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SPX Distinguished Scholar/Professor and Director of BATT CAVE

UNC Charlotte

The William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte is currently seeking candidates for the SPX Distinguished Scholar/Professor and Director of BATT CAVE, with an expected start date of August 15, 2025. A distinguished scholar/professor is an honorary position for tenured faculty who are recognized as a national or international leader in their field and a scholar who has demonstrated a high level of productivity. BATT CAVE is the North Carolina Battery Complexity, Autonomous Vehicle and Electrification Research Center. The BATT CAVE focuses on the advancement of battery technology and autonomous vehicles. Battery research aims to enable new battery technology, design new materials, and develop mechanistic modeling to enhance battery performance and address safety concerns. Autonomous vehicle research focuses on modeling, estimation, control, and autonomy for vehicles and battery systems, including AI-based human-machine autonomous vehicle interfaces. BATT CAVE has close proximity and established relationships with the new Toyota Battery Manufacturing plant in Liberty NC, Albemarle, Duke Energy, Honeywell, Celgard, ATOM Power, and other battery OEMs.

A Distinguished Scholar/Professor is expected to enhance the academic and research programs of their department and college. The expectation is that the individual in the Distinguished Professorship position will:

1. Establish a strong externally funded research program

2. Lead multidisciplinary proposal efforts across teams of faculty and industry partners

3. Provide visionary guidance toward growing the BATT CAVE

4. Assist the development of junior faculty and support staff

5. Expand collaborations with the other UNC Charlotte units such as Chemistry and Nanoscale Science graduate programs, School of Data Science

6. Improve national visibility of the center through scholarly accomplishment, invited research talks, and conference exhibition

7. Teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels and supervise undergraduate capstone projects and graduate theses/dissertations

This tenured position is open to applicants with credentials and experience commensurate with an associate or full professor.  Candidates should have:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, or other related fields

• a proven academic record of scholarly accomplishment, teaching, and leadership,

• demonstrated an ability to work across disciplines,

• demonstrated the ability to collaborate and build working partnerships nationally and internationally

An ideal candidate would have broad backgrounds in both vehicle autonomy and battery material science to help facilitate blended projects between faculty members in all research areas of BATT CAVE. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in novel batteries (including novel materials, modeling and control), vehicle autonomy and control, connected vehicles, and other advanced electrified vehicle related areas such as automotive/vehicle energy analytics and automotive research, including vehicle handling. Candidates with established industrial ties are preferred.

As North Carolina’s urban research university, UNC Charlotte is a diverse and inclusive institution with local-to-global impact that transforms lives, communities and industries through access and affordability, exemplary undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, scholarship, creative work, innovation and service. Discover the University that lives on the pulse of the city. From professional sports and polished culture to outdoor adventure and recreation, Charlotte is a top destination.

Charlotte by the Numbers

• 8 Fortune 500 businesses

• 52 miles of greenways

• 3 lakes

• 40+ breweries

• 5 pro sports teams

• International airport with 48 million passengers per year

• Light rail access to Uptown and UNC Charlotte campus

• Home to NASCAR Hall of Fame

UNC Charlotte

• Projected to transition to R1 status in early 2025

• Approximately 24,000 undergraduate students enrolled

• Approximately 6,300 graduate students enrolled

• 39% of students self-identify as a minority

• 47 states and 100+ countries represented

• 20:1 student to faculty ratio

William States Lee College of Engineering

• Approximately 3,000 undergraduate students enrolled

• Approximately 500 graduate students enrolled

• 20+ engineering student organizations

• 100% of undergraduate engineering students participate in the capstone design program, UNC Charlotte’s largest industry/academic experiential learning initiative on campus (80% of projects are industry funded and mentored, enabling seniors to solve actual company challenges)

As leaders in battery technology and electric vehicles converge to establish research and manufacturing centers, North Carolina emerges as a frontrunner in advancing battery research, material processing, and end-to-end manufacturing. The North Carolina Battery Complexity, Autonomous Vehicle and Electrification Research Center, the BATT CAVE, is driving innovation by unraveling the intricate world of batteries and their applications that will drive the next generation of autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and intelligence systems.

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

1. Cover Letter / Letter of Interest

2. Curriculum Vitae

3. Statement of Research, Teaching & Leadership

4. Contact Information for References

Review of applications will begin on Jan 10th and remain open until filled. The candidate chosen for this position will be subject to a criminal background check.

Apply online: https://jobs.charlotte.edu/postings/59920