Professor of Practice and Associate Director, Design Thinking for Social Impact
Tulane University

Professor of Practice and Associate Director, Design Thinking for Social Impact

Location:
New Orleans, LA
Open Date:
Nov 1, 2024
Description:

Introduction 
The Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking seeks qualified candidates to serve as a Professor of Practice and the Associate Director of Design Thinking for Social Impact. The Professor of Practice position resides in the Taylor Center as a renewable 3-year term; additional information on faculty appointments can be found in the Faculty Handbook. The position will start as early as July 2025 and no later than August 2025, and the salary will be commensurate with credentials and experience. 

Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, Tulane University is a tier-one research university and member of the American Association of Universities (AAU) in the United States. The key initiatives established by President Mike Fitts include: enhancing the student experience, honoring and advancing diversity, promoting pioneering research, and ensuring financial stability. Tulane University has ten colleges and schools: Newcomb-Tulane College, School of Architecture, A. B. Freeman School of Business, School of Law, School of Liberal Arts, School of Medicine, School of Professional Advancement, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, School of Science and Engineering, and School of Social Work. The Taylor Center is one of several university-wide, cross-disciplinary centers that collaborates across schools and units. 

Founded in 2014, The Taylor Center cultivates a diverse network of changemakers who are working and learning together to create a more just and equitable society. Its programs are grounded in the teaching, research, and practice of social innovation and design thinking. Offerings include: 

• TEACHING: Taylor faculty and staff teach or support courses in social innovation, design thinking, changemaking, and life design for undergraduate and graduate students across a variety of academic disciplines/programs. Taylor also offers training and coaching for staff and faculty outside the center looking to integrate social innovation approaches and human-centered design into their courses.  

• RESEARCH: Taylor supports research and scholarship on social innovation topics and issues through programs and funding opportunities. Taylor faculty and staff also develop original research and scholarship in the field. 

• PRACTICE: Taylor offers a variety of programs open to students, staff, faculty, and community members in social innovation, human-centered design, and changemaking. Taylor also offers funding for undergraduate and graduate students to develop skills in these areas. 

Taylor's mission aligns with Tulane University's designation as an Ashoka "Changemaker Campus." The center engages Tulane constituents, New Orleans residents, and the global community in the movement toward "everyone a changemaker." The following values guide the work of the Center: 

• RESPECT: We are committed to equity and recognize humility and empathy as cornerstones of effective and ethical engagement with others.  

• CONNECTION: We see innovation as a social act that is grounded in the relationships between people across difference. 

• LEARNING: We practice persistent curiosity and recognize that everyone has knowledge to gain and share. 

• CREATIVITY: We are committed to being open and at times uncomfortable as we seek out the unexpected in imagining a better world. 

Design Thinking 
One way of engaging and promoting systems change is through design thinking (DT): a creative, collaborative approach to addressing complex societal problems that is sometimes referred to as human-centered design (IDEO.org; Stanford d.school). Related schools of thought and design practices we embrace include participatory design, co-design, equity-centered community design (Creative Reaction Lab), emancipatory design (Noel, 2016), and design justice. Social impact is a priority in all approaches to design thinking used by the Taylor Center, and design thinking for social impact (DTSI) is seen as an essential part of any changemaker's toolkit. 

Taylor Center faculty have integrated "DTSI" approaches into courses, workshops, trainings, conference panels, and other community-building activities since 2013. There has been steady interest on campus and in the center's local and global communities of alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners. The Taylor Center will continue to apply and extend design-led approaches to understand and contribute to addressing complex societal problems. 

Social Innovation 
Although social innovation is not a historically new phenomenon and faces many relevant critiques and challenges, changemakers will continue to generate novel and relevant new ideas to generate social value. While Taylor acknowledges classic definitions of the field (e.g. Phills, Miller, and Deiglemeier, 2008; Mulgan, 2019), the center identifies with scholars that define social innovation as a process that draws on the social capacity of interconnected networks to produce innovations that further results in a stronger social capacity to act (e.g., Manzini, 2014; Moulaert and MacCallum, 2019).   

Taylor Center scholars have identified a variety of approaches to social innovation that draw from different traditions, including classic western liberal philosophies of social entrepreneurship, critical theories of social change, and newer ecological paradigms to suit the the nature of challenges in the 21st century (Murphy, Schoop, Faughnan, and Flattley, 2021). The Taylor Center aims to practice critical and ecological approaches that acknowledge complexity and foster empowerment.  

Since 2009, social innovation programming at Tulane University has supported dozens of student-led social ventures, explored a range of changemaking learning pathways, offered public lectures by leading social innovators, expanded knowledge production and dissemination, and forged unique community partnerships. This work continues to evolve at the Taylor Center. 

Position Purpose:   

• Design, facilitate, and support design thinking for social impact (DTSI) programming and learning opportunities (e.g., courses, workshops, materials) for diverse audiences, to include capacity-building that supports the integration of DTSI mindsets throughout the Taylor Center, Tulane's campus, and with community partners  

• Engage in scholarship and field leadership in design thinking for social impact and related fields 

• Co-create a DTSI strategy that aligns with the Taylor Center's mission and values; work collaboratively with students, staff, and faculty to implement the strategy; and manage administrative tasks as required. 

Required Education and Experience: 

• Master's degree in design or a related/relevant field 

• Experience in applying design thinking for social impact (DTSI) 

• Experience facilitating learning activities in an educational setting  

Required Knowledge, skills, abilities/competencies typically needed to perform this job successfully:  

• Familiarity with common DT and related schools of thought, models, training formats, materials, and curricula 

• Ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences in community-based organizations and higher education settings 

• Experience with equity, diversity, and inclusion theory and practice 

• Ability to take direction, manage projects, manage others, and participate on diverse cross-functional teams as needed 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Doctoral degree in a relevant academic discipline (e.g., anthropology, architecture, business, design, education, engineering, organizational studies, management, planning, sociology, urban studies, social work, and others), especially with a strong focus on human-centered design, design thinking, or other design approaches within the doctoral training and/or research 

• University teaching experience (undergraduate or graduate student) 

• Involvement in design work and practice (academic, professional, or other) 

• Familiarity with social innovation, social entrepreneurship, social design, or other social impact fields. 

• Proficiency in collaborative, creative problem-solving techniques 

• Ability to integrate design thinking methodology with other methodologies used in mission-driven work (dialogue processes, participatory engagement, systems practice, etc.)  

To be considered for the position, please submit the following through Interfolio.  

1. Current curriculum vitae 

1. Letter of Interest explaining your fit and interest in this position 

1. Personal narrative describing your teaching & learning, research, and practice philosophy 

Applicants invited to interview will be asked to submit references along with a portfolio that highlights their teaching, practice, and research. 

The selection committee will begin reviewing applications in January 2025.  

Reports to: Taylor Center Director of Strategy and Engagement

Tulane University is located in New Orleans - a city with tremendous history of diverse cultures, community, and languages. Tulane University is committed to creating a community and culture that foster a sense of belonging for all. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We are intentionally seeking candidates who are committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in support of Tulane's Strategy for Tomorrow.

Tulane University is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the Office of Human Resources & Institutional Equity by phone at 504-865-4748 or email hr@tulane.edu.