NOTICE OF VACANCY
Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor
MECHANICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Washington State University – Pullman, WA
Position Summary:
The School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME) in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture (VCEA) at Washington State University invites applications for two (2) full-time, nine-month, tenure-track positions. Both positions are open to Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor ranks in Pullman, WA. The department seeks to build upon our core strengths and serve the needs of our state and region in energy, advanced manufacturing and materials, hydrogen, nuclear, biomedical, and aerospace research areas. It is anticipated that the successful candidates will begin their appointment on August 16, 2025.
Job duties:
The successful candidate is expected to, in collaboration with the current faculty, play a leading role in building interdisciplinary teams with substantial external research funding in the respective area and be an effective instructor for undergraduate and graduate classes in mechanical engineering or materials science and engineering. Applicants must show a record of accomplishments that demonstrates their potential to become outstanding scholars and educators, build a robust research program, and embody excellent communication skills. The anticipated workload percentages are 40% research, 40% teaching, and 20% service.
Required Qualifications for all candidates at all ranks:
• Completed Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or a related field by August 15, 2025.
• Demonstrated record of publishing peer-reviewed research work in leading journals and research conferences.
• Potential to establish and maintain a world-class research program at WSU.
• Proven or potential for successful teaching and instruction
• Demonstrated record of or potential for commitment to equitable and inclusive educational experiences in alignment with WSU’s land grant mission
Additional Required Qualifications for Associate Professor Rank:
• Must have served at least 6 years in academia, industry, or a national lab after Ph.D.
• Must have experience in mentoring and leading funded research programs.
Additional Required Qualifications for Full Professor Rank:
• Must have served at least 10 years in academia, industry, or a national lab after Ph.D.
• Must have experience in mentoring and leading funded research programs.
• Must be a recognized leader through national/international awards and honors.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Demonstrated record of accomplishments to become outstanding scholars and educators
• Excellent communication skills to be an effective instructor for undergraduate and graduate classes in mechanical engineering and/or materials science and engineering.
• Demonstrated record/potential to become a national leader in the field of research.
• Strong commitment to building a robust research program through extramural funding.
Salary/Benefits:
Assistant Professor Salary Range: $95,000 to $115,000
Associate Professor Salary Range: $115,000 to $130,000
Full Professor Salary Range: $130,000 to $180,000
In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate’s current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For additional information, please review the detailed Summary of Benefits offered by WSU for Faculty and Total Compensation.
To Apply: Visit wsu.edu/jobs, select your appropriate employment status, and search for R-12456. Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application. External candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of your application. Internal candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/Cover Letter” section of your application.
- A cover letter addressing qualifications for this position as well as a response to the following prompt:
- As a land-grant university, our university has a continuing commitment to ensuring equitable and meaningful inclusion in our classrooms, collaborations, and academic work. The successful candidate for this faculty position will have the experiences, knowledge, and skills to build their research/scholarship/creative practice, pedagogy, curriculum, and service in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment. Using the job announcement for this position, please list at least three areas of responsibility you see as directly related to fulfilling this promise, and explain, in each case, how your past education and teaching experiences, and resulting knowledge and skills, have prepared you to do this work.
- Curriculum vitae
- A statement of research interests
- Teaching statement that describes your teaching experience and philosophy, which may incorporate experience from formal or informal teaching and mentoring opportunities
- Research/Scholarship/Creative Activity statement that outlines your scholarly work and includes your future plans
- Names, addresses, and contact information of at least four references who can address your history of and potential for excellence in research, teaching, and service (letters will be requested at a later time). References will not be contacted without consent from applicants.
Inquiries should be directed to Professor Prashanta Dutta, prashanta@wsu.edu.
Posting Close Date: Applicants must submit their completed application by January 31, 2025, 11:59 p.m.
Screening begin date: First consideration will be provided to applications submitted before November 1, 2024.
About WSU, Pullman, VCEA, and MME:
Washington State University is a land grant, multiple-campus, Research 1 institution. This position will serve on the Pullman campus, which has an enrollment of around 20,000 students and is located in Southeastern Washington on the homelands of the Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and Palus people. Located 80 miles south of metropolitan Spokane, Pullman is also a quick drive away from the scenic Idaho panhandle and Moscow Mountain. The rolling hills of the Palouse offer a wide range of activities and a true four-season climate. The area provides ample opportunity to enjoy the cultural and academic hub of both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho. For more information about the region, please see https://pullmanchamber.com.
Washington State University is a recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers. Washington State University is building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from women and minority groups. Washington State University is also pro-active in exploring opportunities for the employment of spouses, both inside and outside the University.
MME currently has over 1,000 students and 40 faculty members. The current annual extramural research expenditure in MME is over $11 million. With the motto, “Work ready day one,” the School of MME (www.mme.wsu.edu) prides itself in its collegial environment, with multiple campuses across the state, close to key industry partners in nuclear, aerospace, and naval engineering. Our students are world-class, with many winning nationally and internationally competitive awards as individuals or teams. About one-quarter of our undergraduate students participate in engineering clubs, and many participate in undergraduate research. Our faculty exhibits excellence in both teaching and research, and we sustain multiple internationally recognized research programs in healthcare, manufacturing, energy, robotics, and advanced materials. MME has unique research centers, including the Nuclear Science Center, the Institute of Materials Research, the Hydrogen Properties for Energy Research Center, and the Institute for Shock Physics. The proximity of the Pullman campus to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) provides exciting opportunities for our students and faculty, including joint appointments with PNNL for successful candidates.
WSU acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native American peoples, who have lived in this region and have been caretakers of the land from time immemorial. The Morrill Act of 1862 established our land-grant institution by providing public and federal lands that are traced back to the disposition of Indigenous lands, often taken by coercive and violent acts, and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment towards reconciliation. And as a land-grant institution, WSU is deeply committed to the land-grant mission, its Memorandums of Understanding with Native tribes in the region, and a tradition of service to society. To read the full WSU land acknowledgement, please see https://wsu.edu/about/wsu-land-acknowledgement/.
