Communication Design Chair for four-tenure track Faculty Search Committee, 2021-2022

This search for four tenure-track faculty members was a significant undertaking for our department, one that will have a long-term impact on both our students and academic community. We approached this process with a focus on accessibility, mentorship, program development, and expanding the scope of our discipline.

The search committee—comprised of Katherine Hughes, Lisa Rosowsky, Eric Dusseault (Assistant Director of Academic Success Programs), and myself—was assembled to bring a diversity of perspectives. In drafting the job posting, we challenged traditional academic limitations by removing the MFA requirement, broadening qualifications to include assistantships and youth programs, emphasizing a diverse design canon, and seeking multilingual candidates.

To expand our reach, we advertised the position not only through standard outlets but also targeted HBCU design programs and leveraged networks developed through our department's participation in the BIPOC Design History course.

After reviewing over 44 candidates, we selected 12 for prescreening interviews and advanced seven to the final round, ensuring candidates received questions in advance. Seven applicants came to campus and were able to participate in a critique in class and give a short presentation.

Student involvement was a key part of the process, with interviews scheduled during a required class and open to all students for feedback. To acknowledge the time commitment on students part, those attending five or more interviews were given a book as a thank-you from the department.

The search concluded successfully with the hiring of Fish McGill, Tatiana Gomez Gaggero, and Ryan Diaz to full-time tenure-track positions, significantly strengthening our faculty and reinforcing our commitment to diversity and accessibility.