The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering invites applications for multiple open tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant Professor level in general areas of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a special emphasis on, but not limited to, (1) thermal science and engineering, (2) mechano-biology, (3) space engineering, especially with innovative use of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), and (4) AI/ML applications in general areas of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Candidates at the forefront of merging AI/ML with theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches of mechanical and aerospace engineering are encouraged to apply.

In the first paragraph of their cover letter, candidates should specify clearly, from the following list, one or more focus area(s) for which they will be applying:

(1) The first tenure-track faculty position is in the area of thermal science and engineering. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to, heat and mass transfer at various scales, multi-phase thermal transport and storage, and advanced thermal materials and metrology. Application areas for these topics include global sustainability, processes under extreme conditions or limits of heat and mass transfer (e.g., ultra-high or ultra-low transport), classical and quantum electronics thermal management, and coupled multi-physics processes, among many possible others.

(2) The second tenure-track faculty position is in the area of mechanobiology: candidates with technical expertise in biology or health-related mechanical engineering are of particular interest. Relevant subfields include: (1) Mechanobiology and disease progression: exploring how mechanical forces and signaling pathways influence health and disease; (2) Engineering dynamic and biomimetic microenvironments to understand, mimic, or control cellular and tissue development, regeneration, or enhancement of functions. Approaches taking advantage of multiscale computational modeling and AI to predict complex behaviors are especially relevant.

(3) The third tenure-track faculty position is in the area of space engineering and technologies: with an emphasis on space systems engineering, especially with innovative use of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), including, but not limited to, spacecraft propulsion, plasma and fusion physics, remote sensing, autonomy for space systems, aerospace structures, cyber-physical systems, astronautics, space systems and control, celestial mechanics, space engineering data science.

(4) The fourth position focuses on advanced AI/ML applications in general areas of mechanical and aerospace engineering, including, but not limited to, structural and solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, system and control, micro-nano engineering, thermal science and engineering, robotics, manufacturing, aeronautics, and other areas of aerospace engineering not mentioned in other positions.

Applicants for the positions must have a demonstrated record of excellence in, or show exceptional promise for, high-quality research, teaching, and professional development. The department’s hiring priorities are focused on the frontiers of mechanical and aerospace engineering research, where a candidate’s impact, originality, and promise for developing and maintaining a strong, extramurally supported research program has been demonstrated.

In addition, applicants must have a demonstrated record of interest in, and commitment to, the mentorship of and/or outreach to students from underrepresented and underserved populations. The successful candidate will be expected to advance their active mentoring activities and participate in programs that provide research and professional development opportunities for our diverse student body (such as our Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity, our Women in Engineering program, and our student organizations listed at https://samueli.ucla.edu/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/).

All four positions require a Ph.D. or equivalent in mechanical or aerospace engineering or a closely related discipline at the date of hire.

Application packages should be submitted online through https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF09789 and include the following documents: 1) a cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) statement of research interests, 4) statement of teaching interest, 5) statement of contributions to equity, diversity and inclusivity, 6) reference check authorization form.

Review of applications will begin on November 20, 2024 and continue until the positions is filled. Inquiries about the position and nominations of potential candidates should be directed to Professor Xiaolin Zhong, maechair@seas.ucla.edu.

Los Angeles is a global city renowned for its dynamism, robust economy, rich cultural diversity and spectacular climate. UCLA has been ranked the No. 1 public university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for seven straight years. UCLA Samueli is a tightly knit community with more than 6,500 undergraduate and graduate students and nearly 200 full-time faculty members; it is in the midst of its largest growth since the school was founded in 1945. The school is consistently ranked in the top 10 among U.S. public engineering schools, and its master’s online program is ranked No. 1 overall by U.S. News & World Report. UCLA Samueli is known as the birthplace of the internet, and where countless other fields took some of their first steps – from artificial intelligence to reverse osmosis, from mobile communications to human prosthetics. UCLA Samueli is deeply committed to diversifying the ranks of its faculty, staff and students, and to providing an equitable and inclusive environment for all its members.

The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See Table 3. The salary range for this position is $115,000-$130,000. “Off-scale salaries” and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

This General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement for Persons in the European Economic Area is designed to provide information regarding the types of personal information that the University of California's Human Resources departments and offices collect.

Please be advised that the final candidate recommended for hire into a critical (or otherwise designated) position will be required to successfully complete a background investigation. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.

UCLA is a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please view the policy at Tobacco-Free Campus Policy

Application Requirements

Document requirements
• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Statement of Research
• Statement of Teaching
• Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - An EDI Statement describes a faculty candidate’s past, present, and future (planned) contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. To learn more about UCLA guidelines on contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please review our Sample Guidance for Candidates and related EDI Statement FAQ document.
• Reference Check Authorization Form
• Miscellaneous / Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements
• 3-5 required (contact information only)

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, bullying and other demeaning behavior, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment as well as a commitment to addressing all forms of academic misconduct, UCLA conducts targeted employment reference checks for finalists to whom departments or other hiring units would like to extend formal offers of appointment into Academic Senate faculty positions. The targeted employment reference checks involve contacting the finalists’ current and prior places of employment to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UCLA requires all applicants for Academic Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into RECRUIT as part of their application. If the applicant does not include the signed authorization to release information with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete. As with any incomplete application, the application will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists (i.e., those to whom the department or other hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer) considered for Academic Senate faculty positions will be subject to targeted employment reference checks.