Associate or Professor and Torley Endowed Chair in Materials Engineering - Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Position Summary:

The Opportunity

The University of Dayton (UD) Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) invites applications for the tenured position of Associate Professor or Professor to fill the prestigious Torley Endowed Chair (one position) in Materials Engineering beginning August 16, 2025. This prestigious position affords the opportunity to lead advancements in materials, mechanics, and structures and to join an active and diverse research community at the University of Dayton. Furthermore, you will have the exciting opportunity to shape the future of our engineering students.

The Torley Endowed Chair in Materials Engineering supports engineering education and research in the areas of materials, mechanics, and structures. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to advancements in areas such as topology optimization, mechanics of materials in extreme environments (e.g., temperatures, pressures, strain rates), emerging materials (e.g., active/functional, self-healing, additively manufactured), metamaterials and architected materials, advanced composites, multiscale and multiphysics modeling, predictive simulations of advanced manufacturing processes and the application of machine learning to enhance and guide physics-based computations and experiments. Research goals linked to aerospace applications are particularly relevant, as are approaches that holistically involve theory, computations, and experiments.

The successful candidate will bring significant experience and accomplishments and build a network of collaborators and a robust research portfolio. They will engage students at the undergraduate and graduate levels by teaching courses in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department. The focus of these courses may include materials, mechanics, or aerospace applications of materials.

The successful candidate is expected to engage in externally sponsored research and collaborate within the department, across the university, and externally. The Dayton area offers unique opportunities for engineering faculty to collaborate with researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory located at Wright-Patterson AFB, the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), and industry partners. The Torley Endowed Chair is expected to function as a full member of the department by attending departmental faculty meetings, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and interacting with other department members.

The Department and the University

The MAE Department offers new faculty an opportunity to join a community deeply committed to their success and to education at all levels. Collaborations in teaching within the department, across the University, and externally are encouraged. We value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community.

The MAE Department offers a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. Within the Bachelor’s degree, concentrations are available in aerospace and energy systems. Additionally, a minor is available in biomechanics. The Department also offers Master of Science and Doctorate degrees. The Department currently has 770 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, 23 full-time faculty members, and a number of adjunct faculty. Further information about the Department can be found at:
https://udayton.edu/engineering/departments/mechanical_and_aerospace/undergrad_mee/index.php

Grounded in its Catholic, Marianist tradition, UD provides education to develop the whole student and is committed to experiential learning. UD enrolls 11,300 students, including 8,225 full-time undergraduates. It is one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities and one of the largest private universities in Ohio.

City of Dayton
The Dayton metro area has a population of about 850,000 and is a diverse community with a renewed downtown, a set of historic neighborhoods, and a highly favorable cost of living. Dayton, OH is accessible, affordable, and offers excellent educational and healthcare resources, arts and cultural attractions, beautiful parks with bike and recreational trails, and a variety of sporting venues. The area is noted for its long history of innovation and invention and has a vibrant and growing business environment. It is also home to corporations such as CareSource, LexisNexis, Reynolds & Reynolds, and to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Dayton area is a great place to live. Go to https://www.daytoncvb.com/ for more information.

At the University of Dayton, we value