Director of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative

Director of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
Full Time Non-Tenure or Tenure Track, 12 Mo.
College of Architecture & Environmental Design (CAED)
[Job# 998200]
Cleveland, OH

Position Overview: The CUDC is Kent State University’s urban research and community design practice, nationally recognized for its dedication to excellence in research, public service, community engagement, and graduate teaching. Reporting to the Dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) at Kent State University, the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) Director will play a key role in helping envision future, forward-thinking directions for the collaborative's work.  Located in Downtown Cleveland’s Playhouse District, the CUDC shares facilities with Kent State’s Graduate Design programs in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Architecture (with Urban Emphasis). The Director role is a full-time (12-month) Non-Tenure (NTT) or Tenure (TT) track appointment with a primary focus on Directing the Center. Teaching in the Masters of Urban Design and/or Master of Landscape Architecture programs is an important, but secondary activity.

About the CUDC: Founded in 1983, the CUDC engages in client-based projects, applied research, graduate teaching and advocacy, that impacts urban design decisions and land use policies in Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and beyond. As part of KSU’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED), the CUDC conducts research, provides technical design assistance to communities, engages in outreach, and leads public education and design advocacy initiatives. Staff of the CUDC are supported through projects and funded grant opportunities. The CUDC’s broader mission is to:

• support the creation of livable and sustainable communities
• enhance the public realm
• protect natural and cultural resources
• stimulate economic prosperity

The collaborative works closely with local stakeholders, civic organizations, academic partners, students, and a network of multidisciplinary professionals to address emerging urban challenges. As part of its academic/research mission, the CUDC examines the ways in which urban design can play a role in helping shape digital, equitable, and ecological urban futures.

The Role: We seek a skillful leader with the vision to identify research opportunities related to urban futures, anticipate emerging trends, and strengthen connections between the CUDC’s mission and the work of the CAED and Kent State researchers. Primary responsibilities will include general administration, project execution, grant writing, research, and oversight/management of staff (currently 2.5 – 3 FTE), and of graduate research assistants. The selected individual will advance the CUDC’s research mission by securing grants, engaging with the community, and fostering partnerships with CAED faculty and graduate programs. They will oversee community-centered initiatives and collaborate with CUDC staff, CAED personnel, and local and state partners to lead research, professional practice, and outreach efforts.  It is expected that the Director will spend a portion of their time teaching in the CAED Graduate programs that are co-located at the facility. The director will also support graduate students by supervising their research and providing opportunities for them to engage in applied research and design projects.

 Minimum Requirements: 

• Advanced degree in urban design, architecture, landscape architecture or planning.
• Track record of securing/executing grants and fee-for-service contracts. The CUDC Director is responsible for securing external funding to support the annual expenses of the center’s operations.
• Expertise in leading professional projects focusing on community design, planning, development, and engagement. 
• Experience working with a broad range of partners including local governments, state and federal agencies, professional organizations, community partners, and diverse populations.
• Demonstrated supervisory, leadership and management skills.
• Ability to contribute to research topics germane to the CUDC’s ongoing mission, including (but not limited to) community development, sustainability, and/or environmental planning, urban design, etc. 
• Experience in academic teaching and/or those with published research.

About Kent State University and the CAED: Kent State’s vision is to be a community of change agents with a collective commitment to impactful learning. The CAED is dedicated to advancing excellence in all areas relating to the design and construction of the built environment and to educate a generation prepared to lead in a rapidly changing world. Our hiring strategy emphasizes scholarly research, emerging technologies, and advancing professional disciplines related to the built environment.

CAED programs include Construction Management, Healthcare Design, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Architecture (both professional and non-professional) and a Research Master’s in Architecture and Environmental Design. The CAED's 40 full-time faculty and administrators, and nearly 1300 undergraduate and graduate students occupy four primary locations: the LEED Platinum John Elliot Center for Architecture and Design (designed by Weiss/Manfredi) in Kent; the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square where the Master of Urban Design and Master of Landscape Programs are collocated; the newly renovated 22,000 sq ft studio and instruction space in Beall Hall, Kent, and the Palazzo Vettori in the historic center of Florence, Italy.

Our students have access to exceptional study opportunities and facilities, with our on-site Library, Lighting Lab, Fabrication Lab (FabLab), Robotically Augmented Design Lab (RadLAB), and Materials Library. We are enriched by a wide array of Kent State University resources, including the Design Innovation Initiative (DI Hub), The College of Aeronautics and Engineering, Advanced Materials Institute and the Environmental Science and Design Institute, among others. Cross-disciplinary research opportunities at the college and university level include strategic relationships with regional industries, design professionals, and civic partners.

Located in the Cleveland/Akron metro area, with easy access to New York, Boston, and Chicago, we are situated in the heart of a burgeoning cultural and industrial region that is home to some of the world’s finest art museums, parks, universities, restaurants, theaters, music venues, and independent cinemas. Significant recent buildings and landscapes include those designed by Pascale Sablan, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Foster and Partners, James Corner, Frank Gehry, Farshid Moussavi, Laurie Olin, Stanley Saitowitz and Rafael Viñoly. Please See the following websites for more information on Kent State University http://www.kent.edu/ and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design http://www.kent.edu/caed/ and the CUDC https://www.cudc.kent.edu/

 Application Process:  Applicants are required to complete an online application on the Kent State University job site: http://jobs.kent.edu (search by position 998200) and complete the online academic data form. Review of candidates will begin April 7, 2025. The successful candidate will be expected to have a Summer 2025 start date.

Applicants should also include:

1. A letter of interest, with candidate profile
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Name, email address, and phone number of at least three references
4. Other information the applicant deems relevant, (portfolio of projects, student work, etc.). 

Questions may be sent to: Professor Steve Rugare, Chair, CUDC Director Search Committee, [email protected], Kent State University, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 132 South Lincoln Street, Kent, OH 44242.

For a complete description of this position and to apply online,
visit our jobsite at https://jobs.kent.edu/jobs/faculty-non-tenure-track-12-mo-director-for-the-cleveland-urban-design-collaborative-kent-campus-kent-ohio-united-states

 Kent State University is committed to creating a community that is culturally and intellectually diverse and to attracting and retaining a diverse staff. We strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that respect differences, and are inclusive, welcoming, respectful and kind.