Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics - Department Head - 527593

Department
Aerospace and Engineering Mechanics

Rank
Professor

Position Summary
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) and the College of Engineering at The University of Alabama invite applications for the position of Department Head of the UA Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. The anticipated start date for the position is Fall 2026 or earlier as appropriate.

This opportunity presents the chance for a dynamic and visionary leader who has a demonstrated record of success as an outstanding scholar, researcher, teacher, and mentor to join our UA College of Engineering and our AEM Department during a period of record growth and success, with opportunities and significant resources at their disposal to help grow and shape the program into one of the leading departments of aerospace engineering and mechanics in the nation.

Detailed Position Information
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM: https://aem.eng.ua.edu) and the College of Engineering (CoE - https://eng.ua.edu) at The University of Alabama (UA: https://ua.edu) invite applications for the position of Department Head of the UA Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. The anticipated start date for the position is Fall 2026 or earlier as appropriate. This opportunity presents the chance for a dynamic and visionary leader who has a demonstrated record of success as an outstanding scholar, researcher, teacher, and mentor to join our UA College of Engineering and our AEM Department during a period of record growth and success, with opportunities and significant resources at their disposal to help grow and shape the program into one of the leading departments of aerospace engineering and mechanics in the nation.

Candidates with prestigious achievements, significant impact in their fields, and exceptional national and international reputations will be eligible for consideration for significant endowment support through appointment as an Endowed Shelby Distinguished Professor (https://provost.ua.edu/the-shelby-endowment-for-distinguished-faculty/). These Shelby Distinguished Professor positions are one of the highest honors bestowed upon faculty at The University of Alabama, and candidates who feel their record and accomplishments warrant consideration for this additional honor should indicate this in their cover letter.

This is a very exciting time to join the AEM Department at The University of Alabama. The UA College of Engineering has experienced tremendous growth in its faculty, facilities, student populations, and research enterprise over the past decade. The College of Engineering currently has more than 4,800 undergraduate students and almost 800 graduate students, making it one of the largest engineering colleges in the nation. The AEM department has also seen significant growth in recent years, with typical incoming freshman cohort sizes of approximately 200 students per year and a current undergraduate program enrollment of approximately 600 undergraduate students. The department currently offers three degrees: a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. The department is currently on a multi-year effort to significantly expand its faculty size to help better serve its students and educational mission and to add both depth and breadth to the range of research activities represented across the department and its faculty. The department and its faculty and students recently moved into their new departmental home suite in the H.M. Comer building which is situated in the heart of The University of Alabama campus and the center of the UA engineering complex. This new home provides brand new spaces, including a new central departmental administrative suite, that will allow the department and its programs to continue to thrive and grow while also providing a cohesive space to build community across the department amongst its faculty, staff, and students. The pace of growth and change in the department is both brisk and invigorating. The next Department Head for Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics will have a tremendous opportunity to help shape the future of the department and to work with the leadership of the College of Engineering to deploy the significant resources of the College and university toward the goal of making the department one of the preeminent aerospace engineering and mechanics departments in the country.

Under the leadership its Dean, Dr. Clifford L. Henderson, the UA College of Engineering has embarke