Mechanical Engineering

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia is seeking qualified applicants for a Tenure Track faculty position as the Assistant Professor level. USC is the flagship university of South Carolina and the only university in the state designated as a "high research and high service activity" university by the Carnegie Foundation. This position is attached to the newly established SmartState Center of Economic Excellence in Nuclear Science and Energy at USC.

The applicant must have earned a doctoral degree in nuclear engineering, physics, applied mathematics, or a closely related field. Candidates are expected to have abilities that match the multi-disciplinary objectives of the Center, including a demonstrated ability to contribute to research extending beyond conventional nuclear engineering applications. Specifically desired are applicants with expertise in sensitivity analysis, uncertainty quantification, and optimal predictions based on data assimilation and large-scale computational model calibration using high performance computing facilities. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in developing adjoint models using object-oriented software running on massively parallel computing systems. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to building and leading multidisciplinary research teams involved in developing and extending multi-scale multi-physics nuclear engineering numerical simulation systems running on high performance computing systems. Candidates should be able to acquire a U.S. government security clearance.

The SmartState Center of Economic Excellence in Nuclear Science and Energy at USC contributes substantially to building a comprehensive Nuclear Engineering Program at USC, which is currently housed in USC’s Mechanical Engineering Department. This program offers Masters and Doctoral degrees, in addition to an undergraduate minor in nuclear engineering (see: http://www.me.sc.edu/ and http://www.me.sc.edu/nuclear/index.html). The selected candidate will be required to teach undergraduate and graduate courses as needed within the Nuclear Engineering Program. In particular, the selected candidate is expected to develop graduate-level courses in predictive modeling for nuclear engineering applications, including validated modeling and uncertainty quantification, using examples from his/her research in nuclear energy and related areas.

Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statements of research and teaching interests, names of three references, and copies of selected publications to the Chair of the Nuclear Center Search Committee, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208. Electronic submissions in the form of one PDF file via email to nuclear-search@cec.sc.edu are encouraged. The selection process will begin on May 10, 2012, and will continue until the position is filled. The University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

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The recently established McNAIR Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research at USC’s College of Engineering and Computing seeks highly qualified individuals for a tenure-track or tenured senior faculty position in the area of safety-critical aerospace systems and concurrent engineering with particular interest in areas including but not limited to unmanned aerial systems, aircraft and structural design, robotics, multidisciplinary design and optimization, condition based maintenance, and knowledge based engineering. Outstanding candidates with expertise in research related to aerospace engineering, for example composite and multi-functional materials, computational aeroelasticity and aerodynamics, with theoretical knowledge of and practical experience with project management and systems engineering design are encouraged to apply.

The position is part of an existing cluster of faculty with research and teaching expertise in the area of heterogeneous/composite materials, health-monitoring systems, and manufacturing. Applicants with technical expertise that relates to analysis, design, synthesis, and manufacturing of safety-critical aerospace systems are of special interest. Duties are to develop a strong educational and externally funded research program in collaboration with the University of South Carolina McNAIR Center and the faculty and staff of the related departments and colleges at the university. It is expected that the candidate will develop and create unique, collaborative, interdisciplinary research opportunities with aerospace industries in South Carolina and beyond. A tenured or tenure-track appointment will be made in the department of Mechanical Engineering at a rank and salary commensurate with the candidate’s credentials. Candidate must meet tenure and promotion criteria of the home department.

Columbia is the flagship university of the South Carolina system and the only university in the state designated as a "high research and high service activity" university by the Carnegie Foundation. The College of Engineering and Computing currently has 105 tenure track faculty members with annual research expenditures of over $30 million. The National Research Council has recently ranked several of the doctoral programs in the college, including the Mechanical Engineering program, in the top 35 in the nation.

The application package should include in a single PDF document: 1) vitae, 2) statement of research plans, 3) statement of teaching interests, and 4) contact information for three references. Send the application package to Chair, Search Committee for McNair Chair, University of South Carolina, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 300 S. Main St., Columbia, SC 29208. Electronic submissions in the form of one PDF file via email to odonnemc@cec.sc.edu are encouraged; please include “Safety-Critical Aerospace Systems” in the subject line. The selection process will begin on March1, 2013, and will continue until the position is filled. University of South Carolina is an AA/EO employer. The Search Committee is particularly interested in receiving applications from traditionally under-represented groups. The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status. The University of South Carolina has designated as the ADA Title II, Section 504 and Title IX coordinator, the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs. The Office of the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs is located in Suite 805 of 1600 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC; telephone 803-777-3854.

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The University of South Carolina (USC) seeks highly qualified individuals for a senior faculty position in Mechanical Engineering and as the Endowed Chair of the USC General Atomics Center for the Development of Transformational Nuclear Technologies. USC Columbia is the flagship university of South Carolina and the only university in the state designated as a "high research and high service activity" university by the Carnegie Foundation.

