The Bruce H. Mitchell Endowed Chair

The Bruce H. Mitchell Endowed Chair
Ingenuity Labs Research Institute Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada

January 2023
Queen's University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Ingenuity Labs Research Institute in the 
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University invites applications for the 
inaugural Bruce H. Mitchell Endowed Chair; a tenured faculty position at the rank of Associate or 
Full Professor with a specialization that falls within the broad areas of robotics, intelligent 
systems and/or applied artificial intelligence. Exceptional candidates at the rank of Assistant 
Professor may be considered for a tenure-track position. The preferred start date is January 1, 
2024.

Criteria:
The successful candidate must have completed a PhD in electrical engineering, computer engineering, 
or a related discipline. The Bruce H. Mitchell Endowed Chair will enhance the Institute’s dynamic 
and collaborative research culture by fostering research linkages internally across disciplines and 
externally among partners. To advance the Chair’s success, the successful candidate will be 
provided with $1M of research start-up funding with opportunities to leverage and multiply this 
funding, as well as access to roughly 12,000 sq. ft of open, collaborative research space in the 
new Mitchell Hall.

The main criteria for selection are:

•   Status as an internationally recognized researcher with a record of recognized leadership in 
their field and evidence of high-quality scholarly output;
• Strong potential to establish external partnerships and attract significant research funding;
• Potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, 
and an ongoing commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence in support of the department’s 
programs;
• Evidence of an ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and student-centered 
environment;
• Professional engineering licensure in Canada, or the eligibility to obtain licensure, is a 
requirement. Note that all forms of engineering licensure in Canada are considered

acceptable (e.g. P.Eng., temporary engineering license, provisional engineering license, etc.).
The successful candidate will be required to make contributions through service to the Department, 
the Faculty, the University, and/or the broader community. Salary will be commensurate with 
qualifications and experience.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including 
contractors) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status and provide proof that they were fully 
vaccinated or had an approved accommodation to engage in in-person University activities. These 
requirements were suspended effective May 1, 2022, but the University may reinstate them at any 
point.

Ingenuity Labs Research Institute, is a collaborative multidisciplinary research institute 
established in 2018, focused on the design and use of robots and intelligent systems to enhance 
human productivity, creativity, safety, and quality of life. Ingenuity Labs was established based 
on a significant philanthropic gift and brings together researchers from across the engineering 
disciplines and the University. The Institute’s expertise spans a continuum—from artificial 
intelligence, machine learning, and cyber-human systems, to robot control, smart sensors, and 
mechatronic devices. Through creativity, collaboration, and invention, Ingenuity  Labs researchers 
strive to facilitate the complex interactions between humans, machines, and infrastructure, as well 
as their natural and social environments. The Ingenuity Labs Research Institute currently comprises 
36 faculty members and nearly 100 graduate and postdoctoral researchers who are leaders in the 
fields of robotics and AI. Ingenuity Labs is open lab space has the capacity to simultaneously 
house multiple collaborative research projects, making efficient use of extensive research 
equipment and resources. The open working space also facilitates knowledge sharing and 
cross-functional thinking between diverse research groups.

Your Career with Queen’s Engineering

Queen’s University is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities with a global 
reputation and is a recognized leader in Canadian higher education. The Department of Electrical
& Computer Engineering comprises 35 full-time and 7 cross-appointed faculty, 966 undergraduate 
students, and 180 master’s and doctoral students. The Department is home to the Centre for Energy 
and Power Electronics Research (ePOWER). In addition to Ingenuity Labs, the successful candidate 
will have the opportunity to collaborate with the many other units, research centres, and 
institutes at Queen’s, including the Department of Mechanical & Materials   Engineering, the School 
of Computing, the Scotiabank Centre for Customer Analytics, the Centre for Neuroscience Studies, 
and the Centre for Health Innovation, to name a few. Queen’s Engineering is also host to a new 
undergraduate degree program in Mechatronics & Robotics  Engineering that brings together three 
engineering disciplines: computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. Through new custom 
courses, a hands-on experience, and progressive design projects, students will think objectively 
and acquire the skills to succeed in a versatile engineering career.

