Assistant Professor in Aerospace Engineering, Fall 2025

Description

The Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering Department (https://mabe.utk.edu/) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is seeking applications for one tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level. The chosen candidate for this position will conduct state-of-the-art research, develop externally funded research programs, produce archival publications in leading scholarly journals, teach engineering courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and perform service duties as needed. It is also expected that the candidate will develop graduate courses in her/his area of research to complement the departmental growth. The position’s start date is August 1, 2025.

This hire at the Assistant Professor level is expected to propose, advocate, shape, and implement the roadmap to establish a strong footprint and nationwide presence in space systems. The department is actively growing its space technology core. Primary consideration will be given to those with capabilities and interests in rapidly advancing fields of space technology, such as SmallSats and CubeSats, on-orbit servicing and assembly, in-space manufacturing, space situational awareness, AI and autonomous space systems, planetary mission design, atmospheric entry, propulsion, space habitats, etc. All outstanding candidates possessing strong backgrounds in these areas will be considered. 

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was founded in 1794 and is one of the oldest public universities in the country. UTK enrolls over 30,000 students at its Knoxville campus and is Tennessee’s only public Carnegie Doctoral: Highest Research Activity University. 

The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is amid an unprecedented period of growth and success. In the past three years, the college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, diversity, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank. 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 currently has 185 Tenure/Tenure-Track and 67 Non-Tenure-Track faculty in its seven academic departments and offers 12 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD 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 3,800 undergraduate and 1,150 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 21 early career awards (NSF, DoE, DARPA, AFOSR, and ARO) since 2016. In FY22, the college had NSF HERD research expenditures of $109 million.

The Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) Department currently has 45 tenured or tenure-track faculty as well as 7 Lecturers, 9 Research Professors, and a Professor of Practice. There are 1,662 undergraduate and 249 graduate students pursuing degrees at all levels in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or biomedical engineering. The department research expenditures are $26M this year.

The City of Knoxville is a hidden gem with an elegant and walkable downtown, rich and varied nightlife, intercultural events, vibrant neighborhoods, eclectic restaurants, and amazing access to outdoor activities of all kinds as well as exciting cultural events throughout the year. From Knoxville’s TYS Airport, Knoxville has nonstop flights to 22 major airports in the US, including direct flights to cities such as DC, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Miami. UTK is within easy driving distance to Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In addition, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is nearby, and many opportunities for collaboration and career development are provided by the University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. In addition, the City of Knoxville and the surrounding areas boast great K-12 schools and one of the most highly educated populations in the entire US. From 2007 to 2017, Tennessee’s overall economic growth ranked #7 among all 50 US states. In 2019, U.S. News ranked the State of Tennessee in the U.S. as the #1 in fiscal stability, #12 in economy, and #13 in infrastructure.

Qualifications

A doctorate degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or a related field is required at time of the appointment.

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