Water Research - Assistant Professor - 521374

Organization
214101 - College of Engineering

Rank
Assistant Professor

Position Summary
The College of Engineering is recruiting for multiple tenure-track faculty positions at the level of Assistant Professor as part of a larger search effort in the area of water-related research, with positions potentially available at all ranks including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor.

The following areas of research expertise are to be emphasized in the search:

• Large-scale water modeling using high-performance and cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and remote sensing for streamflow, flood, drought, water quality, and other hydrologic forecasting applications.
• Information systems and technology for water management, engineering, and operations that leads to hydroinformatics innovations in geospatial data management and analytics, visualization, web portals, software, and applications of geospatial technologies.
• Artificial intelligence, data science, and new computational approaches for hydrologic forecasting.
• Hydrologic observation platforms and sensor technologies applying edge computing, Internet of Things, and robotics.

Detailed Position Information
The University of Alabama and the UA College of Engineering, in conjunction with the Alabama Water Institute (AWI) and the NOAA-sponsored Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), invite applications for multiple tenure-track and tenured faculty positions at all ranks, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels, by individuals working in areas related to water resources research. Appointments for individuals applying for these positions are available in any of the seven engineering departments within the College of Engineering and joint appointments where appropriate are also possible. The specific focus areas mentioned below which highlight areas of interest for at least some of the positions represented in this search naturally offer opportunities for appointments in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental, the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Candidates applying to this particular posting should be intending to apply for a position at the rank of Assistant Professor. 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 are encouraged to apply through the related posting at the appropriate level. 

The following four research areas are particular priorities for some of the positions available through this current search.

Large-scale Water Modeling – Driven by the challenge of intensifying hydroclimate extremes, there is a need to improve the delivery of actionable water intelligence and the response of decision-makers for national-level forecasting of streamflow, floods, droughts, and water quality. This position requires application of large-scale hydrologic modeling with specialization in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, remote sensing, and cloud computing. The ideal candidate will complement process and computational hydrologists at UA by bringing expertise to advance national-scale water prediction in hybrid computational environments. We seek applicants familiar with the planning and designing of resilient infrastructure and communities, decision making under uncertainty, and applying emerging techniques from mathematics, computer science, and data science to advance hydrologic, hydraulic, hydrodynamic, water quality, and ecosystem modeling applications.

Hydroinformatics - Motivated by the expansion of data acquisition systems and the need for managing and using massive datasets, this position requires specialization in information systems and technology for water management, engineering, and operations, with expertise in extreme data management, analytics, data mining, large dataset access, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, water systems modeling, and geographic information systems. The ideal candidate will align with needs for research in design and development of water databases, hydrologic information systems, web portals and applications, user interfaces, virtual reality, and software contributing to advance open-source development, FAIR data principles, and the needs of a diverse water sector. We seek applicants with experience working with geospatial and time series data and creating advanced platforms for managing, processing, sharing, and analyzing water quantity and quality observations.

Big Data and Advanced Computing – The data revolution is leading to exciting opportunities at the interface of computer science, data science, and domain science. This position seeks applicants with demonstrated excellence innovating new artificial intelligence, heterogenous computing, and machine learning approaches for large-scale hydrologic modeling applications. We are interested in applicants with research interests and expertise bridging computer science, data-driven modeling, and process-based modeling of hydrologic systems for improving streamflow, flood, drought, or water quality forecasting. Candidates of particular interest will have demonstrated research strength in extreme data management, visualization and analytics of high dimensional data, artificial intelligence, and high-performance and cloud computing.

Sensor Technologies and Observation Systems - This position requires specialization in applied hydrologic sciences including water quality with expertise in field studies applying Internet of Things (IoT) concepts using sensing technologies, wireless sensor networks, and robots. The ideal candidate will align with the rapid digitalization of the water sector that is driving research in smart systems, real-time control, and edge computing. Applicants should complement University of Alabama expertise in water modeling, hydroinformatics, computer science, and existing sensor technology and observation system researchers across the College of Engineering including those in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. The position seeks applications with research interests and expertise integrating satellite and drone-based remote sensing with fixed and mobile sensor networks for water security and resilience applications. The position may bring expertise in related areas of image processing, geospatial and statistical analysis, data fusion, and machine learning.

