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The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah (https://mech.utah.edu/) invites applicants for a tenure-track faculty position with research and teaching in the area of aerospace materials, with an anticipated start date in Fall 2025. While all areas of aerospace materials will be considered, preference will be given to individuals focused on experimental characterization. Relevant areas of interest include: composites; materials for extreme environments (e.g., irradiation, impact, cryogenic and/or high-temperatures); advanced manufacturing of composite materials (e.g., polymer matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites); hypersonics; novel experimental techniques; and other new and challenging areas associated with aerospace materials. Exceptional candidates will be considered at the level of associate or full professor.

Candidates must have a demonstrated track record of high-quality research as evidenced by scholarly publications and must exhibit strong potential (junior faculty) or an established record (senior faculty) of securing extramural funding with highly regarded scholarly publications. Successful candidates will be expected to actively contribute to the Department’s growing research presence in solid mechanics. Applicants are expected to have an earned Ph.D. or Sc.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.

Desired attributes for the position include the ability to:

• Establish a strong, sustainable, externally funded research group.


• Provide high-quality, effective teaching of core courses in Mechanical Engineering, specifically those focusing on solid mechanics topics.


• Communicate well with students, colleagues, industry, and government personnel.

The University of Utah, a member of the Association of American Universities, is a research-focused institution home to more than 35,000 students, world-class faculty and researchers, a medical campus, and many start-up companies. The University of Utah maintains more than 50 on-campus recharge centers with state-of-the-science infrastructure to robustly support aerospace materials research. The Department of Mechanical Engineering has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade, fueled by the State of Utah’s “Engineering Initiative”, and currently houses 40 tenure-line faculty members, over 1,000 undergraduate and 250 graduate students (140 PhD students).

The University of Utah campus is situated in Salt Lake City, a growing, increasingly diverse, metropolitan city with a population of 1M nestled against the backdrop of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. The greater SLC valley is an important economic hub of the Mountain West and is home to several large technology and Fortune 500 companies. SLC residents enjoy a highly accessible and walkable downtown with vibrant restaurants, sports, nightlife, and cultural events. Salt Lake City residents enjoy easy access to national parks (8 within a few hours’ drive), world-class skiing/snowboarding (7 resorts within 1 hour), hiking, fishing, biking, and rafting/kayaking. In addition, faculty members enjoy free access to public transportation and the convenience of an international airport located only 15 minutes from campus.

All applications received by November 15, 2024 will receive full consideration. Applications must be submitted electronically at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/170602 and must include a cover letter that highlights the applicant’s qualifications and relevance to this search, a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests and plans (2 pages), a statement of teaching interests (2 pages), and contact information of three to five academic references.