UM3D Lab Director

Description

The University of Michigan is seeking a director for its UM3D Lab in the Digital Media Commons. The director provides leadership to develop and manage lab resources that enable the U-M academic community productive access to advanced 3D visualization tools, interactive and passive virtual reality environments, modeling and animation systems, and digital manufacturing/prototyping. For more information about the lab, visit the UM3D Lab website at http://um3d.dc.umich.edu/directorsearch/. When applying for this position, please include a cover letter as the first page of your resume, and describe how your skills and experience directly relate to the specific duties and qualifications for this position.

Overall Description
The UM3D Lab is an open “sandbox” promoting interdisciplinary exploration of the latest 3D technologies for research and curricular application at the University of Michigan. The 7,000 square-foot facility is staffed with 4.0 FTE technical specialists, additional student techs, and the full-time director position currently open. The lab operates in a highly collaborative culture, enabling researchers, instructors and students from the broad spectrum of U-M academic disciplines to productively utilize 3D technologies.

The lab houses extensive resources including up-to-date hardware and software for scientific visualization, modeling and animation; rapid-protoyping; 3D VR environments and VR display technology. Approximately 80% of the lab’s current annual budget is provided from the University’s general fund allocation.

The director of the UM3D Lab is expected to provide leadership and vision in developing new applications and best practices for an ambitious program of interdisciplinary teaching and learning, innovative student projects, and advanced research. The U-M is consistently one of the top five U.S. universities in annual sponsored research expenditures.

Overall responsibilities:
• Align lab to current and developing needs in research and instruction across multiple disciplines.
• Optimize University investment in unique shared resources (hardware, software and skilled support staff) for faculty, student and staff projects.
• Support faculty research by assisting in grant proposal writing for projects supported with lab resources.

The director has an appointment in the Digital Media Commons (a unit reporting to the Vice Provost of Academic Information). The lab is located in the James and Anne Duderstadt Center, a 225,000 square foot facility designated as an interdisciplinary academic resource center on the U-M’s North Campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Goals for the UM3D Lab
Interdisciplinary collaboration is fundamental to the U-M’s academic mission. The UM3D Lab’s North Campus location provides a unique opportunity to foster collaboration among the schools and colleges located there: arts (art, design, music, theatre and dance), engineering, architecture, and information science.

As computing-intensive research expands and high-performance computing/cyberinfrastructure resources develop at the U-M, more advanced visualization resources will be needed to improve the quality and productivity of data analysis, interpretation, and presentation. Experience in the development of scientific visualization best practices and increasing the use of these resources among faculty and students across many disciplines is a priority qualification for this position.

The 3D Lab director will also continue development of existing 3D Lab resources and services:
• advanced visualization resources for data analysis, interpretation, and presentation
• interactive and passive 3D stereo virtual reality environments
• modeling and animation systems, and rendering tools
• digital manufacturing/rapid-prototyping tools
• motion capture and tracking systems
• haptic and tactile interactive tools
• other 3D imaging technologies

Responsibilities of the UM3D lab director
• Under direction of the Digital Media Commons Director and in consultation with a faculty oversight group, define overall goals and objectives for lab activities (short-term and long-term planning).
• Maintain and expand relations with U-M schools, colleges, and other units. Advocate for the multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary use of the advanced technologies provided by the lab.
• Provide consulting to specific curricular and research projects.
• Participate in or initiate grant proposals to engage and develop lab resources.
• Maintain and expand relations with external partners (industry, peer institutions, government agencies and institutes).
• Participate in shaping outreach programs for visitors, faculty and student recruiting, and other educational events.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of regular staff, students, and interns.
• Supervise budget planning and budget control for the lab. Develop models for partial cost-recovery, cost partnerships with university units, and external funding.