The Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech invites applications for a non-tenure track teaching-focused Professor of Practice faculty appointment in Controls/Industrial Applications. This position is open rank (assistant, associate, or full professor of practice) commensurate with experience. This is a teaching-intensive position with no requirement to participate in research. Required qualifications for this position include: a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a closely related field; 3+ years of professional experience applying engineering principles in industry, business, government, nonprofit, and/or research settings; and an advanced degree in chemical engineering or a closely related field or business, OR professional licensure (i.e. Professional Engineer), OR equivalent industry experience.
We are seeking highly qualified candidates who are committed to teaching and mentoring undergraduate chemical engineering students. The successful applicant will teach multiple core and elective chemical engineering courses, as well as provide mentoring and career and professional advising to students. We are particularly interested in individuals who can contribute to teaching our Process Measurement & Control, Process & Plant Design, and Unit Operations Laboratory courses. Professors of Practice are expected to participate in department service and committee work, and the successful candidate will contribute to the evaluation and ongoing development of the undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum. Preference will be given to applicants with some or all of the following qualifications: a master’s or PhD in chemical engineering or a closely related field; significant professional experience applying engineering principles in industry, business, government, nonprofit, and/or research settings; experience with capital projects, engineering design, or process control; experience engaging with clients from a variety of industries, organizations, and/or disciplines; involvement with the professional community or professional organizations; prior teaching experience at the university level; and, demonstrated commitment to and interest in teaching, mentoring, and advising undergraduate engineering students.
The Chemical Engineering Department at Virginia Tech is a highly collaborative environment with a long history of excellence in chemical engineering education (che.vt.edu). Our core values are kindness, authenticity, professionalism, authenticity, and mastery. The department is home to approximately 330 undergraduate students and 60 graduate students, and currently includes 16 tenure-track faculty, one non-tenure track Professor of Practice, dedicated undergraduate and graduate academic advisors, and associated support staff. The undergraduate program includes tracks in Climate & Energy Solutions, Healthcare Technologies, and Data Science & Analytics. Significant numbers of our undergraduates take part in minors (e.g. green, nuclear, and biomedical engineering), co-op or internship experiences, undergraduate research, and study abroad programs. We have a highly active AIChE Student Chapter, and we support competitive student teams in ChemE Car (2x national champions), ChemE Cube (1x national champion), ChemE Sports, and ChemE Jeopardy.