Department of Mechanical Engineering Three Faculty Positions in Design, Materials and Manufacturing

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech seeks to fill three positions at Assistant or Associate professor levels in its Design, Materials and Manufacturing thrust area to start in August 2020.  We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise that integrate strongly with an interdisciplinary team of faculty engaged at the intersection of advanced design, manufacturing, and materials research:

1. Design, Materials, and Manufacturing (DMM): [Design]- with emphasis across all areas of design theory & methodology, design automation, and multi-scale modeling; seeking candidates that integrate strongly with an interdisciplinary team of faculty engaged at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and materials research (multidisciplinary design analysis, topology optimization, design for manufacturing, computer-aided design, systems engineering, materials modeling and design)
2. Design, Materials, and Manufacturing (DMM): [Manufacturing]- with emphasis across all areas of advanced manufacturing and materials processing technologies (metals, ceramics, and composites); seeking candidates with expertise in metal Additive Manufacturing processes, hybrid manufacturing processes, and design and fabrication of metamaterials.
3. Design, Materials, and Manufacturing (DMM):[Materials] with emphasis in areas related to modeling, manufacturing, and materials for energy systems; seeking candidates with expertise in energy storage technologies, battery technology from a manufacturing perspective that encompasses the automation of the materials, mechanical, and chemical processes involved, and structure-property-process relationships of materials for energy applications.

Virginia Tech is committed to diversity and seeks a broad spectrum of candidates including women, minorities, and people with disabilities. Virginia Tech is a recipient of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers (www.advance.vt.edu).

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (http://www.me.vt.edu/), which includes a Nuclear Engineering Program, has 67 faculty, 30 affiliate faculty, annual research expenditures of over $18M, and a current enrollment of 300 graduate students with 180 students at doctoral level, and over 1100 undergraduate students.  With about 400 BS ME degrees awarded each year, the Department is the third largest in the nation in graduating mechanical engineers (2017 ASEE Data.)  The Department is ranked 15th (8th in public schools) and 23rd (12th in public schools) out of all mechanical engineering departments in the nation in undergraduate and graduate education, respectively, by the 2019 U.S. News and World Report.  The department operates under five thrust areas: Robotics and Dynamical Systems (RADS); Bio, Micro, and Nano Systems (BMNS); Energy Engineering and Science (ESS); Design, Materials, and Manufacturing (DMM); and Nuclear Engineering and Science (NES). The Department includes several research centers, and its faculty members are engaged in diverse multidisciplinary research activities. The mechanical engineering faculty also benefit from a number of university-wide institutes such as the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), the Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI); College-level centers such as the Rolls-Royce University Technology Center (UTC) and the state-level Commonwealth of Virginia Center for Aerospace Propulsion Systems (CCAPS), the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems (VaCAS) and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM). Blacksburg is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is widely recognized by national rankings as a vibrant and desirable community with affordable living, world-class outdoor recreation, an active arts community, and a diverse international population.

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in mechanical or nuclear engineering or a closely related discipline. We are seeking highly qualified candidates committed to a career in research and teaching.  The successful candidates will be responsible for mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, teaching courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and developing a strong externally sponsored research program. 

Candidates should apply online at www.jobs.vt.edu to the appropriate posting number 510603.  Applicants must clearly indicate in their cover letter to which one of the above three subareas of DMM they are applying. Applicants should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, a research/vision statement, and the names of five references that the search committee may contact. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2019 and will continue until the position is filled.

General inquiries about the position should be addressed to the search committee chair, Prof. Chris Williams (cbwill@vt.edu). For assistance submitting the application please contact Ms. Sara Phillips (sarapv8@vt.edu), (540) 231-0700.