Department
Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
Rank
Associate Professor
Position Summary
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) and the College of Engineering at The University of Alabama invite applications for multiple tenure-track positions at the rank of Associate Professor within the department. Candidates with research interests across all domains relevant to aerospace engineering and mechanics are encouraged to apply. Candidates with particular research emphasis and interests in the areas of space systems, space flight, space situational awareness, spacecraft guidance and control, space propulsion, hypersonic systems, hypersonic materials, and hypersonic modeling, rocket and missile propulsion, and durability, fatigue and fracture of materials are of particular interest for one or more of these positions and thus are strongly encouraged to apply.
Detailed Position Information
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) and the College of Engineering at The University of Alabama invite applications for multiple tenure-track and tenured faculty positions at all ranks, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels, within the department. Candidates applying to this particular posting should be intending to apply for a position at the rank of Associate Professor. Applications from candidates with appropriate experience and a strong record of scholarly productivity and impact who would seek appointment at the rank of Assistant or Full Professor are also encouraged to apply through a related posting at that positional level. Candidates from under-represented groups in engineering are strongly encouraged to apply.
Candidates with prestigious achievements in their field and exceptional national and international reputations will be eligible for consideration for significant endowment support through appointment as an Endowed Shelby Distinguished Associate Professor (https://provost.ua.edu/shelby-endowment/).
Candidates with research interests across all domains relevant to aerospace engineering and mechanics are encouraged to apply. Candidates with particular research emphasis and interests in the areas of space systems, space flight, space situational awareness, spacecraft guidance and control, space propulsion, hypersonic systems, hypersonic materials, and hypersonic modeling, rocket and missile propulsion, and durability, fatigue and fracture of materials are of particular interest for one or more of these positions and thus are strongly encouraged to apply.
The AEM department and College are looking to both: (1) add faculty who will build upon existing strengths in the Department, College, and University and (2) add faculty who will expand the scope of research here within the department, College, and UA as a whole. (https://aem.eng.ua.edu/).
The AEM department offers a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering undergraduate degree and has a sustained enrollment of more than 500 BSAE students, making it one of the largest aerospace engineering programs in the nation. The AEM department also has active MS and PhD programs in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, supporting both residential and distance education students, with a total sustained graduate enrollment of more than 150 students.
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics and the College of Engineering consider teaching, research, and service as the three critical and complimentary portions of their overall mission. Candidates must demonstrate a clear potential to successfully develop, lead, and extramurally fund a highly productive research group with significant scholarly impact in a focus area with long term potential to further build upon the rapid rise and great success of the AEM department and the UA College of Engineering. An ability to collaborate with existing faculty in the key focus areas both within the AEM Department and the College of Engineering, as well as potential colleagues across the campus, is also highly desirable.
The College of Engineering and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics also pride themselves on the outstanding educational experience provided to their students, and thus faculty candidates must demonstrate an ability to develop and teach classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level in the faculty member’s area(s) of expertise as well as to teach courses that support the delivery and accreditation of the Department’s core degree programs.
The department, college and university are also notable for the collegial, welcoming and supportive spirit built into the fabric of who we are and how we interact across our College family of students, faculty, and staff. It is therefore expected that candidates demonstrate an ability to support this important aspect of our community. The AEM department and College also pride themselves on the outstanding educational experience provided to their students, and thus faculty candidates must demonstrate an ability to develop and teach courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the faculty member’s area(s) of expertise as well as to teach courses that support the delivery and accreditation of the AEM department’s core degree programs.
Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution. Demonstrated a record of prior research work and a record of impactful scholarly publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings, and similarly impactful venues. Demonstrated an outstanding record in electrical engineering or computer engineering education and/or professional service in area(s) of specialization. Effective verbal and written communication skills. Applicants must also meet all university criteria for appointment to the rank of Associate Professor.
Preferred Qualifications
Have 5+ years of experience as a tenure-track/tenured faculty member at a leading peer R1 institution. Demonstrated record of building and sustaining a high quality, productive, and impactful research program including the successful mentoring of graduate students and strong history of extramural funding. Demonstrated record of excellent teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Demonstrated record of high-quality research and scholarly journal and conference publications that are recognized nationally and/or internationally. Significant record of scholarship in an academic department with both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. Outstanding record of external grant funding.
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Required application documents include a: (1) cover letter that includes both the department name and rank of position for which the candidate is applying, (2) a resume/curriculum vitae, (3) a 4 to 6 page statement of research interests and plans, (4) a one to two page statement of teaching interests and plans, and (5) the names and contact information for at least four references.
Review of applications will begin immediately, and the search will continue until the positions are filled with an expected start date of August 2025. Questions about the position can be directed to aem-search@eng.ua.edu. Candidates from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.
