Post-Doctoral Research Associate, AI in Agricultural Technology Education: Department of Biosystems Engineering & Soil

This position supports the early-stage curriculum and hardware development phase of the project, focused on equipping Tennessee secondary and community college agricultural educators with AI and Precision Agriculture skills and classroom-ready hardware kits. Over an 18-month appointment, the postdoctoral associate will work under the direct mentorship of the PI (Dr. Sathishkumar Samiappan) and in collaboration with Co-PIs in agricultural engineering and agricultural education to design, build, and refine 24 classroom hardware kits (programmable logic controllers, IoT environmental sensors, and computer-vision edge devices) and their associated applied-AI curriculum content, spanning row crops, livestock, controlled environment agriculture, and specialty crops.

Depending on timing within the appointment, the postdoc may also help deliver in-person components of the first summer institute, provide technical support to trained educators, and contribute to project publications, conference presentations, and other duties as assigned. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

• Co-design and prototype modular, low-cost hardware kits (sensors, edge-computing/AI devices, basic robotics) for K-14 classroom use
• Develop applied AI and computer vision curriculum content and hands-on lab exercises tied to Tennessee agricultural contexts
• Support development of multimedia instructional resources (demonstration videos, interactive coding notebooks)
• Support delivery of in-person modules of the summer institute for the first educator cohort, as scheduling allows within the appointment
• Provide technical troubleshooting and support to educators deploying hardware kits in their classrooms
• Contribute to project data collection, analysis, and dissemination through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations
• Participate in weekly mentoring meetings with the PI and monthly full-team meetings; develop and maintain an Individual Development Plan (IDP)

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Biosystems/Agricultural Engineering, STEM Education, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience in AI/machine learning, computer vision, and/or embedded/edge-computing systems
• Hands-on experience with sensors, microcontrollers, or robotics hardware; strong programming skills (e.g., Python); excellent written and spoken communication skills; ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

• Ph.D. with coursework or research emphasis in agricultural technology or precision agriculture
• Prior experience with curriculum development or K-12/community college outreach; experience working with non-technical audiences (e.g., teachers)
• Familiarity with IoT sensor networks, agricultural robotics, or precision agriculture platforms; experience with instructional video/notebook production (e.g., Jupyter); interest or background in science communication and STEM education

• Location:
  
  Knoxville, TN
• Onsite (hands-on hardware development and in-person summer institute delivery require on-campus presence)

• Anticipated hiring range: $60,000 annually (18-month term appointment), with standard UT benefits including health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid leave
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Dr. Sathishkumar Samiappan

Department of…