Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering

Position Title Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering About the University

Western Washington University is a public institution that was founded in 1893 and is comprised of about 15,000 students. It is recognized as the top public masters-granting university in the Pacific Northwest by US News & World Report. Over the last two annual surveys of Great Colleges to Work For, the Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized Western for the following categories: faculty experience, shared governance, tenure clarity and teaching environment.

Western Washington University is in scenic Bellingham, Washington, a coastal town of about 100,000 residents nestled between the mountains of the North Cascades and the waters of the Salish Sea.  Recreational opportunities abound nearby, including biking, skiing, hiking, sailing, kayaking, and mountaineering.  The city is roughly 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia, and 90 miles north of Seattle, Washington, each with a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere and home to many leading technology companies.

About the Department

The Engineering and Design Department offers two ABET-accredited undergraduate degrees in Manufacturing Engineering and Polymer Materials Engineering (soon to be Materials Science & Engineering), along with a NASAD-accredited degree in Industrial Design. The department currently offers two minors, Materials Science, and Industrial Design, and a third minor in Mechanical Engineering is currently being developed with a planned start during the 2026-2027 academic year. In addition, Western Washington University offers an ABET-accredited degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering (EECE) through the newly established EECE Department.

Guided by our mission, the Polymer Materials Engineering (soon to be Materials Science & Engineering) program is dedicated to excellence in teaching and scholarship. Our program focuses on the structure-property-processing relationships of polymers and composites. We prepare graduates to be innovative, industry-ready engineers who contribute to regional and global roles in manufacturing, materials design, and product development. Our teaching philosophy emphasizes problem-solving, analytical skill development, and experiential learning through a hands-on curriculum that is facilitated through our extensive and well-equipped laboratory facilities. The PME/MSE program has been recognized as one of the “Top Public Colleges for Polymers/Plastics Engineering”.

About the College

Western has extensively invested in new facilities, instructional innovation, and the recruitment of world-class faculty for the sciences in recent years. The College of Science and Engineering consists of eight academic departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering and Design, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy. The college is also home to two interdisciplinary instrument centers, the Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center (AMSEC) and Scientific Technical Services (STS). Thus, students in the college are engaged in high-quality classroom, laboratory, and hands-on research experiences that foster deep foundational disciplinary knowledge as well as the tools to engage in the creation of new scientific knowledge.

About the Position

The Department of Engineering & Design at Western Washington University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position beginning September 16, 2026. This position will support the Engineering & Design Department’s growth through the transition of the current Polymer Materials Engineering (PME) program to Materials Science & Engineering and the launch of a new Mechanical Engineering Minor.

We seek individuals with teaching and research interests in fields relevant to advanced composites, with a preference towards candidates with expertise in structures, materials design and development, manufacturing, and/or simulation or modeling. This position offers a unique and exciting opportunity to be part of the growth and development of the Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) program and a new Mechanical Engineering minor, which includes the development of new curriculum, research areas, and laboratory facilities.

Our program and department require a strong commitment to teaching a