Position Title:Landscape Architecture Assistant or Associate Professor (Tenure-Track/Tenure)
Appointment Type:Faculty
Job Description:
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:
The Department of Landscape Architecture, in the College of Design at Iowa State University (ISU), invites applications for the position of tenure-track Assistant professor. Exceptional candidates with commensurate experience and proven track record will be considered for tenure and advanced rank of Associate Professor.
The position is a full-time (nine-month) appointment starting August 16, 2025. The ISU Landscape Architecture program invites candidates interested in teaching in the department’s undergraduate and graduate design studio sequences and the curriculum’s core subject tracks, including history, theory, and criticism; plants and ecological systems; landscape design technology; documentation and implementation; and advocacy and practice.
Design faculty in our department educate students to become successful designers, planners, artists, and scholars who enhance human experience and improve the natural, social, and built environments. Tenure-track faculty in the department typically teach four courses a year: two studios and two lecture courses or seminars. Faculty are expected to produce scholarly outcomes that contribute to research in landscape architecture. To aid in this endeavor, newly hired faculty typically receive one course release in their first year to kick start a robust research trajectory. Service on department, college, and university committees is also required but calibrated to allow the pursuit of scholarly inquiry and the development of successful course offerings.
Faculty in our department value experiential learning, field-based instruction, landscape design technology, and public engagement pedagogies within our Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) programs. In line with these priorities, we have listed below several key opportunities associated with this position, though candidates with complementary expertise are also encouraged to apply:
+ Examining and designing the interface between hydrology, ecology, and sociology.
+ Engaging with the undergraduate traveling program, Savanna Studio, which has been taught for 25 years. This opportunity requires field teaching experience and extensive travel in the fall semester.
+ Partnering with Midwestern communities to address rural challenges (e.g., environmental advocacy, sustainable agricultural systems, park and open space design, recreational and ecological corridors).
+ Pushing the limits of design technology, including geospatial analysis, data handling, modeling, and visualization.
Successful candidates will be expected to establish a record of scholarship at the highest levels, contribute to teaching missions at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and engage in institutional service and service to the profession. Candidates should have strong communication skills, share our commitment to enhancing excellence and exhibit the potential for long-term leadership in supporting the mission of the department, college, and university.
The Department of Landscape Architecture is committed to sustain a collegial, positive, and productive environment for each individual and the collective benefit of all. All faculty members are expected to exhibit and convey good citizenship within department, college, and university activities, interact collegially and maintain the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior.
Required Minimum Qualifications:
+ An accredited master’s degree in landscape architecture (MLA) OR a Master’s degree in an aligned field
+ Associate Professor candidates must also meet the university standards for appointment to the rank, including significant experience/accomplishments in the candidate’s area of expertise
Preferred Qualifications:
+ Teaching experience in landscape architecture or other studio-based program
+ A record with professional practice and professional licensure
+ Relevant research record or evidence of high potential for scholarship
+ Doctoral-level credentials in landscape architecture or related discipline
Department/Program & College Description:
The Iowa State University Department of Landscape Architecture comprises an innovative team of scholars, practitioners, and artists dedicated to critical thinking, learning, and discovery. Rooted in the American heartland, we embrace and incorporate a range of ideas, cultures, and landscapes and advocate for the Midwest landscape and its underserved rural populations. Through the examination of that landscape, we prepare the next generation of designers and scholars to redefine and reimagine relationships between people, land, and technology.
We also intentionally foster a supportive and collaborative community and believe educators thrive in an environment where people value and uplift one another. We take pride in creating a space where mutual respect, kindness, and fun are integral to our culture.
Our department offers two accredited professional degrees: the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, which accepts up to 38 undergraduate students annually, and the Master of Landscape Architecture, with up to 15 graduate students per class/total. Our students are drawn from a global pool with strong regional and international representation. The BLA program is consistently ranked in the top ten most admired programs in the Design Intelligence rankings.
The ISU College of Design encompasses seven collaborative and transdisciplinary departments: Architecture, Art and Visual Culture, Community and Regional Planning, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture. We study and teach inside one building, which fosters an environment where ideas, relationships, and scholarship intersect. This allied culture deepens students’ understanding of the interconnected nature of the design professions, preparing them to become more insightful and impactful professionals and scholars.
Department Unit/Website:
https://www.design.iastate.edu/landscape-architecture/
Proposed Start Date:August 16, 2025
Number of Months Employed Per Year:09 Month Work Period
Time Type:Full time
Application Instructions:
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. However, to receive full consideration, applications should be received by February 28, 2025. All interested, qualified persons must apply for this position online at jobs.iastate.edu to Job Requisition Number R16246.
The following documents are required to be submitted in PDF format:
1. Letter of application (including information about the desired rank) that briefly discusses how the candidate meets each of the preferred qualifications
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Contact information for at least three references, including name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and other pertinent information
4. Other documents:
+ One-page teaching statement
+ One-page research statement
Direct questions to Carl Rogers, Department Chair, at rogersc@iastate.edu, or (515)-294-6743; or Hans Klein Hewett, Assistant Professor and Chair of the Search Committee, at hansk@iastate.edu or (515)-294-2197.
Why Choose ISU?Iowa State Faculty enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:- Retirement benefits, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans- Generous leave plans- Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)- Life insurance and long-term disability- Flexible Spending Accounts- Various voluntary benefits and discounts- Employee Assistance Program- Wellbeing program
Original Posting Date: January 17, 2025
Posting Close Date:
Job Requisition Number:R16246
By focusing on the future and providing the best student experience possible, Iowa State attracts students and faculty who want to make a difference. With a comprehensive?land-grant?mission of education, research, extension and outreach, we produce scholars whose ideas change the world. And through Innovate at Iowa State , we provide innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Located just 30 minutes north of Des Moines, the city of Ames was recently named one of the Top 10 cities in the U.S. for campus life and career opportunities.
Iowa State University is a welcoming, global, and culturally diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. Campus community members have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to engaging with each other respectfully as outlined in the university’s Principles of Community (https://www.iastate.edu/diversity-and-inclusion/principles-community) . Iowa State recognizes that diverse intellectual and philosophical perspectives are vital to innovation, critical thinking skills, and a dynamic academic community that fosters the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology, and human creativity to work.
All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check.
Iowa State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, 515 294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu .
If you have questions about the application process please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll-Free at 1-877-477-7485 . Iowa State University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email employment@iastate.edu or call (515) 294-4800 or Toll-Free: (877) 477-7485 . TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2942 .
General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources (https://www.hr.iastate.edu/careers/compensation) website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.
