Graduate Fellow Job at Maryland Institute College of Art
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Summary
MICA’s Center for Social Design is seeking a graduate student specializing in human-centered design and facilitation to work as a Graduate Fellow on a national, field-based, interdisciplinary project focused on sustainable food systems, funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The Graduate Fellow will be part of an interdisciplinary design team and participate in a real-world project, engaging with outside partners and community members in Baltimore and across the country. They will gain a better understanding of the context, complexity and interconnectedness of our national food systems and, specifically, apply the process of human-centered design to multiple efforts to address issues of food waste locally and nationally.
Project Overview
In the United States, 40 percent of all food produced is never eaten, resulting in lost resources, economic costs to businesses and households, decreased food security, and negative climate impacts. As the U.S. moves toward an ambitious goal to significantly reduce food waste by 2030, MICA Center for Social Design has joined as a partner in a national, $15 million, 5-year initiative funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation that will engage communities in California, the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions focused on developing original research and solutions around tackling the problem of food waste.
The
Multiscale RECIPES (Resilient, Equitable, and Circular Innovations with Partnership and Education Synergies) for Sustainable Food Systems initiative
involves a national network of university and community partners, led by colleagues at American University in Washington, DC, and includes an interdisciplinary team of institutions across the country, including: Duke University; University of California-Davis; Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) & University at Albany - State University of New York; Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) & University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign; Ohio State University; Louisiana State University (Pennington Biomedical Research Center); and in Maryland - Johns Hopkins University and Morgan State University, alongside the MICA Center for Social Design; as well as the World Wildlife Fund, and a myriad of other community organizations both nationally and locally.
Multiscale RECIPES represents the largest externally-funded research grant in MICA’s history. Lee Davis, Co-Director of the MICA Center for Social Design, serves as a co-Principal Investigator (PI) on the project, and MICA Center for Social Design will receive approximately $700,000 over 4 years (2021-2025) in support of our role which includes three programmatic, curricular and research elements:
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design and facilitate a process to enable "convergent" research and solutions among the diverse network of national partners and disciplines;
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facilitate a series of collaborative design studios involving RECIPES partners alongside MICA students and community partners in Baltimore focused on critical food waste issues; and
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further evolve our original research/practice in the Center for Social Design focused on "life-centered design" as it relates to developing innovative solutions to food waste.
Scope of Work
Starting in the Spring 2023 semester, the Graduate Fellow will work in a supporting role alongside Lee Davis, Co-Director of MICA’s Center for Social Design, and the RECIPES team to:
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co-design and co-facilitate a series of “convergent design studios,” a series (virtual and in-person) activities, workshops, and gatherings engaging members of the RECIPES network across the country in order to enable "convergent" collaboration between diverse disciplines and institutions;
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collaborate with RECIPES partners at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to co-facilitate a human-centered design* process engaging a cohort of employees from Albertson’s (second largest retail grocery chain in the US) in research, ideation, and prototyping of interventions to reduce food waste in their mid-Atlantic stores;
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coordinate monthly work sessions and workstreams of the Multiscale RECIPES “Co-Design Cluster,” exploring ongoing collaboration between the three design schools in the network, including MICA Center for Social Design, UC Davis Center for Design in the Public Interest, and the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).
Human-centered design (HCD) is a collaborative, creative process dedicated to understanding people’s needs and designing interventions that better serve people’s needs. HCD supplements and enhances existing research and views problems through the perspective of the people directly impacted. HCD is informed by qualitative insights, positions lived experience as expertise, and involves people in every step of the design process, as co-creators and experts.
Timeline
February – June 2023
Note: The Graduate Fellow will be expected to dedicate approximately 6-7 hours per week, for the duration of the fellowship time period. The schedule will vary each week to accommodate both the Fellow’s class schedule and project-related meetings and deadlines.
Compensation/Pay
$2,700 paid in equal biweekly installments from February – June 2023
Experience/Skills Required
The Graduate Fellow will serve on an interdisciplinary team bringing skills in human-centered design.
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Must be currently enrolled in a graduate-level programme at MICA
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Experience required in human-centered design
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Demonstrated experience and skills in facilitation of collaborative workshops and teams (both virtually and in person)
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Experience with online collaboration tools (e.g., Mural, Miro, Jamboard)
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Experience in project coordination
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Graphic design and strong visual communications skills preferred
Application Process
Applications must contain the following:
1) Letter of Interest (1 page maximum)—provide specific reasons or insights for your interest in the position.
2) Resume/CV—provide any professional experience or activities relevant to the project and position (past and/or current).
3) Work Sample—include 3-5 portfolio pieces that show your skills and experience in human-centered design and facilitation.
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Applications should be submitted in Workday. Please upload a single click-through PDF (embedded links are OK)
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Please submit applications no later than NOON on Tuesday, January 20, 2023. Applications received later than the deadline may not be considered. MICA assumes no responsibility or liability for late delivery or receipt of applications.
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Applications will be evaluated pursuant to the criteria set forth in this job requisition. Notification of selection or non-selection of all respondents who submitted applications will be issued after the final selection is made.
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Applications and questions regarding this job requisition must be submitted to ldavis03@mica.edu.
The application process will proceed according to the following anticipated schedule:
December 23, 2022 — Job issued
January 20, 2023 — Application Deadline
January 30 - February 3, 2023 — Graduate Fellows interviews (if needed)
February 6, 2023 — Graduate Fellows selected
February 13, 2023 — Graduate Fellow estimated start date
Evaluation Process and Criteria
After submission and review of applications, interviews may be requested. Selection of a candidates will be based on the following criteria:
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Interest in the position;
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Excellence in graduate study and relevant professional experience or activities;
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Skill/experience in human-centered design and facilitation
MICA reserves the right to consider other relevant factors it deems appropriate in order to hire the best candidates. MICA may or may not seek additional information from applicants prior to making a selection. This RFP does not commit MICA to select any applicant. MICA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submittals received, cancel or modify the requisition in part or in its entirety, or change the requisition guidelines, when it is in the best interests of MICA to do so.
Maryland Institute College of Art is committed to its policy of providing equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status (disabled, Vietnam-era, or otherwise). Furthermore, the College does not tolerate any form of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment or sexual violence. This policy applies to all programs, facilities, and activities provided by Maryland Institute College of Art, including but not limited to admission, educational programs, and employment.
Applicants must apply online for each job in which they are interested. You will not be considered for any job for which you have not specifically applied. We do not accept applications via email, U.S. mail, or fax. Successful candidates for any staff or faculty positions will be subject to a pre-employment background check.
MICA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Human Resources at 410-225-2363.
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