Professional Summary
Jordan Tate is a Professor of Art at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) and a Society and Culture Fellow in the UC Office of Research. His work focuses on elevating the impact of the arts and humanities by building cross-sector partnerships that connect the University to civic, cultural, and economic ecosystems.
Tate has developed collaborative models between UC and partners such as Thales Group, Kao Brands, ArtsWave, ArtWorks, the Contemporary Arts Center, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and Cincinnati Public Schools. He serves as Co-PI of the NEA-funded Multidisciplinary Artists for Transformative Change (MATCH) initiative with Wave Pool and has secured more than $250,000 in external funding for this and related projects, with approximately $1 million in active proposals.
Education
Master of fine arts: Indiana University Bloomington, IN, 2007 (Photography)
Bachelor of Philosophy: Miami University Oxford, OH, 2003 (Philosophy)
Research and Practice Interests
Tate’s research centers on interdisciplinary leadership and the role of the arts and humanities in shaping institutional strategy, workforce innovation, and community transformation. He investigates how creative inquiry can serve as a structural catalyst for civic and economic ecosystems, building models that position artists and humanists as integral contributors to cross-industry collaboration. This trajectory is reflected in his role as Co-PI of the Multidisciplinary Artists for Transformative Change (MATCH) initiative, an NEA Our Town–funded fellowship that demonstrates how publicly engaged, partnership-based approaches can produce new pathways for employment, cultural integration, and social innovation. Through this work, Tate advances a research framework that explores how art-led, institutionally embedded collaboration can produce durable systems of impact across academic, civic, and corporate environments.
Positions and Work Experience
2010 -2016 Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati,OH
2009 -2010 Photography Instructor, Alberta College of Srt & Design, Alberta, Canada
2008 -2009 Fulbright Fellow, Institute for International Education, Berlin, Germany
2007 -2008 Adjunct Faculty , Wright State University, Dayton, OH
2004 -2007 Adjunct Faculty / Associate Instructor , Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
2016 -2023 Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati,
2023 -To Present Professor, University of Cincinnati,
2019 -2023 Associate Director, School of Art, University of Cincinnati,
2022 -To Present Director, NFT Media Lab, University of Cincinnati,
2024 -To Present Society and Culture Fellow, Office of Research, University of Cincinnati,
Research Support
Grant: #URC AHSS Faculty Stipend Awards AY2015-16 Investigators:Tate, Jordan 05-01-2016 -04-30-2017 UC's University Research Council The Photo Book and Novel Publishing Processes Role:PI $6,000.00 Active Level:Internal UC
Investigators:Jordan Tate and Cal Cullen 2022 -2024 National Endowment for the Arts Multidisciplinary Artists for Transformative Change Role:Co-PI 75000 Completed Type:Grant
Publications
Published Books
Jordan Tate, Abagail Susik (2019. ) Picturesque Snot: Polemics of the Landscape .Cincinnati, OH , Hot Take Press
Jordan Tate (2013. ) SUPERBLACK .Cleveland, OH , Transformer Station Art Museum
Jordan Tate (2017. ) Prefaces / Appendices .Berlin, Germany , Lodret Vandret
Book Chapter
Sadre-Orafai, Stephanie and Tate, Jordan (2025 ) Fickle Winds: Faculty Maintenance, Labor & the True Cost of Transdisciplinary Initiatives. Global Insights into Transdisciplinary Higher Education Initiatives .(pp. 125).Virginia Tech Press
Honors and Awards
2008 -2009 Fulbright Fellow - Germany