Research Assistant in Materials Science and Additive Manufacturing

Office Location

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
MASS Building 2nd Floor, Edinburg, TX 78539

Office

Hours:

Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.

- 5:00 p.m.

Contact:
Edinburg:
Brownsville:

College of Engineering & Computer Science: cecs

Robert

C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship: cobe

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening.

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• How you meet the qualifications in 2/3 sentences or bullet points, and

This position is expected to be filled immediately.

All applications must be submitted via the UTRGV application portal at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone. A Criminal Background Check must be conducted for all applicants.

Assistantship

Title:

Graduate Research Assistant

Job Class Code: 10095

FLSA:
Exempt

• Must be admitted to a graduate degree program
• Be in good academic standing
• Be registered full‑time for the respective semester (nine semester credit hours during the fall semester, nine during spring, three during summer sessions) or in the required number of semester credit hours to fulfill the remaining requirements on the degree plan.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Materials Science and Engineering
• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering (required for Ph.D. applicants)
• Experience with additive manufacturing, materials characterization, and/or physics‑informed machine learning
• Proficiency in Python programming is preferred

Maximum appointment is limited to twenty (20) hours per week (50% FTE) during the Fall and Spring semesters. Maximum appointment may be increased up to forty (40) hours per week (100% FTE) during the summer if funded by a grant.

Dr. Ahsan’s Lab in the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering at UTRGV will be immediately recruiting a motivated graduate (master’s/PhD) student to start as early as Summer 2026. The selected candidate will work on a funded research project focused on developing novel alloys for energy applications in harsh environments using additive manufacturing. This research involves integrating computational modeling, machine learning, and experimental investigations to design and characterize new alloys and composites fabricated via laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing.

This work is closely woven into materials science, additive manufacturing, and machine learning, with applications in energy and extreme environments. The candidate will receive a monthly stipend and tuition support.

Commensurate with experience.

06/01/2026

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non‑discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment.

We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).