Job Description

As part of an applied theatre initiative in the theatre program and a university-wide Destination Area investment, the School of Performing Arts and the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech seek a colleague in Applied Theatre and Community Engagement (preferably with a focus on health outcomes). The successful candidate will teach both theatre courses and courses that employ applied theatre to develop capacities in a range of graduate students who are conducting research in scientific, medical, and technical disciplines, will develop curricula focused on arts-based approaches to transdisciplinary collaboration, and will work with Public Health colleagues to envision and implement public engagement studios. This will be a nine-month, academic year position with tenure home in the School of Performing Arts in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.

This position is closely associated with the Pandemic Prediction and Prevention Destination Area's initiative supported by the Office of the Provost. This effort seeks to educate and train a new generation of scientists with transformative technical and professional skills to form convergent teams that can protect and empower humans by anticipating future outbreaks and preventing them from becoming pandemics. Skill-building practices in connection, communication, and collaboration will prepare team members for effective engagement with communities. The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the activities of this initiative, including collaborating on research projects and proposals and co-mentoring students and post-doctoral fellows. They will, through this work, support the university’s intention of becoming a leading global research institution.

The successful applicant will also serve as research director in the Center for Communicating Science and will assist in the development and assessment of community outreach activities. It is expected that the successful faculty colleague will be engaged in national and international initiatives, and arts-integrated translational communication, and convergence related grant activity (NEA, NIH, NSF). The faculty will focus on arts practice, research, and teaching related to applied theatre arts and civic engagement (the many ways that people experience a sense of belonging and commitment within their communities, and the ways these experiences can lead to social or behavioral change). External funding is not a requirement, but the likelihood of external funding is part of the initial consideration.

About the School of Performing Arts: The School of Performing Arts (SOPA) joins the School of Architecture, School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts in comprising the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD), which launched in July 2022. SOPA offers programs in music, theater, and cinema at the graduate and undergraduate level. Programs are delivered in Virginia Tech’s Creativity and Innovation District, which concentrates 11 performance spaces within a three-block area on the Blacksburg campus. Performance venues range from the 1,300-seat Moss Arts Center to a 101-seat experimental theater.

The theater program at Virginia Tech is committed to education, training, and experience in the transformative power of the performing arts for students across the university. Our work, in the classroom and in practice, develops professional competencies for students and builds character and community spirit while catalyzing conversations about relevant issues in society.