Outstanding candidates at all levels in other water-related research areas will also receive full consideration.

The College of Engineering and its departments 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 UA College of Engineering, the Alabama Water Institute, and the new Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology. An ability to collaborate with existing faculty in the key focus areas across all of the entities involved in water-related research across campus is also highly desirable. The College of Engineering and its departments and centers 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.

Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must have an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in engineering, computer science, or a closely related field relevant to the fields encompassed by water and water resource-related research. Applicants must have conducted prior research work and have a record of impactful scholarly publications in refereed and other professional journals and venues.

Preferred Qualifications
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. Post-doctoral experience or other similar post-graduate experience. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Required application documents include: (1) cover letter that includes both the department name and rank of position for which the candidate is applying, (2) resume/curriculum vitae, (3) Up to 10 page statement of research interests and plans, (4) 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 continue until the positions are filled. Candidates from under-represented groups in engineering 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 leading-edge basic research that advances the frontiers of science and engineering, translating fundamental advancements through applied research into impactful solutions for many of the challenges facing humankind, providing unparalleled educational experiences and opportunities for our students at both the undergraduate and graduate level, producing the next generations of engineering and computer science scholars and professionals who will positively shape the future around us, and providing service to our many professional disciplines and to the community, state, and nation to continue to advance our professions, the economy, and opportunities and lives of all those whom we impact.

The 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) Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and (7) Mechanical Engineering. These seven departments deliver 15 different undergraduate degree programs and 16 different graduate degree programs. Overall the College enrolls approximately 6,000 students, making it one of the largest colleges out of the approximately 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. Since 2014, research activity as measured by yearly total research awards has more than tripled, growing by more than 330%. More recently, in June 2019 the UA Office for Research & Economic Development (ORED) launched its most recent five-year strategic plan. That plan for the 2019-2024 period – emanating from UA’s overarching goal to, “increase the University’s productivity and innovation in research, scholarship, and creative activities that impact economic and societal development,” – focuses on six strategic themes: (1) Research Environment, (2) Alabama Research Institutes, (3) Transformative Initiatives, (4) Translating Intellectual Property, (5) Economic and Business Engagement, and (6) Assessing Progress and Impact. The overall goal of ORED’s strategic plan when initiated in 2019 was to help the University double its research enterprise in five years and position itself firmly as one of the premier comprehensive research institutions in the southeastern United States and the country as a whole. Through the efforts of the University, 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 four years. In the last four fiscal years alone (2019-2022), 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 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 more than doubled in the last five years, growing by 250% in 2023 from their level in 2018.

This constantly increasing volume of research and the educational activities of the College of Engineering are supported by both a tremendous faculty and staff and by a set of outstanding facilities that are the envy of its peers. The College of Engineering currently has more than 170 faculty members, and is in a period of rapid faculty growth having added more than 20 faculty last year 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 departments in the College by the recently completed Shelby Science and Engineering Quad that was built at a cost approaching $400 million. In addition to the traditional engineering departments, there are more than 10 different major research centers housed within the College that span research areas ranging from cybersecurity to additive manufacturing to functional polymers to water to transportation to many more. These centers bring together faculty from across the College and from around the University to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing humankind and the planet today and well into tomorrow.

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 unlimited potential.

About The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides an inclusive, forward-thinking environment and nearly 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus.

A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. The University of Alabama has R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity status by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and is among the top doctoral research universities in the United States.

As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.

About Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa is so much more than a college town.

It's a vibrant community that’s filled with legendary history. Located along the Black Warrior River, the city features a walkable downtown that’s complete with live music, locally owned shops, outdoor spaces to explore and local restaurants to meet every palate. With a geography ranging from suburban to rural, the area offers a variety of housing options along with excellent public and private schools and a wealth of recreational and entertainment options.

With a metro area population of 235,000, the Druid City lies about an hour southwest of Birmingham, in west-central Alabama. It’s within a few hours’ drive of Gulf Coast beaches and major cities like Nashville, New Orleans and Atlanta, making it a great base for growing better acquainted with the South’s finest offerings.

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/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf