Professor and Head: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University invites applications for a full-time, tenured Professor and Head for the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with an 11-month academic/administrative appointment beginning spring of 2025. The College is seeking a collaborative and visionary leader who can promote excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship within the School.

The new School Head will demonstrate ethical leadership in support of a culture of collaboration and excellence fostering a supportive environment among students, faculty, and staff. The Head leads the strategic planning, hiring and development of faculty and staff in the school, provides comprehensive annual evaluations of all personnel, supports their professional development, and collaborates with other School Heads and the Dean in advancing the College and University. The Head is expected to manage the fiscal affairs of the School, as well as donor funds, with transparency and integrity and is expected to assist the College development team in developing successful fund-raising initiatives to increase school resources for scholarships, graduate fellowships, faculty support, and facilities. Recently the School moved into a fully renovated and significantly expanded modern facility. The Head will also have the opportunity to continue the development of the operating plan for this state of the art academic and administrative home.

About the School: The School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University has a strong local, national, and international reputation for its premier undergraduate and graduate education and research programs. The School has a total of 36 faculty members consisting of a vibrant combination of senior faculty members, and a large number of young and motivated tenure track members: 20 tenured, 13 tenure track, and 3 additional career-track faculty. It has approximately 1,466 full time students: 539 Aerospace Engineering, 594 Mechanical Engineering, and 333 dual-major. Undergraduate laboratories are supported by more than 100,000 sq.ft. of floor space in the new ENDEAVOR building and the Design Manufacturing Laboratories, and research is supported across multiple large-scale facilities including the Advanced Technology Research Center, EXCELSIOR, the Helmerich Research Center (Tulsa), and the dedicated 80-acre Unmanned Systems Flight Station. The School also is home to several national and statewide programs including; CIBS (Center for Integrated Building Systems), OAIRE (Oklahoma Aerospace Institute), and NASA Oklahoma Space Grant EPSCoR.

MAE offers undergraduate and graduate degrees on both the main campus and the Tulsa campus reaching a diverse population of traditional and non-traditional students. The School offers ABET accredited degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. It also offers Masters and PhD degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering including an option for Unmanned Aerial Systems.

MAE hosts strong research programs that cover a broad spectrum of traditional, emerging, and interdisciplinary areas of interest, including, but not limited to; unmanned aerial vehicles, flight dynamics and aerodynamics, propulsion and power, numerical and experimental solid mechanics, numerical and experimental fluid mechanics, dynamics and controls, manufacturing, thermal systems, biomechanics and biofluids.

The School has developed a highly professional and collegial culture of dedicated professors who are teachers of excellence and researchers with distinction. The School places high emphasis on a collaborative, team-based approach to solve pressing problems in science, engineering, and technology. The new Head is expected to provide leadership to continually enhance that culture while maintaining excellence with respect to its mission of teaching and research.

Oklahoma State University is an R1 university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, a safe city of 50,000 residents with strong public schools and affordable housing of high quality. Travel is convenient with an airport in Stillwater, as well as flight options from two cosmopolitan cities—Tulsa and Oklahoma City—which are only 65 miles away.

Qualifications: Candidates must have a doctorate degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field. Evidence of credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure, including a distinguished research and academic record commensurate with the title of tenured full professor, must be fully documented.

Applications: Full screening of applications will commence in October of 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled or the search has been terminated. Preferred starting date is January of 2025 but negotiable. Any questions may be sent to andy.arena@okstate.edu. Interested and qualified candidates should apply online using https://jobs.okstate.edu and submit a single PDF containing the following:

• Cover Letter (one page maximum)
• Vita
• Vision and Leadership Statement
• List of Four References (including full contact information)

Submitted materials should use legible fonts and font sizes. Clarity and conciseness are encouraged. Applications that do not adhere to these guidelines may be rejected without review.

For assistance with the on-line application process or to request an accommodation to enable application, contact OSU Human Resources, 106 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078 or call 405-744-2909.