Among our top priorities in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science is providing 
opportunities for early career academics to develop exceptional research and teaching contributions 
while fostering an inclusive environment where all faculty can thrive. Support for faculty to 
develop strong research programs includes Special Research Grant opportunities, grant writing 
workshops and review services, and one-to-one  mentorship from  experienced colleagues. To promote 
on-going teaching success, there is support for course development and delivery provided by the 
Queen’s Centre for Teaching and Learning, the Engineering Teaching  and Learning Team, the 
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied 
Science. Queen’s Engineering is also committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusivity in 
Engineering, supported by the recent establishment of a Chair for  Women in Engineering, the new 
Engineering Strategic Plan, and Engineering for Everyone.

Queen’s University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, 
and Queen’s historic campus is located in the heart of the vibrant Kingston community in the 
Thousand Islands region of Southeastern Ontario. Queen’s is positioned centrally with respect to 
three major metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, and Kingston’s residents enjoy an 
outstanding quality of life with a wide range of cultural, recreational, and creative 
opportunities. Faculty and their dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package 
including prescription drug coverage, vision care, dental care, long term disability insurance, 
life insurance and access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program. You will also participate 
in a pension plan. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying employees, their spouses and 
dependent children. Queen’s values families and is pleased to provide a ‘top up’ to government 
parental leave benefits for eligible employees on maternity/parental leave. In addition, Queen’s 
provides partial reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for employees with dependent children 
in daycare. Details are set out in the Queen’s-QUFA Collective Agreement. For more information on 
employee benefits, see Queen’s  Human Resources.

Additional information about Queen’s University can be found on the Faculty Recruitment and  
Support website. Visit Inclusive Queen’s for information on equity, diversity and inclusion 
resources  and  initiatives.  The  University  invites  applications  from  all  qualified 
individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the 
workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized/visible minority and 
Indigenous/Aboriginal people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons. All qualified 
candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, 
Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

To comply with federal laws, the University is obliged to gather statistical information as to how 
many applicants for each job vacancy are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. 
Applicants need not identify their country of origin or citizenship; however, all applications must 
include  one  of  the  following  statements:  “I  am  a  Canadian  citizen/permanent  resident  of

Canada”, or “I am not a Canadian citizen/permanent resident of Canada”.  Applications that do
not include this information will be deemed incomplete.

In addition, the impact of certain circumstances that may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of 
research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the nominee’s research 
productivity. Candidates are encouraged to provide relevant information about their experience 
and/or career interruptions.

A complete application consists of:

•    a    cover    letter    (including    one    of    the    two    statements    regarding    
Canadian citizenship/permanent resident status specified in the preceding paragraph);
•    a statement of research vision and interests;
•   a statement of teaching interests, experience, and philosophy (including teaching outlines and 
evaluations if available);
•    a current Curriculum Vitae (including a list of publications);
•    a statement of commitment to as well as ideas and any experience about how to ensure equity, 
diversity, and inclusivity in scholarly activities; and
•   the names and contact information of three referees.

The Appointments Committee will begin consideration of candidates on May 1, 2023, and will continue 
until the position is successfully filled.

Applicants are encouraged to send all documents in their application packages electronically as one 
single PDF file to the Mitchell Chair Appointments Committee c/o Ms. Shelly Stilson, Administrative 
Assistant, via e-mail to ece-search@queensu.ca, although hardcopy applications may be submitted to:
Ms. Shelly Stilson Administrative Assistant
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Room 416, Walter Light Hall, 19 Union Street 
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 Canada
The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, 
including accommodation that considers an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require 
accommodation during the interview process, please contact Ms. Shelly Stilson in the Department of 
Electrical and Computer Engineering via e-mail at ece-search@queensu.ca.

Academic staff at Queen’s University are governed by a Collective Agreement between the University 
and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), which is posted by the Faculty
Relations Office and at www.qufa.ca.