synthesis, and computational performance
Performance and motion capture in complex and real-time environments
Markerless and multimodal capture approaches
Expressive character movement and digital performance
Applications in media and entertainment, virtual production, game-engine-based character performance, simulation and training, and other interdisciplinary domains
The successful candidate will be expected to establish an active program of research and/or creative works, pursue external funding opportunities, disseminate work through publications, presentations, exhibitions, software systems, patents, or other recognized scholarly outcomes, and contribute to the national and international visibility of PVFA and the VPI.
The successful candidate will also be expected to teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, advise and mentor graduate students, participate in all aspects of PVFA's and the VPI's activities, and serve the professional community.
About the College
The College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts was formed in 2022 at Texas A&M University, bringing together the Department of Visualization, the Department of Performance Studies, and the Dance Science Program. PVFA is built without departments. Faculty sections and academic programs sit at the college level, which places musicians, composers, actors, directors, choreographers, dancers, painters, cinematographers, technical artists, level designers, spatial audio engineers, tools programmers, ethnomusicologists, art historians, UI/UX designers, and virtual set designers in one structure rather than in separate units. The College places a heavy emphasis on collaboration and interdisciplinary work in both scholarly and creative research.
The College offers the BS, MS, and MFA in Visualization, a PhD in Visual Computing and Interactive Media, and degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. It operates at the main campus in Bryan-College Station and as part of Texas A&M – Fort Worth, with facilities equipped for work at the intersection of the arts and emerging technology. Applicants should consult the college's website (https://pvfa.tamu.edu/) to review our academic and research programs.
About the Virtual Production Institute
This position is aligned with the mission of the Virtual Production Institute. Formed in 2023, the VPI is a technology-focused ecosystem for teaching, learning, and research. It develops emerging applications and the skilled workforce needed for virtual reality, augmented reality, sensors, projectors, and computing across multiple disciplines and industries. Its facilities in Bryan-College Station and Fort Worth include a performance capture and sound stage with supporting technology studio classrooms. Applicants should consult the institute's website (https://pvfa.tamu.edu/institutes/vpi/).
About the Ph.D. in Visual Computing and Interactive Media (VCIM)
The Ph.D. in Visual Computing and Interactive Media (VCIM) provides an interdisciplinary environment for advanced research at the intersection of computing, visualization, interactive media, and the arts. The program brings together faculty and students working across areas such as computer graphics, animation, artificial intelligence, visualization, virtual and augmented reality, interactive systems, and related creative and computational disciplines.
The successful candidate will have opportunities to advise VCIM doctoral students, develop graduate courses related to their research expertise, and collaborate across the College and the University on interdisciplinary research and creative projects. The successful candidate is expected to participate actively in the VCIM doctoral program, including advising Ph.D. students and, when eligible, chairing dissertation committees.
Requirements
Required: A Ph.D. in Computer Science, Visualization, Visual Computing, Computer Graphics, Animation, or a closely related field is required. The successful candidate is expected to play an active role in the Ph.D. in Visual Computing and Interactive Media (VCIM) program, including advising doctoral students and, when eligible, chairing dissertation committees.
Strong written and verbal communication skills are required, as is an enthusiasm for exploring concepts, solving problems, and collaborating across the range of artistic, technical, and humanistic disciplines represented in the College.
Candidates should have a demonstrated record of scholarly research and/or creative activity, participation in multidisciplinary research and/or creative activities, university teaching experience, student mentorship, and academic service. Evidence of, or potential for, extramural funding and industry partnerships is desirable.
Application InstructionsInterested individuals must apply through Interfolio: apply.interfolio.com/195058 and submit the following materials (embed links to your work, student work, etc. where appropriate):
Cover letter
Curriculum vitae (embed links to your work)
Personal Statement: Your statement should include your philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service.
Portfolio of creative work (link to a website preferred)
Names and contact information of five (5) professional references
Review of applications will begin 30 days after posting and will continue until the position is filled.
Questions should be directed to Ergun Akleman, Chair of Search Committee (email: ergun.akleman@tamu.edu).