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Mechanical Engineering - Associate Professor - 530031
Job no: 530031
Work type: Regular Full-time (Benefits eligible)
Location: Tuscaloosa
Categories: Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty
Department/Organization
214271 - Mechanical Engineering
Rank
Associate Professor
Position Summary
The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) and the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering (SCOE) at The University of Alabama invite applications for tenure-track positions at the rank of Associate Professor within the department. Candidates with research interests across mechanical engineering, manufacturing and industrial engineering, are encouraged to apply. Candidates with particular research emphasis and interests in the areas of: (1) Biomechanics and Biosystems Engineering, (2) Robotics and Mechatronics, (3) Sustainable Energy, Clean Energy, and Combustion, (4) Advanced Manufacturing including Integrated and Interconnected Systems, (5) Multi-scale Computation and Simulation, (6) Micro/Nanoscale Systems and Engineering, and (7) Production Planning and Control are of particular interest for one or more of these positions and thus are strongly encouraged to apply.
Detailed Position Information
The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME: https://me.eng.ua.edu/) and the SCoE (SCoE: https://eng.ua.edu/) at The University of Alabama (UA: https://ua.edu/) invite applications for tenure-track and tenured faculty positions at all ranks, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels.
This posting is specific for candidates applying 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 should apply through related postings advertised at those other position/rank levels.
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/the-shelby-endowment-for-distinguished-faculty/). These Endowed Shelby Distinguished Professor are one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon faculty at The University of Alabama. Candidates wishing to be considered for such an appointment should indicate this in their cover letter.
Towards achieving excellence in all our efforts, the ME department and the College of Engineering seek to hire faculty that can contribute to both: (1) build upon existing strengths in the Department, College, and University and (2) expand the scope of research within the department, College, and UA as a whole.
We are seeking candidates whose research combines mechanical and/or manufacturing & industrial engineering fundamentals with machine learning, artificial intelligence, autonomy, digital twins, advanced manufacturing, intelligent production, operations research and data analytics, robotics, sustainable energy, combustion, computational engineering, and next-generation materials.
Successful candidates will contribute to one or more of the Department's strategic growth areas:
Biomechanics and Biosystems Engineering
• Human-centered engineering and digital health
• Biomechanics, rehabilitation, and assistive technologies
• AI-enabled physiological modeling and prediction
• Machine learning for biomechanics, injury prediction and wearable technologies
• Precision agriculture and biological systems engineering
Robotics, Mechatronics, and Autonomous Systems
• Intelligent robotics and autonomous machines
• Human-robot interaction and collaboration
• AI-driven sensing, perception, and control
• Multi-agent and distributed robotic systems
• Embodied intelligence and cyber-physical systems
Sustainable Energy, Clean Energy, and Combustion
• Next-generation energy systems and decarbonization
• Zero-carbon and Sustainable fuels, advanced combustion
• Energy system optimization and resilience
• Data-driven diagnostics, monitoring, and control
• Physics-informed machine learning for energy applications
• Future mobility, autonomous transportation and smart infrastructure
Advanced Manufacturing
• Smart manufacturing and industrial AI
• Production planning and control
• Operations Research and data analytics
• Machine learning for operations
• Simulation, digital twins and digital engineering
• Additive manufacturing and advanced process control
• Autonomous production systems
• Integrated and interconnected manufacturing ecosystems including human-machine interfaces
Computational Engineering and Scientific Machine Learning
• Multi-scale modeling and simulation
• High-performance computing and computational science
• AI-accelerated engineering analysis and design
• Physics-informed machine learning
• Uncertainty quantification and predictive engineering
Micro/Nanoscale Systems and Intelligent Materials
• MEMS/NEMS and micro/nanoscale devices
• Advanced sensing and actuation
• AI-guided materials discovery and design
• Functional and adaptive materials
• Micro/nano manufacturing and characterization
The ME department offers an ABET-accredited B.S. in Mechanical Engineering undergraduate degree, and more recently in 2022, added a B.S. in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and a forthcoming B.S. in industrial systems engineering. The department has a sustained total enrollment of more than 1500 BSME students. The ME department also has active M.S. and Ph.D. programs in, supporting both residential and distance education students, with a total sustained graduate enrollment of more than 185 students.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering consider teaching, research, and service as the three critical and complementary portions of their overall mission. Candidates must demonstrate experience and the ability to successfully lead and extramurally fund a highly productive research program with significant scholarly impact in a focus area with long term potential to further build upon the rapid rise and great success of the Mechanical Engineering department and SCOE. An ability to collaborate with existing faculty in the key focus areas both within the Mechanical Engineering Department and the College of Engineering, as well as potential colleagues across the campus, is also highly desirable. Candidates must also demonstrate an ability to provide an excellent educational experience to our students; therefore, they are expected 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 will demonstrate an ability to support this important aspect of our community.
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
• Earned Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated record of prior research work and a record of impactful scholarly publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings, and similarly impactful venues.
• Demonstrated interest and/or record in mechanical engineering education and professional service in area(s) of specialization.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to sustain a productive, externally funded research program.
• Exhibit the potential for excellent teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
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. • Have a demonstrated record of high-quality research and scholarly publications that is recognized nationally and/or internationally. • Significant record of scholarship in an engineering department with undergraduate and graduate degree programs. • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
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 two 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. Applications are preferred on or before October 1, 2026 to receive fullest consideration, but the search will continue until the positions are filled. A position start date of August 16, 2027 would be typical, but flexibility with respect to start date is possible. Questions about the position can be directed to me-search@eng.ua.edu. The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. Candidates from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.
About the Division/College/School
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 (UA) has more than 175 years of proud engineering history. UA's Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering is committed to conducting cutting-edge research that advances the frontiers of science and engineering, translating such fundamental advancements through applied research and technology commercialization into impactful solutions which improve the human condition and address the challenges facing humankind, and 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 generation 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 Styslinger College of Engineering is comprised of seven departments: Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics; Chemical and Biological Engineering; Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; and Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. These departments currently deliver 14 different undergraduate and 17 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 UA's campus.
While the university has been on a constant mission to advance in every aspect of its operations since its inception, UA has in particular seen transformative growth in its research enterprise and impact over the past decade. Through the efforts of The University, UA Office of Research and Economic Development, the College and its' centers, departments, and faculty, UA's research enterprise has surged dramatically higher in the last five to ten years. This recent and continuing steep growth rate of research has positioned UA as one of the fastest growing research institutions in the nation. More specifically, the UA Styslinger College of Engineering has seen annual research awards and expenditures grow at an average of more than 25% per year for more than the last 5 years, now surpassing $100 million annually in new research awards. By more than doubling research over the past 5 to 7 years, the size of the graduate programs across the College have more than doubled as well. The continued ambitious growth of research programs amongst our existing faculty and research centers combined with the recent significant additions of a large number of new tenure-track and tenured faculty, particularly the addition of more than 80 such new highly research active faculty over the past four years, has positioned the UA Styslinger College of Engineering for maintaining this steep trajectory of research growth and impact well into the future.
The educational activities of the Styslinger 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 currently has more than 185 faculty members, which includes the significant infusion of both young and experienced faculty talent over the past four years. This year again there are plans to add yet another new cohort of tenure-track and tenured faculty to the College across all of its departments. In terms of facilities, the Styslinger College of Engineering has one of the largest overall footprints of any college at UA, currently occupying all or significant portions of 17 different facilities across campus. Some of the most recent additions to that space are the state-of-the-art facilities 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 hou