Professional Faculty, Civil Engineering

About Augustana College:

Augustana College is a selective liberal arts and sciences college of 2,400 students, including 18 percent first generation college students, 21 percent Pell Grant eligible students, 23 percent students of color, and 15 percent international students.  Our beautifully wooded and largely residential campus is located in Rock Island, IL, a diverse Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities metropolitan area along the Mississippi River with 400,000 residents less than three hours west of Chicago. 

Strengthening our diverse and inclusive community is central to the college's mission and strategic plan. We seek applicants with an interest in fostering rigorous, inclusive, and high-impact learning environments for a diverse student body. Details about Augustana College, faculty life, and the Quad Cities all are available at Teaching at Augustana .   

Job Description:

The Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy Department at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, invites applications for a Professional Faculty position in Civil Engineering for the 2024-25 academic year (10-month). This is a three to five year appointment renewable upon satisfactory performance and annual evaluation. The successful candidate will split time between teaching duties and program development for the Civil Engineering Track as part of Augustana's new Bachelor's of Science in Engineering program, on track to be ABET accredited in 2026. The annual workload is equivalent to teaching 6.5 courses; however, some, but no more than half of the workload may be devoted to program development (e.g. recruiting, curriculum development). The candidate will teach Structural Engineering, introductory engineering courses, and introductory physics courses. The department also supports the candidate in developing their own courses related to their interests and expertise as desired. The Quad Cities region is home to many engineering firms and agencies such as the Rock Island District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, IMEG Corp., Shive Hattery, John Deere, and Arconic. We encourage candidates to think creatively about how to use their talents and interests to bridge connections between local civil engineering industry and Augustana, for both student education opportunities and their own professional work. 

The candidate will join an active, eight-member department with disciplinary interests in thermal fluids, environmental fluid dynamics, 3D printing and design, signal processing, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, planetary and stellar magnetic fields, observational astronomy, physics education, and planetarium directing. The department houses research spaces for environmental fluid dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, nuclear physics, and quantum photonics. The engineering wing has a newly designed Maker Space with 3D printers, a laser cutter, a scanning electron microscope, and a CNC mill. Instructional spaces include a newly renovated electronics and design lab. Potential research space is available for candidates who wish to develop a lab or program on-site. However, this position carries no research expectations.

Requirements:

Candidates should have a Master's or Ph.D. (or be ABD by fall of 2024) in Civil or Structural Engineering (PE preferred). Successful candidates should be able to demonstrate teaching effectiveness or a willingness to dedicate time and training to learn best practices in science pedagogy (teacher training opportunities will be made available). Candidates are expected to show a commitment to fostering equity and inclusion, an ability to work with students in and out of the classroom, and an ability to work with colleagues of various backgrounds. Experience or interest in forming student-centered engineering opportunities outside of Augustana (internships, externships, research experiences, co-ops, site visits, competitions, field trips, etc.) is highly desired. 

Additional Information:

Augustana College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Augustana College provides equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Application Instructions:

A complete application includes: a cover letter indicating an interest in teaching engineering in a liberal arts setting, curriculum vitae, contact information of three references, a statement of teaching philosophy, and a plan on how to use the non-teaching load portion of the position to further the Civil Engineering track for ABET accreditation (creative plans focused on student involvement, as well as furthering your own career goals, are highly encouraged).

Questions may be directed to the chair of the department, Nathan Frank ([email protected]).  The committee will review applications as they are received. The position will remain open until filled.