Position Title: Mechanical Engineering: Assistant Professor

Department: 2450|Mechanical Engineering

Responsibilities:

DESCRIPTION:

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Mechanical Engineering Department invites applications and nominations for the 9-month tenure track position of Assistant Professor (Mechanical Engineering, Cluster Hire in Solar Energy). A Tenure track faculty member for this position is expected to be an excellent teacher and to develop strong funded research programs in the broad area of solar energy. All faculty members participate in departmental, service, and undergraduate student advising activities. The successful candidate will join department and college faculty working in autonomous and smart systems and advanced manufacturing. Applicants will have a robust academic record, and will be active educators in their discipline, cultivating a student body that is intellectually curious and civically engaged. Faculty members should pursue innovative research, scholarship or creative works seeking to serve as mentors to students to encourage intellectual success. Individuals will collaborate with colleagues to assess and improve curricula and conduct research or creative works in their respective areas of knowledge and should increase student success through engagement with innovative projects. Faculty members shall demonstrate institutional citizenship as leaders at the department, college, and university levels, and in their professional fields.

SOLAR ENERGY CLUSTER:

The University of Louisiana is rapidly building a national-level solar energy program focused on research, education, workforce development, economic development, and outreach. The University has invested over $8M in its solar energy facilities in the last decade, and it has another $2M in new construction currently underway. Shared solar energy research facilities are housed within the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center (see: http://eese.louisiana.edu) and include the 1.1 MW Louisiana Solar Energy Lab (LaSEL) and the Solar Thermal Applied Research and Testing (START) Lab. Our multi-disciplinary EESE Center team involves numerous faculty members from various departments, colleges, and research centers. Some faculty are doing research directly related to photovoltaic and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, while others are performing solar energy-related research in related areas such as solar energy systems engineering, machine learning for solar forecasting, cybersecurity of distributed energy sources, electrical power systems, microgrids, energy storage systems, and solar disinfection and de-salination. The successful candidate for this position will be a member of

the Mechanical Engineering faculty, affiliated with the EESE Center, and will have access to all shared facilities. The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate with other mechanical engineering and EESE Center faculty but will also be expected to develop their own independent externally funded solar energy-related research and education program.

ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT:

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is one of six departments in the College of Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The department has a very strong ABET accredited undergraduate program and a growing graduate program. Annual research expenditures in the department average between $3M to $4M per year, with current external research projects of over $15M. The primary focus research areas are in renewable energy, energy conservation, robotics, and biomedical devices. The College of Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has over 1700 students, as of fall 2023, and offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in all engineering departments.

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE:

The University is the largest in the University of Louisiana System with about 850 faculty members and over 19,000 students, including undergraduates, graduates, and non-degree seekers. The University is designated by the Carnegie Foundation, as an R1 University - "Research University with Very High Research Activity."

The mission of the University is to offer an exceptional education informed by diverse world views striving to develop innovative leaders who advance knowledge. The essential values of the University are: equity, integrity, intellectual curiosity, creativity, tradition, transparency, respect, collaboration, pluralism, and sustainability. Academic excellence is the objective of 68 undergraduate and 45 graduate certificates and degrees in the arts, sciences, and professional education The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accredits the University, which is a public doctoral research university with higher research activity. Additional information is available at http://louisiana.edu.

The University is located in Lafayette, LA, an exciting community within Louisiana's beautiful Cajun Country. The community is highly technology-oriented and has a reputation of being a community in which people are prone to remain due to the high-quality lifestyle, pleasing climate, and the friendly nature of its people. Lafayette is located midway between New Orleans and Houston and is the heart of Louisiana's Acadian-Creole region. The city of over 130,000 is part of the Lafayette-Acadiana area, which has a total population of over 625,000 and is one of Louisiana's fastest-growing metropolitan areas. Lafayette serves as the energy, financial, retail, and medical center for South-Central Louisiana.

Qualifications:

QUALIFICATIONS:

A Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field is required, preferably with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from an ABET accredited program. Teaching expertise in areas related to energy in general is preferred with specialization in solar and sustainable energy for breadth.. The candidate should demonstrate ongoing intellectual competence and professional development. Successful candidates must be committed to working effectively with diverse student populations. Applicants are expected to describe their commitment to fostering a diverse educational environment through their research, teaching, and/or service activities.

Application must be submitted through the University Career website

All applications must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research statement, teaching

statement, and a list of three references. Preferred start date is August 1, 2024. Applications submitted by February 5, 2024, will receive preferential consideration.. The review process will continue until the position is filled.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is dedicated to the goal of building a diverse faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Ad# (req1744)