3D Design Practices and Woodworking (Tenure Track)

The Evergreen State College Portal • Olympia, WA

4d

About The Position

The Evergreen State College seeks a broadly capable designer, craftsperson, or artist to teach design thinking and design methodologies within Evergreen’s interdisciplinary, liberal arts curriculum. This faculty member will also participate in Evergreen’s growing woodworking and furniture design programs—conveying skills, principles, and an understanding of historical, contemporary, and environmental contexts for woodworking and related careers. This is a full-time, regular (i.e. tenure-track) faculty position in the school of Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) at The Evergreen State College, starting in the 2026-27 academic year. PaCE classes take place during evening and weekend hours. Some non-studio classes are offered online. (Design in the PaCE Curriculum:) Roughly half to three-quarters of the curriculum planning and teaching duties will be in offerings that present Design as a continuum of broadly based, interdisciplinary, problem-investigation and problem-solving methodologies. This faculty member will develop and teach solo and team-taught offerings that pair design ideas and tools with natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, business, or the arts. Offerings may incorporate design thinking, research, ideation, writing and graphic communication (including drawing and CADD ), public engagement, and community building skills. (Design and Fabrication in Wood:) The other quarter to half of this faculty member’s curriculum planning and teaching duties will be centered on woodworking design and fabrication offerings. They will lead undergraduate woodworking and furniture design studio classes as part of Evergreens Foundations of Woodworking: Craft, Culture, and SustainabilityCertificate sequence, and they will take an active role in the ongoing assessment and development of the Certificate program.) They may teach additional woodworking design and construction offerings depending on their expertise, and they will work with other faculty to support and develop the wood studio curriculum generally. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience in furniture design and construction and be able to teach a wide range of wood design and fabrication practices including relevant digital technologies. They will be prepared to address the larger social, environmental, economic, and cultural contexts of working with wood, and they will be skilled in guiding students through the specialized procedural and safety challenges of working with tools in collaborative studio settings. Interest and expertise in teaching other art or design related offerings is welcome, e.g., large metals, observational or design drawing, sculpture, environmental art, CAD , professional practices, etc. In general, this faculty member should be committed to undergraduate teaching, be able to teach diverse students with a wide range of academic skills and abilities, have an active record of creative practice, and be able to write and speak effectively about their own and others’ work. They should be intent on conveying the work and worth of design thinking and hands-on 3D making as scaffolding for thinking critically, sustainably, and culturally within a liberal arts education, while also serving as pathways to professional success.

Requirements

• Terminal degree ( MFA , PhD, or DDes) in a 3D art or design discipline (e.g.: woodworking and furniture design, industrial or product design, 3D visual arts and design, wood technology and construction, architecture, sustainable design, etc.)
• College level teaching experience, including studio-based teaching
• An active record of creative and applied research and design work
• Advanced woodworking skills including furniture making

Nice To Haves

• Specialization in 3D design or manufacturing in wood
• Experience in teaching interdisciplinary design thinking and methodologies
• Experience teaching computer-aided design and fabrication skills (including CADD )
• Experience teaching in a related field of design, fabrication, or construction (e.g., large metals or another applied art or design form)
• Experience working with diverse populations and underserved students and communities.

Responsibilities

• Curriculum planning and teaching duties in offerings that present Design as a continuum of broadly based, interdisciplinary, problem-investigation and problem-solving methodologies.
• Develop and teach solo and team-taught offerings that pair design ideas and tools with natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, business, or the arts.
• Offerings may incorporate design thinking, research, ideation, writing and graphic communication (including drawing and CADD ), public engagement, and community building skills.
• Curriculum planning and teaching duties centered on woodworking design and fabrication offerings.
• Lead undergraduate woodworking and furniture design studio classes as part of Evergreens Foundations of Woodworking: Craft, Culture, and SustainabilityCertificate sequence
• Take an active role in the ongoing assessment and development of the Certificate program.
• Teach additional woodworking design and construction offerings depending on their expertise
• Work with other faculty to support and develop the wood studio curriculum generally.
• Guiding students through the specialized procedural and safety challenges of working with tools in collaborative studio settings.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees