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Department/Organization
214221 - Chemical and Biological Eng
Rank
Assistant Professor
Position Summary
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) and the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering at The University of Alabama (UA) invite applications for multiple tenure-track positions at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor within the department. Candidates applying to this particular posting should be intending to apply for a position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Candidates with research interests across ALL domains relevant to chemical and biological engineering are encouraged to apply. Candidates with particular research emphasis and interests in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biomanufacturing, artificial intelligence for materials discovery, or automated labs are of particular interest for one or more of these positions and thus are strongly encouraged to apply.
Detailed Position Information
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE: https://che.eng.ua.edu/) and the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering (SCoE: https://eng.ua.edu/) at The University of Alabama (UA: https://ua.edu/) invite applications for multiple tenure-track and tenured faculty positions at all ranks, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels, within the ChBE department.
This posting is specific for candidates applying for a position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Applications from candidates with appropriate experience and a strong record of scholarly productivity and impact who would seek appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor should apply through related postings advertised at those other position/rank levels.
Towards achieving excellence in all our efforts, the ChBE department and the Styslinger 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.
Candidates with research interests across ALL domains relevant to chemical and biological engineering are encouraged to apply. Current research strengths within ChBE include, but are not limited to, biotechnology, bioengineering, membranes and membrane-based separations, battery materials and energy storage, electrochemical systems, catalysis and reaction engineering, and soft matter. To further broaden capabilities of the department, candidates with particular research emphasis and interests in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biomanufacturing (including bioprocess automation, sensing, and control), AI materials discovery, or automated laboratories are of particular interest for one or more of these positions and are strongly encouraged to apply. To complement current research strengths in the department, candidates with demonstrated research focus on process optimization, supply chain, safety, and life cycle assessment are also sought and are encouraged to apply. Finally, the College and University benefit greatly from the existence of a large number of major research centers and institutes (e.g. the Alabama Water Institute: https://awi.ua.edu/; the Alabama Mobility and Power Center: https://ati.ua.edu/tag/alabama-mobility-and-power-center/; Alabama Materials Institute: https://ami.ua.edu/; UA Polymers and Soft Materials Research Center: https://poly-sm.ua.edu/); the UA High Performance Computing and Data Center, and to further strengthen the department's involvement in these activities and to leverage the extensive resources available through these organizations, candidates with research emphasis and interests in related fields including water modeling and technologies, materials for extreme environments, batteries and energy storage, and computational and experimental materials science research are sought and strongly encouraged to apply.
The ChBE department has thriving programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The department offers a B.S. in Chemical Engineering undergraduate degree, a M.S. in Chemical Engineering, a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, and a new M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering. The department's undergraduate chemical engineering program has consistently been one of the top-10 largest programs in the country for many years, with a current average enrollment each year over the past five years of more than 400 undergraduate chemical engineering students. In addition to its large size, the department boasts a tremendously bright and outstanding undergraduate student body recruited from all across the nation (e.g. approximately 35% of program undergraduates are from Alabama with the remaining 65% of undergraduates in the program from out-of-state, with all representing the top graduates in their schools from both across the state and across the country). At any given time, amongst its terrific student body, the ChBE undergraduate population typically includes between 70 and 100 National Merit Finalists and Scholars. Graduates from the department are highly sought after by major companies across the U.S., as well as by the prominent U.S. institutes of higher education, where a significant fraction of our graduates pursue advanced graduate degrees with excellent outcomes.
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the College of Engineering consider teaching, research, and service as the three critical and complimentary portions of their overall mission and the ability of our faculty to contribute to all three mission elements is considered essential. 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 ChBE department and the UA College of Engineering. An ability to collaborate with existing faculty in the key focus areas both within the ChBE Department and the College of Engineering, as well as potential colleagues across the campus, is highly desirable.
The Styslinger College of Engineering and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering 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. In addition to their specific research fields, faculty candidates should be able to teach courses that support the delivery and accreditation of the Department's core degree programs.
Finally, the ChBE 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.
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 Chemical 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 chemical engineering and/or bioengineering education and professional service in area(s) of specialization.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Show the potential to construct and sustain a quality 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 Assistant Professor.
Preferred Qualifications
• Demonstrated a record of high-quality research and scholarly publications that is recognized nationally and/or internationally. • Significant record of scholarship in chemical engineering, bioengineering, or a closely related department with both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. • Post-doctoral experience or other similar post-graduate experience. • Exceptional collegial, interpersonal, and mentoring 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 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. Applications are preferred on or before October 20, 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. The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. Candidates from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. Questions about the position can be directed to chbesearch@eng.ua.edu.
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 College 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 (ORED), the Styslinger College of Engineering 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 College 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 College 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 that was mentioned earlier. 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 College 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 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 more. These centers bring together faculty from across the College and the University to capitalize on emerging technological opportunities and to t