Jobs

Technical Communication Faculty and Program Coordinator

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech invites applications for a faculty position as the Mechanical Engineering Technical Communication Program Coordinator. This is a non-tenure track contract position at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level depending on the qualifications of the candidate.

Qualifications include: a PhD or Master’s degree preferably in a field focused on the discipline and pedagogy of communication/writing (e.g. Engineering Education specializing in technical communication, English specializing in technical communication) or an engineering field with significant experience in written and oral technical communication and teaching experience. Preferred qualifications include: experience in a mechanical engineering or related discipline, experience working or teaching in a STEM field or environment, and assessment experience. We are seeking highly-qualified candidates committed to a career in teaching and research in pedagogy/communication.  The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, coordinating and implementing the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate communication program. Duties will include: developing a new one-credit Discourse in Mechanical Engineering course; collaborating with faculty in other courses within the curriculum on communication instruction; delivering instruction, discourse critiques, workshops, and assignments; recruiting, organizing, training and collaborating with graduate students and undergraduate student assistants. Preference will be given to the candidates with the best credentials and potential.

Virginia Tech is committed to diversity and seeks a broad spectrum of candidates including women, underrepresented minorities, and people with disabilities.  Virginia Tech is a recipient of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering, which includes a Nuclear Engineering Program, has 67 faculty, 30 affiliate faculty, annual research expenditures of over $18M, and a current enrollment of 300 graduate students with 180 students at doctoral level, and over 1,100 undergraduate students.  With about 400 BS ME degrees awarded each year, the Department is the third largest in the nation in graduating mechanical engineers (2017 ASEE Data.)  The Department is ranked 15th (8th in public schools) and 23rd (12th in public schools) out of all mechanical engineering departments in the nation in undergraduate and graduate education, respectively, by the 2019 U.S. News and World Report.  The department operates under five thrust areas: Robotics and Dynamical Systems (RADS); Bio, Micro, and Nano Systems (BMNS); Energy Engineering and Science (ESS); Design, Materials, and Manufacturing (DMM); and Nuclear Engineering and Science (NES). The Department includes several research centers, and its faculty members are engaged in diverse multidisciplinary research activities. The mechanical engineering faculty also benefit from a number of university-wide institutes such as the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), the Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI); College-level centers such as the Rolls-Royce University Technology Center (UTC), the state-level Commonwealth of Virginia Center for Aerospace Propulsion Systems (CCAPS), the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems (VaCAS), and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM). Blacksburg is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is widely recognized by national rankings as a vibrant and desirable community with affordable living, world-class outdoor recreation, an active arts community, and a diverse international population.

This position will be filled pending the availability of funds. Candidates should apply online to posting number 512769. Applicants should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae including a list of published journal articles and pedagogical achievements, a one-page teaching statement, a brief research statement as applicable, and the names of five references that the search committee may contact. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by January 5, 2021, but applications will be considered until the position is filled.

General inquiries about the position should be addressed to the search committee chair, Dr. Clint Dancey cld@vt.edu (540) 231-7466. For assistance submitting the application please contact Ms. Dianna Israel disrael@vt.edu (540) 231-6424.