Job Description
The Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech seeks applications for tenure-track faculty positions effective August 2024. We are seeking candidates who are motivated to contribute to a collegial, interdisciplinary community with a strong tradition of both basic and applied research. We specifically seek candidates in the following technical
areas with a goal of hiring one candidate for each area this academic year:
1. Artificial Intelligence (job number 527239): We seek candidates who will build and sustain a scholarly research program in artificial intelligence (AI) applied to ocean or aerospace engineering systems and who will build and teach undergraduate and graduate curricular content in artificial intelligence within the Aerospace and Ocean Engineering department. This position defines AI research as “advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines” (http://aaai.org/). Candidates with expertise in AI are welcome from any relevant PhD degree program so long as the candidate also has strong interest in the application of AI to ocean or aerospace engineering design, analysis, or
autonomy. This is an open-rank position.
2. Structures (job number 527229): We seek candidates in all areas relevant to ocean or aerospace structures who will build and sustain a scholarly research and teachingportfolio in related area(s) including but not limited to composite structures and materials, computational mechanics, advanced manufacturing, energetic materials, structural health monitoring, damage mechanics, and fluid-structure interaction. This position is focused on a junior faculty (Assistant Professor) hire.
3. Machine Learning (job number 527230): We seek candidates who will build and sustain a scholarly research program in machine learning (ML) applied to ocean or aerospace engineering systems and who will build and teach undergraduate and graduate curricular content in machine learning within the Aerospace and Ocean Engineering department. Candidates with expertise in machine learning algorithms and data curation are welcome from any relevant PhD degree program so long as the candidate also has strong interest in the application of ML to ocean or aerospace engineering design, analysis, or autonomy. This position is focused on a junior faculty (Assistant Professor)
hire.
4. Aircraft Design (job number 527237): We seek candidates who will build and sustain a scholarly research program related to aircraft design and who will teach and grow our two-semester undergraduate capstone air vehicle design course. Candidates with expertise in multidisciplinary optimization (MDO), advanced air mobility (AAM), and related fields are encouraged to apply. This is an open-rank position.
5. Space Systems (job number 527238): We seek candidates in all areas relevant to space systems engineering who will build and sustain a scholarly research and teaching portfolio in related area(s) including but not limited to space robotics, small satellites, autonomy, GNC (guidance, navigation, and control), and space systems design. A new hire in this area will be encouraged to join Space@VT (www.space.vt.edu), a college-level center engaged in research on all aspects of space engineering. This is an open-
rank position.
The Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering (http://www.aoe.vt.edu/) includes 40 faculty members overseeing more than $12M in annual research expenditures, with approximately 260 full-time graduate students and 700 undergraduate students. With its highly
regarded teaching and research programs, the Kevin T. Crofton Department provides a unique environment for collaboration beyond the traditional boundaries of both ocean and aerospace engineering.
Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT—serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. Virginia Tech actively seeks a broad spectrum of candidates to join our community in preparing leaders for the world. The College of Engineering undergraduate program ranks 16th and graduate program ranks 30th among all U.S. engineering schools (USN&WR). The Mission of the College of Engineering is to educate and inspire our students to be critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders. Our core values are inclusiveness, excellence, integrity, perseverance, and stewardship.
Virginia Tech's main campus is in Blacksburg, VA, an area consistently ranked among the country's best places to live. In addition, our facilities in the Washington, D.C. area offer unique proximity to government and industry partners and are expanding rapidly, with Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus in Alexandria, VA slated to open in 2024. The Aerospace and Ocean Engineering team benefits from university-wide institutes such as the Virginia Tech National Security Institute (nationalsecurity.vt.edu/), the Center for Space Science and Engineering Research or Space@VT (www.space.vt.edu), and the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ictas.vt.edu) that includes the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership or MAAP UA test site (https://maap.ictas.vt.edu/). College-level centers include the Center for Research and Engineering in Aero/hydrodynamic Technology or CREATe (create.centers.vt.edu), the Pratt & Whitney Center of Excellence, the Rolls-Royce University Technology Center, and the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics. Major facilities include the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel, Ship Model Basin, an indoor motion capture lab, and two outdoor UAS flight facilities (https://www.aoe.vt.edu/research/facilities/keas.html, https://drones.ictas.vt.edu/dronepark.html).
AOE faculty manage laboratories covering all current department disciplines and application areas (https://www.aoe.vt.edu/research/facilities.html).
The department fully embraces Virginia Tech’s commitment to increase diversity among faculty, staff, and students; to ensure a welcoming, affirming, safe, and accessible campus climate; to advance our research, teaching, and service mission through inclusive excellence; and to promote sustainable transformation through institutionalized structures. Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and need accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Service Center at hrservicecenter@vt.edu or at 540-231-9331.
Preferred and Required Qualifications
The successful candidate will have aerospace engineering or a closely related field, a strong record of academic accomplishments and a proven ability to work collaboratively, a commitment to interdisciplinary research and instruction, and a willingness to expand disciplinary boundaries to address complex technical and societal challenges. Successful applicants will be responsible for mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, teaching and developing courses, and developing a vibrant externally sponsored research program. Candidates at the associate and full professor level are expected to have substantial experience and accomplishment in the targeted search area. Successful applicants will be responsible for mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, teaching and developing courses, and developing a vibrant externally sponsored research program.
Application Details (to apply use the Apply Now button below.)
Applicants must apply online at jobs.vt.edu (posting number 527239 for Artificial Intelligence, 527229 for Structures, 527230 for Machine Learning, 527237 for Aircraft Design, 527238 for Space Systems). Application materials include a cover letter, CV, up to three relevant research publications, and contact information for at least three professional references. In addition,
applicants must provide a research statement and a statement of teaching and mentoring philosophy (up to 3 pages each) including the candidate’s ideas for supporting an equitable and inclusive educational environment consistent with the Virginia Tech Principles of Community; specific examples of experiences, activities, and plans will help us identify candidates who can support and extend our University’s commitment to inclusive excellence Review of applications will commence on December 1, 2023, and continue until the positions are filled. Questions regarding the position should be directed to search committee chair Dr. Rakesh K. Kapania at
rkapania [at] vt.edu (540-231-6611).
Virginia Tech’s Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering offers an unusual approach to understanding and exploiting the similarities between two seemingly disparate fields.
This perspective allows our researchers to forge new paths through aerospace and ocean engineering, and launches our graduates into careers that deepen our understanding and advance our technology.
Our most valuable asset, however, is our commitment and proven ability to teach students how to tackle complex systems.
This is what sets our program apart.
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