Employment Opportunities

Associate or Professor and Torley Endowed Chair in Materials Engineering - Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Apply now Job No: 502650
Work Type: Faculty Full Time
Location: Dayton, OH
Category: Faculty
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering - 220430
Advertised:
Applications close:

Position Summary:

The Opportunity

The University of Dayton (UD) Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) invites applications for the tenured position of Associate Professor or Professor to fill the prestigious Torley Endowed Chair (one position) in Materials Engineering beginning August 16, 2025. This prestigious position affords the opportunity to lead advancements in materials, mechanics, and structures and to join an active and diverse research community at the University of Dayton. Furthermore, you will have the exciting opportunity to shape the future of our engineering students.

The Torley Endowed Chair in Materials Engineering supports engineering education and research in the areas of materials, mechanics, and structures. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to advancements in areas such as topology optimization, mechanics of materials in extreme environments (e.g., temperatures, pressures, strain rates), emerging materials (e.g., active/functional, self-healing, additively manufactured), metamaterials and architected materials, advanced composites, multiscale and multiphysics modeling, predictive simulations of advanced manufacturing processes and the application of machine learning to enhance and guide physics-based computations and experiments. Research goals linked to aerospace applications are particularly relevant, as are approaches that holistically involve theory, computations, and experiments.

The successful candidate will bring significant experience and accomplishments and build a network of collaborators and a robust research portfolio. They will engage students at the undergraduate and graduate levels by teaching courses in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department. The focus of these courses may include materials, mechanics, or aerospace applications of materials.

The successful candidate is expected to engage in externally sponsored research and collaborate within the department, across the university, and externally. The Dayton area offers unique opportunities for engineering faculty to collaborate with researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory located at Wright-Patterson AFB, the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), and industry partners. The Torley Endowed Chair is expected to function as a full member of the department by attending departmental faculty meetings, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and interacting with other department members.

The Department and the University

The MAE Department offers new faculty an opportunity to join a community deeply committed to their success and to education at all levels. Collaborations in teaching within the department, across the University, and externally are encouraged. We value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community.

The MAE Department offers a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. Within the Bachelor’s degree, concentrations are available in aerospace and energy systems. Additionally, a minor is available in biomechanics. The Department also offers Master of Science and Doctorate degrees. The Department currently has 770 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, 23 full-time faculty members, and a number of adjunct faculty. Further information about the Department can be found at:
https://udayton.edu/engineering/departments/mechanical_and_aerospace/undergrad_mee/index.php

Grounded in its Catholic, Marianist tradition, UD provides education to develop the whole student and is committed to experiential learning. UD enrolls 11,300 students, including 8,225 full-time undergraduates. It is one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities and one of the largest private universities in Ohio.

City of Dayton
The Dayton metro area has a population of about 850,000 and is a diverse community with a renewed downtown, a set of historic neighborhoods, and a highly favorable cost of living. Dayton, OH is accessible, affordable, and offers excellent educational and healthcare resources, arts and cultural attractions, beautiful parks with bike and recreational trails, and a variety of sporting venues. The area is noted for its long history of innovation and invention and has a vibrant and growing business environment. It is also home to corporations such as CareSource, LexisNexis, Reynolds & Reynolds, and to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Dayton area is a great place to live. Go to https://www.daytoncvb.com/ for more information.

At the University of Dayton, we value inclusive excellence because we recognize that diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to academic and institutional excellence. Inclusive excellence requires a comprehensive, cohesive and collaborative alignment of infrastructure, resources and actions. We strive to be active, intentional, and sustain engagement with and celebrate diversity in every dimension of institutional life. Because we seek a community with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we encourage all interested candidates to apply.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or related field

• Sustained record of scholarly research published in peer-reviewed archival journals.

• Excellent written communication skills

• Sustained Record of:

  • a research program capable of engaging scientific questions in the areas of materials, mechanics, structures, or aerospace application of materials
  • successful mentoring of students in a university setting
  • successful experience fostering collaborative or interdisciplinary work
  • service to the engineering profession
  • acquiring sponsored research funding.

• Articulated commitment to inclusive excellence in teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level
• Articulated ability to support the University of Dayton’s commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion
• In addition to the above requirements, appointment at the rank of Professor requires a record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with the criteria for promotion to the rank of Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton.

Preferred Qualifications:

While not everyone may meet all preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

• Articulated vision and goals for the Torley Chair that would enhance the national/international reputation of the Department, School, and University

• Successful experience in one or more of the following:

  • inclusive excellence in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level.
  • fostering collaborative or interdisciplinary work
  • engaging and working collaboratively with socially and culturally diverse constituencies.
  • working synergistically with a network of collaborators, including national and/or international organizations in the areas materials, mechanics, or structures with particular interest in aerospace applications.
  • undergraduate and graduate curriculum development.
  • developing experiential learning opportunities related to a candidate’s research interests.

• Expressed willingness to engage with the Catholic and Marianist values of the University of Dayton including educating the whole person and a commitment of social justice, inclusive excellence and service to the community, university and profession

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain an externally-funded research program with a robust portfolio of research activities involving graduate students.

• Extensive research experience involving composite materials, advanced materials, mechanics, structures, or aerospace application of materials.

• Sustained teaching excellence involving composite materials, advanced materials, mechanics, structures, or aerospace application of materials.

• Effective interpersonal communication skills

• Effective oral communication skills

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applicants must submit:
• A cover letter addressing all minimum and any preferred qualifications met
• A curriculum vitae
• Contact information for three professional references that may be contacted later in the process
• A 1-2 page document describing a vision for developing an externally-sponsored research program
• A 1-2 page document describing evidence of excellence in teaching and mentoring students - or -
• A 1-2 page statement describing how inclusive excellence informs your teaching and research and how you would support the University of Dayton’s commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Posting closes April 6, 2025 at 11:55 PM EST

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.  The University does not provide work visa sponsorship for this position

Closing Statement:

The University of Dayton is a top tier, Catholic research university with offerings from the undergraduate to the doctoral levels. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, the University is a diverse community committed to advancing the common good through intellectual curiosity, academic rigor, community engagement and local, national and global partnerships. Guided by the Marianist educational philosophy, we educate the whole person and link learning and scholarship with leadership and service.

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity, achieve equitable outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, we will not discriminate against minorities, women, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. The University is also pleased to provide support for spouses of prospective and newly hired faculty through its dual career program. While we cannot guarantee placement, we serve as an effective resource and support system for your spouse. Information can be found at https://udayton.edu/hr/dual-career-resources.php

 

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