Assistant Professor - Mechanical Engineering

Tenure-track Faculty Position in Mechanical Engineering (Assistant Professor)
The College of New Jersey



The Department of Mechanical Engineering at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) invites applications for a 10-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor to join our community starting in August 2025.

Position Summary:

We seek broadly trained candidates with a strong background in the general area of thermal fluid sciences, preferably with an experimental background. We are interested in candidates whose research and teaching will connect and integrate with other disciplines and who have the potential to collaboratively contribute to interdisciplinary curricular and scholarly efforts within the Department, School of Engineering, and the College.

The successful candidate will be passionate about teaching and mentoring at every level of the undergraduate curriculum in a primarily undergraduate, residential, liberal arts-centered institution. Candidates should demonstrate the potential for establishing and maintaining a successful research program. The department encourages applications from all relevant research fields. An earned doctorate in mechanical engineering or a closely related field is required, and it should be completed prior to the start date.

Specific responsibilities include: teaching at all levels, from introductory through advanced special topics courses; developing and teaching laboratories in the area of fluid mechanics and thermal systems; serving as an academic advisor; developing and maintaining a productive research laboratory; engaging in service across campus and to the profession; and supporting accreditation needs through assessment and other duties. We seek faculty members with a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring who will create a climate that embraces excellence, diversity, and equity – to attract and retain a diverse, talented student body.

Candidates should be committed to inclusive excellence in higher education, demonstrated through, for example, culturally responsive course design and pedagogy, equity-minded student engagement and mentorship, and cultivating intercultural competencies needed for meaningful citizenship.

TCNJ has a strong commitment to inclusive excellence in our community and to supporting a healthy work-life balance for our faculty of teacher-scholars. Teaching and research/scholarship/creative expression are mutually supportive activities at TCNJ. Candidates should be strongly committed to the teacher-scholar model, to maintaining both high quality teaching and an active and productive program of scholarship, and to encouraging and mentoring highly motivated students in intensive work both inside and outside the classroom. Faculty members are encouraged and supported in seeking external funding consistent with this mission. They also serve as academic advisors and have service responsibilities within their department, school, and the college. TCNJ supports its community of teacher-scholars through a progressive faculty workload model, generous internal grant and sabbatical programs, professional travel, engaging professional development programs, and other mechanisms. These intentional efforts support the recruitment, retention, and success of our faculty, particularly our teacher-scholars from groups traditionally underrepresented in academe.

Qualifications:

Applicants should:

● Have a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field in the general area of thermal fluids/energy. Candidates must also have a B.S. or equivalent degree in Mechanical Engineering.

● Demonstrate potential for excellence in teaching and a commitment to mentoring students in intensive, individual work both inside and outside the classroom.

● Demonstrate potential for establishing and maintaining a successful independent research program, including the potential for undergraduate student participation and to integrate research with their teaching.

● Demonstrate cultural competency and ability to foster inclusive learning environments and mutual respect for students and colleagues.

Other qualifications of merit

● Experience in emerging technologies such as data/cyber systems or the combination of physical experiments with real-time simulation environments.

● Industrial experience and professional licensure.

To Apply:

Candidates should submit (a) a letter of application highlighting their interest and qualifications, (b) a curriculum vitae, (c) a statement of teaching philosophy/approach (no longer than two pages), (d) a description of research interests and goals (no longer than two pages), (e) a statement of commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (no longer than two pages), (f) unofficial transcripts (graduate and undergraduate), and (g) names and contact information for at least three professional references.

Applications should be submitted electronically . Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, applications should be received by November 15, 2024.

Final offer of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation.

About the Department and School of Engineering:

This is an exciting time to join the Department of Mechanical Engineering at TCNJ. The Bachelor of Science programs in Mechanical Engineering currently enroll about 250 students and are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The School of Engineering has expanded its facilities with new and renovated spaces and is part of an overall investment by TCNJ in a six-building STEM Complex, providing tremendous opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration. The School of Engineering has recently invested over $2 million in new equipment and is guided by a strategic plan that includes potential masters-level engineering programs.

About The College of New Jersey:

Founded in 1855, TCNJ is a selective public institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. TCNJ enrolls approximately 7,400 students, including 6,790 undergraduates and 610 graduate students, 30% of whom are self-described as members of groups traditionally underrepresented in academe. Strong curricular and co-curricular programming have helped foster a first-year to sophomore retention rate of 92%, a 4-year graduation rate of 75% (7^th highest in the U.S. for public institutions), and a 6-year graduation rate of 87% (among the highest in the country). Five signature experiences are the hallmark of a TCNJ education: a personalized, collaborative, and rigorous education; undergraduate research, mentored internships, and field experiences; community engaged learning; global engagement; and leadership development. TCNJ has also received national recognition for the adoption and promotion of the teacher-scholar model for our faculty. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ’s seven academic schools—Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing and Health Sciences; and Science. TCNJ has a strong Phi Beta Kappa chapter—an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally.

Among other initiatives, a series of faculty/staff-based affinity groups (e.g., Minority Executive Council, Women’s Professional Network, Parent and Family Network, TCNJ PRIDE) supports a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment at TCNJ.

TCNJ is located within an hour of New York City and Philadelphia. The College’s campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty. In addition to its growing racial and ethnic diversity, the region offers excellent public schools, prestigious medical centers, restaurants, art and entertainment, as well as numerous cultural and recreational activities.

For more information about the college, please visit: http://www.tcnj.edu/ .