MAE Associate or Full Professor Position with Emphasis on Advanced Manufacturing

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) is seeking qualified candidates for one tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Associate or Full Professor with an emphasis on advanced manufacturing.

The University of Tennessee has established a leadership position in the field of advanced manufacturing and has collaborated closely with the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory to create a world-class ecosystem for the advancement of cutting-edge manufacturing innovations. The east-Tennessee region boasts unparalleled expertise and research facilities across a broad range of manufacturing technologies which has attracted the active involvement and co-location of several industrial partners. Vibrant research programs have been established with major investments through the Department of Energy the Department of Defense the National Science Foundation Manufacturing USA Institutes and industrial collaborators.

For this position the University is seeking an established leader in the field of advanced manufacturing who recognizes the value of this ecosystem and can enact a vision for taking it to new heights. The topic of advanced manufacturing is broadly defined but is envisioned to include such areas as: machining machine tools automation robotics casting forging metal-based additive manufacturing metrology industry 4.0 artificial intelligence machine learning welding design simulation smart manufacturing or advanced materials. Given the opportunity for defense-related activities in each of these areas preference will be given to US citizens who can hold a security clearance.

The faculty member would be expected to engage fully on major initiatives in the area of advanced manufacturing within the local ecosystem while performing their faculty duties within the Tickle College of Engineering. The successful candidate will pursue and leverage opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration and funding across the college the university and with regional partnering organizations such as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM) the University of Tennessee - Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) and the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education (Bredesen Center) among others. There may also be an opportunity for joint faculty appointment(s) between the university and regional partners.

The Tickle College of Engineering is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success including adding over 30 new faculty as part of ambitious cluster hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in research expenditures enrollment incoming student GPA intellectual property development and USNWR rank in the past three years. New facilities include the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN-MADE) facility and the Innovation South building at the University of Tennessee Research Park. TCE currently has 203 Tenure/Tenure Track and 79 Non-Tenure Track faculty in its nine academic departments and offers 11undergraduate 16 MS and 15 PhD degree programs. Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma Tennessee the UT Space Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. The college is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 4300 undergraduate and 1500 graduate students the college sits 29th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 21 early career awards (NSF DoE DARPA AFOSR and ARO) since 2016. In FY24 the college had annual research expenditures of $113.6M

UTK is located in Knoxville TN a regional center for employment commerce and health care with an elegant and walkable downtown rich and varied nightlife cultures that include numerous theaters and museums a reich live music scene across all genres vibrant neighborhoods eclectic restaurants and amazing access to outdoor activities of all kinds as well as exciting cultural events throughout the year. Knoxville is within an easy driving distance to Nashville Atlanta Asheville and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Knoxvilles TYS Airport nonstop flights to 22 major airports in the US including direct flights to cities such as DC NYC Atlanta Chicago Denver Dallas Phoenix Orlando and Miami are available.

The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to promote an atmosphere where all members of the university community feel welcome and can thrive.

Minimum Qualifications:

All applicants must have a PhD (or equivalent) in a science or engineering field at the time of appointment with a research emphasis on advanced manufacturing. Candidates for the rank of Associate Professor must have at least eight years of post-PhD (or equivalent degree) experience in the relevant field at the time of appointment. Candidates for the rank of Full Professor must have at least ten years of post-PhD (or equivalent degree) experience in the relevant field at the time of appointment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Full professor - Primary consideration will be given to those applicants that have established a successful research program with international stature a successful record of teaching and mentoring students and a compelling vision for future research at UTK. The candidate should demonstrate a record of publishing in relevant journals of securing and executing externally funded research with federal and industrial sponsors and internal and external service to their professional community. Demonstrated potential for leadership in large university research initiatives is also highly desired.

Associate professor - Primary consideration will be given to those applicants that have established a successful research program with national stature a successful record of teaching and mentoring students and a compelling vision for future research at UTK. The candidate should demonstrate a record of publishing in relevant journals of securing and executing externally funded research with federal and industrial sponsors and internal and external service to their professional community.

All candidates are expected to demonstrate strong communication skills and potential for multi-disciplinary collaborative research across diverse technological and social ecosystems. All candidates should demonstrate a strong track record of working with industry.

US citizenship with potential for obtaining or currently holding a security clearance is preferred.