Whitman College Human-Centered Design Visiting Mentor (1099 contractor)

Whitman College • Walla Walla, WA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Whitman College is seeking a Human-Centered Design Visiting Mentor, a design professional who will engage in intermittent virtual and in-person advising and teaching within the Human-Centered Design (HCD) program. This role involves leading class meetings, advising students (including senior capstone students), conducting workshops, and advising faculty on curricular projects and industry best practices. The program aims to integrate a liberal arts approach with the practice of design. This is a 1099 contractor position with an expected commitment of two 3-4 day in-person visits during both the fall and spring semesters, and additional virtual visits and meetings with students spread across 10 months, from August 2026 through May 2027. The compensation includes a $5,000 payment and funding for travel expenses for the two in-person visits to campus. The HCD academic program, established in 2023-24, focuses on principles of belonging, inclusivity, and empathy to address human and non-human needs within unequal systems. It emphasizes understanding and creating aesthetic, usable, accessible, and sustainable artifacts through ethical practices, interrogated within various contexts. Students in the program gain collaborative and practical experience, develop portfolios, and can pair the HCD concentration with any academic major. The program values relationship-building among teachers and learners. The Visiting Mentor role is designed to enrich the HCD concentration by providing meaningful connections to working professionals, offering guidance on the program's development and unique positioning within a liberal arts education, and filling curriculum and skills gaps.

Requirements

• Be an experienced design practitioner whose work aligns with the principles guiding the concentration.
• Demonstrate HCD learning objectives and an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to design in your work.
• Be able to connect your work with existing academic programs on campus beyond HCD.
• Demonstrate how you would create an inclusive learning environment and attend to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrate teaching and mentoring promise that can translate into liberal arts college courses and advising sessions.
• Be able to teach human-centered design and multiple design methodologies in a general way.
• Be able to teach your specialized skills and expertise in a way that students can adapt their learning to their own projects and to a liberal arts approach to learning.
• Have an interdisciplinary approach with attention to critical thinking and creative problem solving, integrating theories and concepts with questions of ethics, sustainability, and equitable access to design.
• Be available between August 2026 and May 2027, including September and January-April for in-person visits.
• Have experiences creating inclusive and accessible work or learning environments.
• Provide a resume or CV.
• Provide a digital portfolio (or equivalent in your field) that highlights your expertise with human-centered design generally, with specific examples of projects included.
• Cannot be a current employee of Whitman College.

Nice To Haves

• Preference will be given to Whitman College alumni for the 2026-27 academic year.

Responsibilities

• Lead class meetings in HCD courses.
• Advise students in the program, including senior capstone students.
• Offer workshops.
• Advise faculty on curricular projects and industry best practices.
• Participate in virtual professional development related to mentoring and creating an inclusive learning environment.
• Facilitate in-person HCD class sessions during campus visits.
• Offer an in-person workshop or talk during one or both campus visits.
• Provide virtual office hours for students taking HCD courses.
• Provide student project and portfolio critiques and tips.
• Communicate regularly with HCD faculty co-directors, other Visiting Mentors, and relevant departments and programs.
• Involve HCD students in your design practice, if possible.
• Connect your work with people and organizations in Walla Walla.
• Support the development and implementation of co-curricular design-based learning experiences.
• Stay involved with HCD in fulfilling ways after the mentorship is completed.

Benefits

• $5,000 payment
• Reimbursement for food and travel expenses for two 3-4 day in-person visits to Walla Walla, per Whitman College travel policies
• Student assistance and supplies for class sessions or workshops will be provided by the HCD program if needed.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed