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Job Purpose:
The Mechanical Engineering Department at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning Fall 2027. We invite passionate teacher-scholars committed to inclusive, equity-minded teaching with a demonstrated record of scholarship to join our teaching-centered and research-active department, which is committed to undergraduate education. We are seeking a colleague whose teaching and scholarship contribute to the broad and evolving field of aerospace systems. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, propulsion, aerospace thermal-fluid systems, or related areas. Candidates with expertise in other areas of aerospace systems are also encouraged to apply, provided they are prepared to teach foundational undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer, as well as associated laboratory courses.
We seek candidates with a demonstrated commitment to excellent undergraduate teaching and to creating welcoming and inclusive learning environments. Immediate teaching responsibilities (i.e., within the first two years) will include laboratory courses in thermal-fluids, as well as lecture-based courses such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. There will also be opportunities to teach senior-level courses in the candidate’s area of expertise and to develop new aerospace-related technical electives,
as well as in our senior design sequence. To this end, applicants are requested to detail, in their cover letter, what new technical elective(s) they would initially be ready to offer or senior project(s) they would best be able to advise. The total teaching load will be 18 credit hours per year (the equivalent of three, 3-credit courses per semester).
The Mechanical Engineering Department of 7 tenure/tenure-track faculty and 4 lecturers currently offers a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering (ABET accredited), supports around 250 undergraduate students, and is specifically committed to providing support for developing engaging, interactive courses that meet our learning objectives (see: https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-engineering-applied-science/degrees-and-programs/mechanical-engineering). Faculty in our department often mentor undergraduate students in research experiences during the school year. Internal funding opportunities are also available to support undergraduate student-faculty research both during the academic year as well as during summer sessions. In addition, Gonzaga’s Center for Teaching and Advising provides regular faculty development and education opportunities, including a New Faculty Learning Community program to help welcome and support new faculty throughout their first year at Gonzaga. The newly opened Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science and Engineering on Gonzaga’s campus contains teaching, research, and collaboration spaces for faculty from Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Math, Physics, Psychology, and Engineering.
With a mission rooted in the Jesuit tradition (see: https://www.gonzaga.edu/about/our-mission-jesuit-values), Gonzaga seeks to educate students to become compassionate leaders who engage with the world, seek justice, and contribute to the common good. As a campus community, we prioritize inclusive excellence and increasing campus diversity, particularly in supporting underrepresented students in higher education. The Mechanical Engineering Department at Gonzaga University seeks candidates who align with this mission and requests applicants to address it in their cover letter. We value candidates who have worked with a diverse array of faculty, staff, and students, and who contribute to a welcoming campus climate. Experience working with underrepresented students through teaching, research, mentoring, or administration is preferred.
Gonzaga’s campus sits adjacent to downtown Spokane, WA, along the Spokane River in the Inland Northwest’s most metropolitan region. We exist on the traditional homelands of the Spokane people, one of the Interior Salish speaking tribes of the region. Spokane is Washington’s second largest city and boasts a vibrant restaurant, entertainment, and arts community; it is also home to a diverse array of neighborhoods and popular outdoor recreational areas.
For more information on our mission, please visit: https://www.gonzaga.edu/about/our-mission-jesuit-values/mission-statement
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Essential Functions:
- Teach 18 credit hours of courses per year. Teaching responsibilities will primarily focus on core aerospace and mechanical courses, foundational undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer, as well as associated laboratory courses in thermal-fluids, as well as lecture-based courses such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. There will also be opportunities to teach first-year and senior-level courses in the candidate’s area of interest (as a first-year seminar and technical elective, respectively), as part of our senior design sequence, and more broadly across the curriculum.
- Establish a research program in the candidate’s area of expertise; candidates are also encouraged to: 1) develop research programs that support undergraduate student participation in the research, 2) mentor and oversee undergraduate research assistants, and 3) communicate results through peer-reviewed papers, presentations, and other communications appropriate to the discipline.
- Provide academic and career advising and mentoring to undergraduate students (typically 15 - 25 per year).
- Support the Department, University, and discipline through service and other forms of academic citizenship.
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Preferred Qualifications:
Evidence of engaging, inclusive teaching practices at the undergraduate level that includes thermal-fluids courses and/or other laboratory-based courses. Demonstrated ability to establish and run a research program (ex., post-doctoral record, industry research record, significant leadership role in a research project, advising undergraduate students in a research context, etc.)
Ability to reflect on and clearly articulate professional or practical experiences – whether in industry, research, or other settings – and connect them to classroom and lab teaching, curriculum and lab development, student mentoring, and engaging undergraduates in research.
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