Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, Sustainable Energy Systems

The Opportunity

The University of Central Florida (UCF) has established several interdisciplinary faculty research clusters to strengthen its academic offerings and research mission. In support of this effort, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) invites applicants for a 9‑month, full‑time assistant professor (tenure‑track) or associate professor (tenured) faculty position, with core faculty status in the Center for Advanced Turbo machinery and Energy Research (CATER).

This position has an anticipated start date of August 8, 2026.

This is an interdisciplinary position expected to strengthen both CATER and MAE, the home tenure department, and may include a combination of joint appointments. A strong advantage of this position is the candidate's ability to choose multiple units for a joint appointment at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Sciences, or both.

All candidates whose research is at the forefront of energy systems, resilience, and sustainability will be considered. We seek candidates with a strong foundation in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and energy systems engineering, and a demonstrated research record in electric power generation and/or energy storage. The technical fields of specific research interest for the position are limited to the following research areas:

• Advanced Chemical Energy Carriers – production and storage
  : particularly chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, or hydrogen, derived from primary energy sources such as nuclear energy or from hydrocarbon feedstock or from electricity through chemical pathways.
• Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems
  : including small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, molten salt reactors, liquid metal reactors and high‑temperature gas‑cooled reactors.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to establish an independent research program focused on fundamental engineering principles and to demonstrate system‑level and application‑wide knowledge in at least one of the two research areas above. Some specific topics include, but are not limited to, rotor dynamics for high‑speed rotor systems for supercritical carbon dioxide power cycles, molten salt corrosion in next‑generation nuclear systems, or flow reactors with optimal catalyst loading that would support ammonia production or cracking, etc.

Candidates should demonstrate the ability to lead an independent, externally funded research program and contribute to interdisciplinary collaborations. A strong record of peer‑reviewed publications, mentorship, and engagement with industry, national laboratories, or large‑scale research initiatives is highly desirable. Experience with computational tools (e.g., CFD, FEA, system‑level modeling) and/or experimental platforms for energy systems is expected.

• An earned doctoral degree or foreign degree equivalent from an accredited institution, in an area appropriate to CATER and MAE at the time of appointment. The selected candidate must also have a record of high impact research related to energy systems, demonstrated by a strong scholarly and/or funding record.
• In order to obtain tenure upon hire as an associate professor, the selected candidate must have a demonstrated record of teaching, research, and service commensurate with rank in the tenure home department.

• Past work experiences in a national lab and/or industry are desired.
• A history of working with teams, especially teams that span multiple disciplines, is a highly preferred qualification.
• Prior work experience with one of the two applications mentioned earlier is highly preferred.

• A curriculum vitae.
• A letter of interest describing qualifications for the position, such as research agenda and teaching experience/interest.

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