About the College of Engineering
As the premier flagship university for the state of Alabama and as one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering instruction, The University of Alabama has more than 175 years of proud engineering history. UA’s College of Engineering is committed to conducting cutting-edge basic research that advances the frontiers of science and engineering, to translating such fundamental advancements and knowledge through applied research and technology commercialization into impactful solutions which improve the human condition and address the challenges facing humankind, and to using that immersive research environment to provide unparalleled educational experiences and opportunities for our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a College, we pride ourselves on educating and preparing the next generations of engineering and computer science scholars and professionals who will positively shape the future around us. Through our educational, research, and service activities that support our overall vision to be one of the most impactful engineering programs in the nation, our College continues to provide leadership in the many professional disciplines represented by our College and to the community, state, and nation as we advance our professions, the economy, and the lives of all those whom we serve.
The UA College of Engineering is comprised of seven departments: (1) Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, (2) Chemical and Biological Engineering, (3) Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, (4) Computer Science, (5) Electrical and Computer Engineering, (6) Mechanical Engineering, and (7) Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. These departments currently deliver 13 different undergraduate degree programs and 15 different graduate degree programs. Overall, the College enrolls approximately 6,000 students, making it one of the largest colleges out of the more than 40,000 students on the UA campus.
While the university has been on a constant mission to advance in every aspect of its operations since its inception, The University of Alabama has in particular seen transformative growth in its research enterprise over the past decade. Through the efforts of the University, the UA Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED), and in particular the departments, centers, and faculty of the College of Engineering, UA’s research enterprise has indeed surged dramatically higher in just the last five to ten years. In the last five fiscal years alone (2019-2023), total sponsored awards across UA have increased by more than 80% and are well on track to more than double by the end of the current strategic plan period in 2024. This growth rate strengthens UA’s position as one of the two fastest growing research institutions in the nation. For the College of Engineering specifically, total research awards have well more than doubled in the last five years, growing by 250% in 2023 as compared to their level in 2018.
The educational activities of the College of Engineering and its constantly increasing volume of impactful research are enabled and supported by a tremendous combination of amazing faculty and staff, an outstanding array of modern new facilities that are the envy of its peers, and a world-class student body at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College of Engineering currently has more than 180 faculty members, and it is in a period of rapid faculty growth having added approximately 50 new faculty in the last two years and with plans to add an additional approximately 30 faculty this year. In terms of facilities, the College of Engineering has one of the largest overall footprints of any college at UA, currently occupying all or significant portions of 15 different facilities across campus. Some of the most recent additions to that space are the state-of-the-art facilities provided for many of the College’s departments in the recently completed Shelby Science and Engineering Quad that was built at a cost approaching $400 million.
In addition to the traditional engineering departments and their facilities, there are also more than 10 different major research centers housed within the College that span and support a wide-ranging set of research thrust areas including: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, additive manufacturing, advanced materials, functional polymers and soft matter, water resources and water technology, advanced transportation and vehicle technology, and many more. These centers bring together faculty from across the College and from around the University to capitalize on emerging technological opportunities and to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing humankind and the planet both today and well into the future. In addition to these College research centers, a number of university-level research institutes and centers including the Alabama Water Institute, the Alabama Transportation Institute, the Cyber Institute, and the Alabama Mobility and Power Center, also provide support and infrastructure to an array of research thrusts and projects that engage faculty from across the College and from around the university. This synergistic combination of outstanding people, facilities, and resources will continue to fuel the College of Engineering’s advancement and growth well into the future.
Overall, with its hundreds of award-winning faculty and staff members, its outstanding and growing student body, its tremendous array of state-of-the-art facilities, its diverse offerings of nationally accredited degree programs, and the strong support of its local, state, and national partners, the UA College of Engineering has positioned itself for continued success and rapid advancement as a leader in engineering science, education, and practice. The College is looking for new faculty who want to build or continue their career in a dynamic organization with truly unlimited potential.
It is indeed an exciting time to join The University of Alabama and the College of Engineering. The UA College of Engineering has recently embarked on its “Top-30+ by ‘30” initiative which aims to have the College and all of its departments and programs achieve top-30 impact in all dimensions of our operations. Those impacts and dimensions include offering a comprehensive set of innovative degree program covering the full spectrum of engineering and computer science fields, enrolling a number of students and conferring a number of degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to be one of the largest producers of engineering talent in the nation, achieving continued outstanding growth in research awards and expenditures to enable continued expansion of our graduate programs and research activities, continuing to scale scholarly research productivity to be a major force in pushing the frontiers of our disciplines, and to playing an ever more important role in shaping our disciplines and the future of computer science, engineering, and technology through local, national and international service. To achieve those goals, the College, with strong support of the University, is deploying substantial resources in hiring new faculty, expanding our staff network supporting our operations, developing new facilities including both laboratory and computing resources, and expanding our research and educational programs. These activities present an outstanding opportunity here at The University of Alabama for individuals to fulfill their career objectives and dreams as a faculty member in an environment that can fully support their development as an excellent scholar, researcher, and teacher.
About the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" https://www.eeoc.gov/overview
