Associate Research Professor in Transportation Infrastructure, Materials and System

Associate Research Professor in Transportation Infrastructure, Materials and Intelligent Systems

Locations:
El Paso, TX

Posted:
May 7, 2026

Closes:
Open Until Filled

Type:
Full-time

.: RREP-26-52, 53, 54

Position

ID: 200294

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Carnegie R1, opportunity, and community engaged university at the heart of the U.S.

-Mexico border region that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education and economy of the community we serve. UTEP enrolls more than 25,000 students, 85% of whom are Hispanic and half of whom are the first in their families to attend college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, El Paso is set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert in one of the largest binational communities in the world. A family-oriented community that is one of the safest large cities in the U.S., the cost of living in El Paso is very reasonable with an average home value of $224,000 in 2025, and Texas has no income tax.

The region's rich culture includes a vibrant street art and mural scene, art galleries, a new children's museum and science center, the state's longest-running symphony orchestra and a full schedule of seasonal events and festivals. Sports fans will enjoy Division I college athletics, Triple-A baseball affiliate the El Paso Chihuahuas and professional soccer team El Paso Locomotive FC, and outdoor enthusiasts will be drawn to year-round hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing in nearby state and national parks.

The Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) invites applications for a full-time Associate Research Professor seeking to advance the future of transportation infrastructure, materials, and intelligent systems. This is an opportunity to join a rapidly growing, well-funded research program focused on delivering high-impact, real-world solutions for infrastructure performance, resilience, and sustainability.

CTIS serves as the primary hub for transportation, pavement, and geotechnical engineering research at UTEP and is one of the best-equipped transportation research facilities in the Southwest. CTIS conducts both basic and applied research focused on the performance, safety, durability, and management of transportation infrastructure. Research areas include pavement evaluation and design, transportation planning, environmental quality, asset and infrastructure management, structures, and safety.

CTIS is strongly committed to workforce development, with undergraduate and graduate research assistants working closely alongside faculty and research engineers. More than 40 students are actively involved in CTIS projects at any given time. The Center maintains strong partnerships with governmental agencies, industry sponsors, and academic collaborators to ensure impactful, implementable research outcomes.

Our program is intentionally broad and collaborative. We welcome candidates working across pavement engineering, infrastructure materials, sensing technologies, data analytics, and system-level decision-making.

Position Overview

The successful candidate will lead externally funded, interdisciplinary research programs and demonstrate the ability to:

• Develop and sustain externally funded research initiatives
• Conduct research at the intersection of materials, infrastructure systems, and data analytics
• Apply experimental, computational, and/or field-based methodologies
• Translate research outcomes into practical implementation, standards, and engineering practice
• Collaborate effectively with transportation agencies, industry partners, and interdisciplinary teams

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and contribute to innovative, externally funded research in transportation infrastructure, materials, and related systems
• Develop and apply advanced experimental, analytical, and/or data-driven approaches for evaluating and improving infrastructure performance
• Integrate laboratory, field, and/or modeling efforts to advance understanding of material and system behavior
• Pursue and secure external research funding from federal agencies, industry partners, and infrastructure stakeholders
• Disseminate research through high-impact publications, technical reports, and contributions to standards and best practices
• Mentor and support graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and interdisciplinary teams

Required Qualifications:

PhD in Civil Engineering or a closely related areas of interest, but not limited to:

• Pavement materials and characterization, including experimental and analytical approaches to evaluate material behavior and performance
• Infrastructure systems and performance analysis, including pavement design, asset management, and…