Assistant Professor – Chemical Engineering

39007BR

Engineering

Position Description
The Department of Chemical Engineering in the Whitacre College of Engineering at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor position to begin Fall 2025. This position is part of a strategic initiative directed toward energy storage; hence there is a strong preference for candidates who have expertise in experimental research in energy storage systems with the focus on chemical fuels, advanced materials for energy storage, or decarbonization of the chemical industry. Outstanding applicants with expertise besides these preferred areas of interest but related to energy storage, may be considered. Successful candidates will be expected to develop nationally and internationally recognized and externally funded research program, form departmental and multidisciplinary collaborations, foster partnerships within and outside Texas Tech University as well as industry, teach core graduate and undergraduate courses in chemical engineering, engage in strategic outreach activities, and perform internal and professional service. Applicants should be eligible to work in the United States.

About the University
Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

About Lubbock:Referred to as the Hub City because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbocks Convention and Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

About the College
The Whitacre College of Engineering (WCOE, https://www.depts.ttu.edu/coe/) serves approximately 4800 undergraduate and 1300 graduate students, supported by 220 faculty and instructors. The college had 852 BS, 557 MS and 68 PhD graduates in the 2023-24 fiscal year. All incoming first year students are enrolled into a common foundational curriculum for all undergraduate programs. Foundational students declare a program of choice and can move into upper division after completing the foundational classes with a TTU GPA of 2.5 or higher. The WCOE consists of the Departments of Chemical Engineering; Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; and Petroleum Engineering. All BS programs and the Environmental Engineering Masters program are ABET accredited. All departments have Masters and PhD programs. Annual research expenditures of the college are around $18M.

About the Department/School/Area
The Chemical Engineering Department at Texas Tech has 15 facult members in tenured or tenure-track positions and three in primarily teaching positions. The total undergraduate enrollment in the upper level chemical engineering and the foundational engineering program is 331. The departments undergraduate program has a strong emphasis on hands-on training, the highlights of the program include the newly equipped Valero Laboratory for Unit Operations and the Morrow Energy Pilot Plant. The graduate program of the department consists of 87 graduate students. Current research efforts in the department are focused in the areas of bioengineering and nanomedicine, energy and sustainability, soft matter, computational modeling and data science, and electrochemicals engineering. Departments total sponsored research awards in FY24 were $5.3M.

Major/Essential Functions
In line with TTUs strategic priorities to engage and empower a diverse student body, enable innovative research and creative activities, and transform lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship, applicants should have experience working with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within individual or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

Organization
Texas Tech University

Faculty Qualifications

– Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or a closely related field
– A track record of outstanding research in energy storage area as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications
– A track record of teaching and student mentoring as demonstrated by course instruction or teaching assistant duties

Preferred Qualifications

There is a preference for candidates who have expertise in experimental research in energy storage systems with a focus on chemical fuels, advanced materials for energy storage, decarbonization of the chemical industry, and related topics. Outstanding applicants with expertise besides these preferred areas of interest, but related to energy storage, may be considered.

Applicants with postdoctoral research experience will be given preference, exceptional candidates without postdoctoral research experience may be considered.

A track record of working in a collaborative environment such as participation in multi-PI or mu