Assistant or Associate Professor, Immersive Healthcare Experiences

Job Description

Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture, Arts and Design invites
applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position at the
rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Immersive Healthcare
Experiences with an anticipated start date of August 10, 2027. We
seek a nationally recognized scholar, designer, and educator whose
work advances the design, development, and evaluation of immersive
and human-centered experiences in healthcare and health
systems.

This position is part of Virginia Tech’s Smart Healthcare Hub
(based in Roanoke), and will contribute to the growth of
interdisciplinary research, innovation and teaching at the
intersection of immersive technologies, healthcare simulation,
digital health, experience/experiential design, operations, and
human-centered systems. The successful candidate will join a highly
multidisciplinary and collaborative environment that values
innovation, experience/experiential learning, translational
research, and community engagement. This candidate will have their
tenure home in any of the four schools within the College of
Architecture, Arts, and Design--School of Architecture, School of
Design, School of Performing Arts, or School of Visual Arts (based
in Blacksburg)--as aligned with the candidate’s disciplinary
expertise.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate expertise in immersive
technologies and environments—including virtual reality (VR),
augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), extended reality (XR),
simulation, spatial computing, visualization, digital twins,
interactive media, or experience/experiential design—with a focus
on improving healthcare delivery, patient and clinician
experiences, healthcare education, and/or operational performance.
A successful candidate will have an active research, scholarship
and/or performance portfolio that is focused on healthcare
improvement. This individual will be expected to lead and/or be an
active participant on different research and scholarly projects in
this field.

Position Responsibilities

Research and Scholarly Activity

● Establish and sustain an independent and externally funded
research program focused on immersive healthcare experiences,
either as lead or collaborator.

● Conduct innovative research and/or creative scholarship related
to immersive environments, healthcare operations, digital health,
simulation, patient engagement, workforce training, human factors,
clinical workflow design, or healthcare systems innovation.

● Collaborate across disciplines including healthcare, engineering,
architecture, design, computer science, media arts, public health,
and operations.

● Disseminate scholarly and creative work through peer-reviewed
publications, exhibitions, performances, digital products, and
national/international presentations.

● Build partnerships with healthcare systems, industry, community
organizations, and research collaborators.

Teaching and Mentorship

● Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in immersive
experience/experiential design, XR technologies, human-centered
design, digital visualization and/or healthcare innovation or
similar as aligned with the successful candidate’s interests.

● Develop interdisciplinary curricula that integrate immersive
technologies with healthcare applications and experiential
learning.

● Mentor undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in
research, creative inquiry, and applied innovation projects.

Service and Leadership

● Participate in departmental, college, and university service
activities.

● Contribute to the strategic development of the Smart Healthcare
Hub.

● Support interdisciplinary collaboration across academic and
clinical units.

● Engage in professional service and leadership within relevant
academic, healthcare, and technology communities.

The College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD) at Virginia
Tech brings together faculty from across the visual arts,
performing arts, architecture, and design fields in an
interdisciplinary environment grounded in experiential learning,
creative exploration, and collaborative problem solving. With
programs and facilities in Blacksburg and Northern Virginia, as
well as global learning opportunities through the Steger Center for
International Scholarship in Switzerland, AAD offers dynamic spaces
for teaching, research, creative practice, and community
engagement. Guided by the college’s strategic pillars of community,
growth, wonder, and connection, AAD is committed to cultivating a
respectful, student-focused, and service-oriented community where
faculty and staff work together to advance creativity, discovery,
and the public good.

Required Qualifications

● Master’s degree (MArch, MFA, or MDes) in a relevant field such as
Architecture, Design, Digital Media, Experience/ Experiential
Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or related discipline by the
appointment start date.

● Evidence of scholarly, creative, or applied professional
achievement.

● Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching and student
mentorship.

● Ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines and with
external stakeholders.

● Strong communication and organizational skills.

● Commitment to inclusive excellence, interdisciplinary
collaboration, and student-centered learning.

Preferred Qualifications

● Doctoral degree in allied field such as Architecture, Design,
Digital Media, Experience/ Experiential Design, or Human-Computer
Interaction

● Experience developing or evaluating immersive healthcare
experiences in clinical, educational, operational, or community
settings.

● Expertise in one or more of the following:

o Experience/Experiential design

o VR/AR/MR/XR development

o Simulation-based education

o Human-centered design

o Digital twins

o Interactive storytelling

o Visualization and rendering

o Game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine

o Motion capture or virtual production

o Service design

o AI-enabled immersive systems

● Experience securing external funding or participating in
sponsored research.

● Evidence of interdisciplinary research or creative
collaboration.

● Experience partnering with healthcare systems, simulation
centers, or industry collaborators.

Application Materials

For full consideration, candidates are to submit the
following:

• Cover letter addressing the position’s responsibilities and

qualifications.

• Curriculum vitae.
• Portfolio depicting 10 projects maximum (pdf of 20 pages max or

a pdf with weblinks)

• A one-page personal statement of teaching philosophy including

the candidate's ideas for supporting an educational environment
consistent with the Virginia Tech
Principles of Community .

• Statement describing the candidate’s research and/or creative

scholarship agenda.

• Names and contact information for at least three professional

references.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Salary range is $75,000-135,000 per year, as dictated by rank and
discipline/field

Hours per week

40+

Review Date

Monday, January 11, 2027

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal
conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve),
Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a
hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be
leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution
that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the
world, Virginia Tech is an
inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and
creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse
enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and
professional students in eight
undergraduate colleges , a
school of medicine , a
veterinary medicine college,
Graduate School , and
Honors College . The university has a significant presence
across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C.
area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites
in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous
Extension offices and
research institutes . A leading global research institution,
Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research
annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional
development opportunities and university shared governance . These valuable
contributions to university shared governance provide important
representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique
and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or
applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including
pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic
information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation,
race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or
otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire
about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation
of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected
by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an
accommodation, please contact Julie Weaver at
juliew19@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10
business days prior to the event.