Assistant Professor - Aerospace Engineering

Assistant Professor Position

The Aerospace Engineering department within the College of Engineering at Wichita State University is the seventh oldest in the nation and located in the Air Capital of the World! We are leaders in R&D as well as being the Innovation Campus. WSU invites applicants for a tenure-eligible faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor, with the expected start in the Fall of 25. Applicants whose technical interests complement and augment the department’s existing strengths and are well positioned to develop collaborations as part of multidisciplinary research teams are of particular interest. Our hiring priority is focused on applied research in the areas of aircraft design and solid mechanics/structures.

Our applied learning approach means hands-on experiences in the classroom and beyond. Besides academic activities, the Aerospace Engineering department and faculty are responsible for a substantial amount of research. Much of this work is conducted collaboratively with industry and government. The theoretical, computational, experimental, and applied research efforts fall generally into the following areas: Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Aircraft Structures, Solid Mechanics, Composites, Materials, Flight Mechanics, Controls, Simulation and Astrodynamics. Together, the Aerospace Engineering department and our National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) earn WSU the No. 1 spot in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) rankings for industry-funded aeronautical research and development expenditures. Our facilities, including NIAR labs, are among the best in the nation. Join a team that has made WSU:

• Ranked No. 1 in industry-funded aeronautical research and development expenditures by the National Science Foundation.
• One of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks.
• Our laboratories, including those at WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), are among the best in the nation.
• WSU’s Cooperative Education program gives students the opportunity to work for Innovation Campus partners, in the local area and at NASA centers gaining resume experience and making contacts in aerospace and other industries that hire our graduates.

Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2025 and continue until the positions are filled.

Job Summary

Teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels using various instructional deliveries (e.g., traditional (face-to-face), hybrid, and fully online). To foster applied learning into the course design and engage with industry and local business community applied projects. To advance knowledge through scholarly activities (e.g., active involvement in committees, student mentorship, recruitment and retention initiative, outreach activities, etc.)

Essential Functions

Meet expectations for research, teaching, and service as set forth by the department and college.

Job Duties

• Teach courses in all methods available at the university (online, in-person, hybrid, etc.).
• Focused education and/or teaching related to Aircraft Design and/or Structures.
• Have a demonstrated record of interest in, and commitment to, the mentorship of students from first generation, underrepresented, and low-income populations.
• Serve as an invested faculty member in committees, research, advising and other academic related responsibilities.
• Engage in significant, peer-reviewed research, scholarship, and/or creative activities.

Required Education and Experience:

- Terminal degree in direct field

- Teaching experience

Faculty Requirements

- Obtained PhD in a relevant field.

- At least one degree in Aerospace Engineering by date of hire.

- Aircraft Design or Solid Mechanics/Structures background and must be well versed in multiple areas of aerospace engineering.

- Relevant experience in the field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

- Ability to develop collaborations as part of a multidisciplinary research teams.

- Sound understanding within the realm of specifically aircraft design, and solid mechanics/structures.

- Ability to work with diverse backgrounds.

- Knowledge to create an applied research program in the area of aircraft design or solid mechanics/structures.

- Have a demonstrated record of excellence in, or show exceptional promise for, high-quality research, teaching, and professional development.

- Demonstrated evidence of or potential for scholarly productivity.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Hands-on experience with designing, building and flying model aircraft.

Additional Information:

For a complete application, please include all the following documents, in addition to a resume/CV: Cover Letter, Statement of Research/Research Philosophy, Statement