Teaching Professor in Apparel Design & Apparel Design Studio Coordinator

The Department of Human Centered Design (HCD) in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University invites applications for a 12-month Teaching Professor in Apparel Design , who will also serve as Apparel Design Studio Coordinator and provide faculty leadership for the Cornell Fashion Collective .

This is a teaching-focused faculty position. Seventy-five percent of the appointment is devoted to undergraduate teaching , normally six courses annually, including summer. The remaining 25% is devoted to leading and producing the annual Cornell Fashion Collective student runway show , which includes student advising, mentoring, and coordinating show-related activities, and serving as Apparel Design Studio Coordinator , leading and coordinating the apparel design studios and related instructional resources.

Advising, mentoring, industry engagement, outreach, and departmental and College service are integral to the teaching faculty role. As part of this role, the faculty member will support the Fashion Scholarship Fund and foster professional connections that enhance students’ learning and career development.

We seek an educator and practicing apparel designer with a sustained commitment to undergraduate education and hands-on learning. The successful candidate will connect creative design with technical execution and contemporary professional practice while contributing to HCD’s transdisciplinary community.

About HCD and the College of Human Ecology

The Department of Human Centered Design brings together creative studio practice, fiber and materials science, environmental design, and fashion business. Formed through the integration of Design + Environmental Analysis and Fiber Science & Apparel Design, HCD takes a transdisciplinary approach to understanding and shaping the relationship between people, materials, technologies, products, and environments.

Within HCD, apparel design provides a distinctive setting for integrating creative practice, technical expertise, material exploration, digital technologies, and human-centered approaches to design. We are looking for a colleague whose professional experience and teaching will strengthen this community and help students understand apparel as both a creative practice and a complex field of design, technology, and production.

HCD is part of Cornell's College of Human Ecology , a college dedicated to understanding the relationships among people, their environments, and the systems that shape everyday life. Cornell's founding principle of educating "any person…in any study" continues to inform its commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, and public engagement.

Why Ithaca and Cornell

Cornell offers a collegial and intellectually vibrant academic environment in Ithaca, in the heart of New York's Finger Lakes region. Apparel design students and faculty have access to substantial studio resources, including a TC2 Jacquard loom, digital textile printing, Optitex digitizing, and industrial sewing and finishing equipment.

The position offers the stability and benefits of a university career while maintaining close connections to professional apparel practice. Cornell also supports dual-career couples through its Dual Career program and membership in the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Undergraduate Teaching

Teach a range of undergraduate courses across the apparel design curriculum, according to program needs and the candidate's expertise. Courses may include apparel design, patternmaking, draping, garment construction, prototyping, product development, and design computing.

The successful candidate will create inclusive, hands-on learning experiences that connect creative concepts with materials, technical skills, and professional practice. Course development and curricular improvement are expected as appropriate.

Apparel Design Studio Coordinator

- Lead the department's apparel design studios, supporting both traditional and digital apparel technologies. Responsibilities include:
- Establishing safety and best-practice standards for studio equipment and processes
- Training students, faculty, graduate assistants, and support personnel
- Supervising student workers who support studio operations
- Managing studio scheduling, supplies, and day-to-day operations
- Coordinating equipment maintenance, repair, calibration, and vendor relationships
- Coordinating semester turnover and supervising summer graduate assistants
- Managing an assigned studio budget and recommending equipment purchases and upgrades
- Contributing to long-range studio planning and development

Industry and Student Engagement

Serve as a key connection between apparel design education and professional practice by bringing current industry practices, technologies, materials, and production methods into the curriculum and maintaining relationships with designers, brands, manufacturers, and other industry partners.

The faculty member will work with College of Human Ecology career-services and development colleagues to support internships, mentorships, career opportunities, and other professional connections for students.

The faculty member will also serve as faculty advisor to the Cornell Fashion Collective , producer of the annual student runway show, support students participating in the Fashion Scholarship Fund , and contribute to departmental and College service. Service is an integral component of the teaching faculty role.

Required Qualifications :

- Completed master's degree in apparel/fashion design, art, art education, arts administration, design, education, or a closely related field
- Bachelor's degree in apparel design, fashion design, or a closely related field
- At least three years of full-time professional experience in apparel, clothing, fashion design, product development, or a related field
- Demonstrated expertise in apparel design, garment construction, patternmaking, prototyping, and product development
- Familiarity with both traditional and digital apparel design workflows and technologies
- Evidence of teaching, training, mentoring, or supervision demonstrating a commitment to undergraduate education
- Experience managing, operating, or supporting a design studio, makerspace, or comparable facility involving professional or industrial equipment
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills and a commitment to inclusive, student-centered education

Preferred Qualifications :

- Senior or lead-level professional design experience
- Sustained experience teaching or mentoring undergraduate students
- Expertise in apparel CAD, digital fabrication, or emerging apparel technologies
- Experience with industrial sewing, pressing, finishing, digital printing, bonding, or related equipment
- Experience supervising studio personnel or student employees
- Experience managing an operational or equipment budget
- Established relationships with apparel brands, manufacturers, designers, or other industry partners

Candidates need not have experience with every technology used in the department.

Faculty Appointment

This is a 12-month Teaching Professor appointment within Cornell's teaching faculty system. Appointment may be at the assistant, associate, or full Teaching Professor rank, commensurate with prior full-time teaching experience and qualifications. Teaching faculty appointments are generally renewable on three- or five-year terms depending on rank, with advancement based on established criteria.

This is a non-tenure track, teaching-centered position . Scholarship and independent creative practice are not expected components of the appointment.

Application Materials

Please submit the following application materials:

- Cover letter addressing interest in the position and engagement with HCD's mission
- Curriculum vitae
- Teaching statement, including the candidate's development as an educator
- Professional practice and instructional portfolio
- =Examples of teaching, training, or mentoring materials
- Names and contact information for three references (not contacted without prior notice)
- Word document listing URLs for relevant online materials

Cornell University values authenticity and originality in research and scholarship. We ask that any use of AI in the preparation of your application materials be disclosed and described.

Apply through Academic Jobs Online : https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/33394

Start date: As early as July 2027
Priority deadline: January 4, 2027. Screening begins immediately thereafter. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until filled.

Contact: [email protected]

Rewards & Benefits

Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusive workplace initiatives.

- Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell (https://hr.cornell.edu/understand-your-benefits).
- Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
- To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell (https://hr.cornell.edu/about/employment-policy-practice/employment-policies/time-and-leaves/holiday-and-accrued-time)
- Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell (https://hr.cornell.edu/understand-your-benefits/education-benefits)
- Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell (https://hr.cornell.edu/job-seekers/why-cornell/total-rewards).

University Job Title:
Teaching Professor

Job Family:
Teaching

Level:
No Grade - Annual

Pay Rate Type:
Salary

Pay Range:
Refer to Posting Language

Remote Option Availability:
Onsite

Company:

Contact Name:
Sheri Spencer-Chrisjohn

Contact Email:
[email protected]

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

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- Prior relevant work or industry experience
- Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position
- Unique applicable skills
- Academic Discipline

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2026-11-12