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 energy related areas focused on solar and sustainable energy.  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.

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.

APPLICATIONS:                     

Application must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research statement, teaching statement, and a list of three references. Preferred start date is August 1, 2025. Review of applications will begin October 18, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. 

Applications must be submitted to university website:

https://louisiana.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/1744?c=louisiana

• EEO/AA Policy

  The University of Louisiana at Lafayette does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities as required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Executive Order 11246, Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 and the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act. The University of Louisiana, Lafayette is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to the Office of Human Resources, (337)-482-6242.