Applicants should hold a PhD in nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, nuclear physics, or a closely related field. The Endowed Chair holder is expected to be a world leader in the field of nuclear engineering research with a background in one of the related Engineering disciplines (i.e., Chemical, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering). It is further expected that this individual will have reached a level of national and international recognition compatible with membership in the National Academy of Engineering. She/he is expected to provide leadership in research, teaching and mentoring of junior faculty members, foster small businesses, and interface well with Engineering and Nuclear Science research at all research venues throughout the State (i.e., other Universities, SRNL, and business research organizations). It is also expected that the Endowed Chair holder will be an active leader in national and international organizations such as the American Nuclear Society, American Society for Mechanical Engineering, the Material Research Society, or the corresponding national disciplinary societies in Chemical, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. Finally, it is expected that candidates for this position will have a substantive record of publications and demonstrated funding ability that can support a large research group of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students.

The USC Nuclear Engineering Program offers Masters and Doctoral degrees in addition to an undergraduate minor in nuclear engineering. The program is housed in the Mechanical Engineering Department (http://www.me.sc.edu/) which currently has 29 tenure track faculty members with an annual research expenditure of over $6 million. The mechanical engineering doctoral program has been recently ranked 7th in the South and 31st nationally by the National Research Council. Nuclear Engineering Program research strengths include nuclear fuels and materials, thermal hydraulics, and modeling and simulation. Additional information on the program may be found at http://www.me.sc.edu/nuclear/index.html.

SC has a concentrated industrial focus on nuclear power. The Endowed Chair is expected to work with SC industry to analyze and develop new methods, discoveries, and technologies to increase the jobs and economic impact associated with this sector. In addition to a large commercial investment in the State, SC is home to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility. By working closely with SRNL, this Center would support and benefit from DOE investments in research and programs to develop nuclear power, nuclear safeguards, and other nuclear related fields.

Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statements of research and teaching interests, names of three references, and copies of selected publications to the Chair of the Nuclear Center Search Committee, Office of the Dean, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208, or electronically to nuclear-search@cec.sc.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

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The University of South Carolina is seeking an outstanding leader for the position of South Carolina SmartState Endowed Chair in Tissue Engineering. This Endowed Chair will lead/expand development of biomedical engineering research at the University.

The Endowed Chair position is part of an integrated state-wide SmartStateTM Center for Advanced Tissue Biofabrication with researchers dedicated to the understanding and fabrication of biological materials and tissues. A key focus of the Center is to integrate research activities in tissue engineering and Biofabrication across the state and to promote economic development in these areas. The other participating institutions are the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston (MUSC) and Clemson University (CU).

The USC ATBSS Endowed Chair will lead efforts in basic and applied research related to understanding and fabricating engineered biological tissue. The Chair has significant institutional support and will have the opportunity to work closely with researchers and clinicians in the Center for Advanced Tissue Biofabrication. Current research activities in this area include: experimental investigations and constitutive modeling of hard and soft biological tissues; continuum mechanics-based modeling of growth and remodeling in living tissues; tissue engineering; biomaterials design, synthesis, and characterization; directing stem cell fate via environmental control; and fundamental studies in embryonic development.

The USC ATBSS Endowed Chair will be based in the Biomedical Engineering Program in the College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina with joint appointments in other units as appropriate. The inter-disciplinary Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of South Carolina is a rapidly growing effort that has over 250 undergraduate and graduate students and more than 25 affiliated faculty members spanning the College of Engineering and Computing, College of Arts and Sciences, and the USC School of Medicine-Columbia who are currently conducting research in biomedical engineering, life sciences, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and computational sciences.

Candidates must possess a PhD or MD/PhD in biomedical engineering or a similar discipline, a record of exemplary research relevant to tissue engineering, demonstrated leadership, and strong potential to support economic development. Candidates must have credentials consistent with the granting of tenure at the rank of professor.

The following standards of performance are expected of the recipients of this endowed chair: continuing record of scholarly and creative endeavors; leadership in and across academic units and collaborations with scholars within as well as external to one’s own university and with the private sector; pursuit of activities that enhance the reputation of the university; generation of additional private, governmental, foundation and other external grants and funds; innovative leadership and mentoring of students and other faculty; attraction of high quality students; and evidence of the ability to promote and develop “enhanced economic opportunities in knowledge- based industries for all South Carolinians” and generate employment opportunities through development of related licenses and patents.

For more information or to nominate a candidate contact Dr. Abdel Bayoumi, bayoumi@cec.sc.edu. Applications should include a current resume, a research vision and strategy for the implementation of this vision, and the names and affiliations of at least three references. Applications will be kept confidential within the extent allowed by state law. Applications should be submitted to: ATBSS-Chair@cec.sc.edu. Screening of candidates will begin on April 1, 2012. The post will remain open until the position has been filled.

USC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity. Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. For more information about the SmartState Program, please visit www.sccoee.org

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