Assistant Professor Structural Engineering, Fall 2026 at InsideHigherEd

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) invites applications and nominations for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in Structural Engineering. Candidates from all areas of structural engineering are encouraged to apply. Candidates with expertise in advanced computational mechanics, integration of AI/ML with computational mechanics, digital twin technology, advanced structural health monitoring, resilient structures and materials, and structural engineering with innovative materials or additive manufacturing are of particular interest.    

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has 25 tenure-line faculty members and five non-tenured full-time teaching faculty and offers baccalaureate, masters, and PhD degrees in all areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering. CEE faculty collaborate through a number of interdisciplinary centers including the Center for Transportation Research and the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing. The department also has excellent experimental facilities to support structural engineering research, including a full-scale platform for 3-D concrete printing and a 2000 square-foot structural engineering high bay laboratory with strong floor, reaction wall, and distributed hydraulic power. High performance computing resources are available from the UTK ISAAC facility (Infrastructure for Scientific Applications and Advanced Computing). As the leading university partner in UT-Battelle, the management company for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), UTK offers extraordinary opportunities for cutting-edge research in science and engineering with the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII). The department ranks in the top 5% of all US Civil and Environmental Engineering programs in per faculty scholarly publications and citations according to Academic Analytics.

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 over 4 years 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 currently 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.

Knoxville, TN is a vibrant city with a beautiful and walkable downtown, active neighborhoods, an effervescent nightlife that includes numerous theaters and museums, a rich live music scene across all genres, and eclectic restaurants. Knoxville is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, surrounded by lakes and the Tennessee River, providing amazing access to various outdoor activities. Knoxville is within easy driving distance of four major metropolitan areas that regularly host larger cultural and entertainment events.

·         Earned doctorate in Civil Engineering or closely related field at the time the position is filled

·         Research and teaching interests in Structural Engineering

·         Demonstrated record of publishing in high quality academic journals

·         Strong communication skills and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment

·         Must be eligible to work in the US by the time of appointment

Applicants should submit a single PDF file to https://apply.interfolio.com/174508 which includes:

·         an application letter addressing qualifications and motivation,

·         statements of research and teaching interests

·         a complete curriculum vitae

·          names of and contact information for five references

Application review will begin on November 1 and continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position should be directed to Dr. John Ma, Chair of the Search Committee (voice: 865-974-7276; email [email protected]).

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to [email protected], or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to [email protected], or by phone at 865-974-0717.