Open Rank Professor – Engineering Education

Position Description

The Institute for Sustainability and Circular Economy and CASFER at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, tenured/tenure-track Open Rank to begin September 1, 2025.
Applicants are expected to (1) contribute to research activities in CASFER and ISCE, (2) serve within an engineering department, and (3) advance engineering education by developing educational materials and engaging in education-focused scholarship.

About the University

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.
About Lubbock: Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

About the College

The Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering is home to seven academic departments (i.e., (a) chemical, (b) civil, environmental, and construction, (c) computer science, (d) electrical & computer, (e) industrial, manufacturing and systems, (f) mechanical, and (g) petroleum), offers over 30 degrees to about 6,600 students, including more than 850 graduate students. Research funding has grown substantially, with over $18 million in annual research awards in recent years. The major research strengths are wind science & engineering, pulsed power and power electronics, microscale and nanoscale devices, semiconductor materials, engineering medicine, bioengineering, energetics, and polymer materials.

About the Department/School/Area

The newly established Texas Tech University Institute for Sustainability and Circular Economy (ISCE) is dedicated to developing solutions to major societal problems while integrating sustainability, resiliency, and circular economy practices. ISCE provides an infrastructure for collaboration among multiple disciplines. Under ISCE, the $51 million National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizers (CASFER) is a model sustainability initiative. The vision of the NSF Engineering Research Center CASFER is to enable resilient and sustainable food production by developing next-generation, modular, distributed, and efficient technologies for capturing, recycling, and producing decarbonized nitrogen-based fertilizers. CASFER is led by Texas Tech University with four partner institutions: Georgia Tech, MIT, Case Western Reserve University, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. CASFER has over 30 faculty and researchers and supports over 70 graduate students, undergraduate students, and post-doctoral researchers.

Faculty Qualifications

PhD in an engineering discipline or a closely related field
Evidence of research expertise aligned with CASFER and ISCE (e.g., chemical, environmental, agricultural, biological, mechanical, process/systems modeling and simulation, energy, materials engineering for nitrogen recovery and recycling, sustainable fertilizer production, and/or waste-to-resource systems)
Evidence of publications of scholarly work in line with the rank applied for
Evidence of contributing to engineering education through developing educational materials and engaging in the scholarship of education
Evidence of a sustained record of externally funded research programs as evidenced by the provision of funded grant applications in line with the rank the candidate applies for

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

Evidence of participation in a large research center or convergence research collaborations
Evidence of collaborations with the industry in applied research implementation (e.g., entrepreneurship)
Evidence of involvement in outreach and community engagement
Evidence of global collaborations

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include the following documents in your application:

Curriculum Vitae
Cover Letter (*should indicate the rank applying for)
Statement of research
Statement of engineering education
List of three references
Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Sungwon Shin, Search Committee Chair at sungwon.shin@ttu.edu.

The deadline to submit applications is on January 31, 2025.