Tenured/Tenure-Track Position Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ML Accelerator Search) - Fall 2026

Description

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) seeks exceptional candidates to fill one tenured/tenure-track faculty position in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) in areas related to the design and implementation of machine learning (ML) accelerators. This search is part of a cluster hire to add faculty across multiple departments with expertise in foundational artificial intelligence research that bridges the gap between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.  We are particularly interested in ML/AI hardware architectures, VLSI for AI, and the integration of AI-based computer systems. Strong candidates in electrical or computer engineering in areas not explicitly listed will also be considered.

The successful candidate will be expected to (1) conduct and publish scholarly research; (2) pursue funding to support an active research agenda; (3) teach undergraduate and graduate courses in electrical and/or computer engineering; (4) mentor graduate students; and (5) participate in departmental service.

The foundational AI cluster is part of the “It takes a Volunteer” cluster hiring initiative at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. This cluster aims to build a team of excellence from interdisciplinary areas, including computer science and engineering, biomedical engineering, neuro and cognitive science, and mathematics. As part of this institutional priority initiative, new hires will join a dynamic core group of collaborators with complementary experience and a shared interest in building a national reputation for excellence and innovation in foundational AI. 

The ideal candidates for this cluster search should have a collaborative mindset and prioritize working with colleagues to realize shared research and educational achievements, including large-scale proposals, joint publications, and new transdisciplinary curricular programming. For early career faculty, the cluster offers a unique framework for professional development and mentorship within a rich transdisciplinary environment. The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to promote an atmosphere where all members of the university community feel welcome and can thrive. 

Information about the University, College, Department, and Knoxville
UTK is the state’s flagship campus and leading research institution with a strong partnership with nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where many UTK faculty have ongoing joint positions and/or joint research projects.

The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success, including adding over 30 new faculty to the college as part of ambitious hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. New facilities include the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex, the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN-MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building now under construction that will house UTK’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF).

TCE has 203 tenure/tenure track and 79 non-tenure track faculty in its nine academic departments and offers 11 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD/DE degree programs. Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the UT Space Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. The college is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 4,300 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, the college sits 29th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 29 early career awards (NSF, DOE, DARPA, AFOSR, and ARO) since 2016. In FY24, the college had annual research expenditures of $113.6M.

EECS at UTK has 49 full-time T/TT faculty members, three members of the National Academy of Engineering, 15 IEEE Fellows, 13 NSF/DOE CAREER awardees, and 15 ranked in World’s Top 2% Scientists as compiled by Stanford. The department has a growing enrollment of more than 1000 undergraduate and 450 graduate students across the three majors of Electrical Engineering, Computer E