Description
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) in the Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), invites applicants for an open position at the rank of associate or assistant professor in aerospace engineering. For exceptional cases, tenure upon arrival will be considered. Responsibilities include teaching engineering courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, conducting research in engineering, developing externally funded research programs, and producing archival publications in leading scholarly journals. The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University. It is expected that the candidate will develop graduate courses in her/his area of research to complement the departmental growth. A PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering or a related field is required at time of the appointment.
Primary consideration will be given to those with capabilities and interests in Aeroacoustics, Computational Aerodynamics, Rocket and Jet Propulsion, Electrified Aircraft Design and Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization (MDO). The department is actively growing its aerodynamic and propulsion science core. All outstanding candidates possessing strong backgrounds in these areas relevant to mechanical and/or aerospace engineering will be considered. In addition to research in these areas, it is expected that the candidate will teach aerospace propulsion, structures or aerodynamics at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
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 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.
Requirements
Review of applications will begin in January 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date of the new position is August 1, 2026. Salary is commensurate with the position and experience of the applicant. Applications must include (1) a concise letter of intent outlining the applicant’s research and teaching goals and objectives; (2) a comprehensive curriculum vitae; (3) a statement of research and teaching interests; and (4) the names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least five references. The required method of application is through Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/178263 Inquiries about this search should be addressed to the Search Chair, Professor Hans DeSmidt, at the email address AESearch2026@utk.edu.
