Assistant Professor (TT) - Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (Multiple Positions)

Apply now Job no:520506
Work type:Faculty Full Time
Location:UMass Amherst
Department: Mech & Industrial Engineering
Union: MSP
Categories:Faculty, College of Engineering

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

In a 2009 article for MSN.com, Amherst was ranked first as Best College Town in the United States. In 2012, U.S. News and World Report ranked Amherst among the Top 10 Great College Towns in America.

The College of Engineering is ranked as the best public engineering college in New England. The Fall 2022 enrollment included 2,296 undergraduate and 741 graduate students. Research expenditures exceeded $51 M in the past year and the College is host to 15+ research centers. The College has an excellent record of developing new faculty with 14 of our current faculty members receiving prestigious NSF CAREER awards in just the last four years. A new engineering building will be constructed with a focus on Sustainable Engineering in the near future. More information can be found here: https://engineering.umass.edu/sustainable-engineering-laboratories.

Job Description

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE)  at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for multiple tenure-track faculty positions at the assistant professor level. One position will be in thermofluids/energy and another in mechanical engineering design; outstanding applicants from other areas within mechanical engineering will be considered. Specifically, the department is looking for candidates with expertise in either fluid dynamics, ocean engineering, heat transfer, and thermodynamics especially with application to sustainable and renewable energy, or in mechanical design with a preferred focus in robotics, sustainable product development, and advanced manufacturing. In all areas, the candidates should envision a research and teaching program consistent with the College of Engineering’s Strategic Plan .

The appointment is expected to begin September 1, 2024.

The MIE Department is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of our vibrant academic community. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering has 35 full-time faculty members, over 250 graduate students, and over 650 undergraduates. Research expenditures exceeded $6.5M in the last fiscal year. The MIE Department has a long history of successful interdisciplinary research, including computational and experimental fluid dynamics, wind and renewable energy, robotics, assistive technology, and bioengineering.  Academic units affiliated with the department include the Wind Energy Center, Energy Transition Institute, Center for e-Design, Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation, Center for Personalized Health Monitoring, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, and the UMass Transportation Center. 

Requirements

The successful candidate should have earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or related fields by August 31, 2024. Applicants must demonstrate potential for scholarly excellence and for developing an externally funded research program. The faculty is expected to maintain an internationally recognized scholarly presence, collaborate in interdisciplinary research teams, and effectively mentor graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Candidates must be able to teach existing undergraduate and graduate courses in mechanical engineering, specifically courses in thermo-fluids or mechanical design, in addition to developing courses in their area of expertise.

Additional Information

UMass Amherst is a leader in providing institutional support for faculty to combine work and family/personal responsibilities and was listed among the Chronicle of Higher Education’s  “Great Colleges to Work For.”   UMass is in the top 10% of public research-intensive universities in the COACHE survey for making the tenure-track compatible with having and raising children. UMass Amherst runs a nationally recognized NSF-sponsored ADVANCE Institutional Transformation program that seeks to increase equity in STEM fields through collaboration (https://www.umass.edu/advance/home ).  For more information on work-life balance at UMass Amherst, see https://www.umass.edu/prospective-faculty/work/balance .  

As a campus with an increasingly diverse student body, we are looking for candidates who can operate effectively in a diverse faculty and student community, and who value collegiality, collaboration, achievement, and integrity. We encourage applications from women, minorities, and individuals with a commitment to mentor under-represented demographics within engineering. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths, those who have paused their careers for family or pandemic reasons, or who spent time outside of academia. We are committed to helping all constituents reach their full potential by creating best-in-practice operations to support faculty scholarship while promoting excellence in student experiences.

Application Instructions

Candidates must apply online and provide the following in their application package. Applications should be addressed to the Search Chair. For full consideration, applications should be received by October 15th, 2023, and applications submitted after this date will be reviewed until the search is completed.  

• Cover letter that lays out your interest in this position and why you are a good fit.  
• In the cover letter, explicitly indicate whether your interest is in (1) thermofluids/energy or (2) design. 
• Current curriculum vitae.  
• Statement of research outlining your accomplishments briefly, focusing on your future plans and potential fit at UMass Amherst.  
• Statement of teaching, including your teaching philosophy and potential courses you might offer at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Statement of vision for the candidate’s role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candidates should list past and planned future actions to support the diversity mission of the Colleges of Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and UMass. See CEO Mission, Vision, and Inclusivity Statement .
• Statement of mentoring, including your mentoring philosophy and how you can foster an inclusive environment for all students.  
• Full contact information for three professional references.  

Process

The steps of the process are as follows: 

• A minimally qualified pool of applicants is identified.  
• The committee will work to screen the candidates by the end of October and form a long list of qualified candidates for Zoom interviews. Zoom interviews will commence in November.  
• A short list of candidates for in-person interviews will be determined by mid-December. 
• These candidates will be invited to interview on campus. These interviews are expected to take place in February and early March 2023. 
• The committee will finalize its recommendations for hiring during mid-March. 

The University is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic career and degree.