Assistant Professor - Aerospace Engineering

Position Overview

The Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas is seeking outstanding individuals for a full‑time tenure‑track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas has embraced a growth model which began with the undergraduate program and is now focusing on research, discovery, and the graduate program. Applications are welcome in any area of collaboration with existing faculty, including but not limited to astronautics, AI/ML in aerospace autonomous systems, unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility systems, remote sensing, hybrid electric and hydrogen fuel cell propulsion, and hypersonics.

Current faculty are integrally engaged in research supporting earth, energy, and the environment through environmental remote sensing in the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS), and in other transportation‑related research such as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS Through Research Excellence (ASSURE). The Department of Aerospace Engineering currently has 12 tenured/tenure‑track faculty and three career teaching faculty, with programs leading to bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

The Aerospace Engineering faculty are currently engaged in numerous externally funded research programs, with support from Federal (NASA, NSF, ONR, AFRL, ARL, FAA), Industry (Lockheed, GE, Microsoft Research), and other sources. The department encourages interdisciplinary research, and the new hire will collaborate with faculty in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, and Petroleum Engineering, as well as other disciplines to advance research and education, and create an impactful and sustained externally funded research program.

Applications are sought from candidates with earned doctorates in Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field in Engineering by the time of appointment. Candidates should demonstrate a sustained commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching, scholarly research, local and international service, and departmental and student mentoring. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of appointment.

The successful candidate will be results‑oriented, have a record of superior scholarship demonstrated by:
1) a promising vision for and experience in developing and maintaining externally funded research, and
2) ability to teach high‑quality courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and mentor and graduate M.S. and Ph.D. students. The department values impact and engagement in pedagogy, in the curriculum, in outreach to students, and in research.

The University of Kansas School of Engineering has embarked on a strategic plan that leads to significant expansion while taking explicit care to maintain and improve the high‑quality student programs for which the university is known. This is a multi‑faceted approach that drives growth in facilities, faculty, leadership, research, and, most importantly, students, as it helps industry partners find the new talent, designs, and techniques they need to fuel economic growth and business success.

Special consideration will be given to applicants committed to excellence, who can contribute to the University's innovative, collaborative, and multidisciplinary initiatives to educate leaders, build healthy and vibrant communities, and make discoveries that will change the world.

Job Description

The University of Kansas is the state's flagship university, an R‑1 institution and one of just 66 invited members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Our university consistently earns high rankings for academics and recognition as a premier research university (engaging in $275 million of externally funded research annually). KU has 65 ranked graduate programs and is ranked 24th in best value among public institutions in 2022.

The University values global engagement with more than 150 programs of international study and cooperative research and offers more than 130 study abroad programs. Student enrollment for the Lawrence‑Edwards was 23,958 representing all 50…