[Air-L] Job Ad: AI in Media Industries and Production, Definite-term (two- year) Teaching Stream Assistant Professor

[Gerald Voorhees]

The Department of Communication Arts in the Faculty of Arts at the
University of Waterloo

invites applications for a Definite-term (two-year) Teaching Stream
Assistant Professor

beginning January 1, 2026.


The successful candidate will have a PhD or other terminal degree in
Communication, Media

Studies, Media Arts, or a related field, as well as a strong practitioner
profile and

demonstrated excellence in teaching. In addition to teaching Digital Arts
Communication

(DAC) classes in Communication Arts, they will contribute to a third-party,
post-graduate

credential incorporating animation, game development, advertising, and
storytelling,

supported by the department and WATSPEED by 1) providing curriculum
oversight for the

AI media production credential delivered by the third-party, and 2)
planning and helping to

deliver the credential’s optional two-four-week intensive, in-residence,
Summer Experience

that has three components: a) classroom instruction focused on the social
and cultural

dimensions of AI, media, and media production, b) a project showcase of
work produced by

students during the AI media production credential, and c) cultural and
professional

experiences in Southern Ontario.


The successful candidate will contribute to current departmental programs
by teaching

primarily undergraduate Digital Arts Communication (DAC) classes in
Communication Arts.

A demonstrated pedagogical commitment to theoretically-informed practice,
student-

centered learning, and engagement of broad public concerns is required. We
seek a dynamic

and innovative scholar-educator whose creative/design practice and teaching
explore the

intersections of AI, media, and media industries within professional,
sociocultural, and global

contexts. In addition to teaching the historical and cultural dimensions of
media in the

Summer Experience, the ideal candidate will be able to teach broadly in the
DAC area,

particularly courses such as DAC 248 Project Management in the Arts, DAC
305 Designing

and Evaluating Digital Games, and DAC 309 User Experience Design. The ideal
candidate will

also have a deep understanding of media theory and history, coupled with
expertise in

artificial intelligence and/or its application in contemporary media
industries and media

production. Approaches based in principles of anti-racism, feminism,
inclusion, diversity,

equity, accessibility and methodologies informed by critical race,
Indigenous, dis/ability,

trans, feminist, queer, sustainable, and/or Marxist theories are especially
welcome.


The Department of Communication Arts is committed to providing students
with lifelong

capacities 1) to examine agency and implication; 2) to support the
development of critical

and creative competencies; and 3) to encourage a language and imagination
for the public

good. The department has undergraduate programs in Communication
Studies,Communication
Arts & Design Practice, and Theatre & Performance, and a minor in Digital

Arts Communication open to students across the university.


The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $120,000. Duties include
teaching (70%) and

academic service (30%).


For full consideration, applications must be received by August 31, 2025.
Application

materials must be submitted as PDF files through the Online Faculty
Application System

(https://ofas.uwaterloo.ca/). Application materials should identify how the
candidate’s

teaching and service aligns with the program objectives (see below) and
advances equity,

anti-racism, decolonization, and inclusion. Please include electronic
copies of a

• cover letter

• curriculum vitae

• evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g. 1-2 examples of syllabi, small
selection of

course evaluations, and/or statement of teaching philosophy)

• evidence of publication, practice-based and/or research-creation work

• Names and contact information for 3 referees who will only be contacted
to provide

references for you should your application advance to the final round of

consideration.


The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place
on the

traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee
peoples. Our main

campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six
Nations that includes

six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward
reconciliation takes place

across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community
building, and is

centralized within the Office of Indigenous Relations (
https://uwaterloo.ca/indigenous).


The University of Waterloo is a research intensive university that values
the diverse and

intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The
University regards equity and

diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to
accessibility for all

employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our
values of equity,

anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from
candidates who have

been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who
identify as

Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, Inuit/Inuk), Black,
racialized, people with

disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.


The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with
disabilities. If you

have any application, interview or workplace accommodation requests, please
contact

Adrian Buchanan at adrian.buchanan at uwaterloo.ca.


If you have any questions regarding the position, the application process,
assessment

process, or eligibility, please contact Gerald Voorhees, Chair of
Communication Arts at

gerald.voorhees at uwaterloo.ca.


All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and
permanent

residents will be given priority.


Three reasons to apply:
https://uwaterloo.ca/faculty-association/why-waterloo.