Assistant or Associate Professor - Critical Minerals and Materials Circularity for Reliable Energy Technologies and AI Infrastructure

About the role

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) in the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston invites applications for a full‑time, tenure‑track faculty position in the broad area of Critical Minerals and Sustainable Materials for Reliable Energy Technologies and AI Infrastructure. This search is part of the University’s Presidential Frontier Faculty initiative, a university‑wide interdisciplinary hiring campaign aimed at enhancing the UH research enterprise by integrating the strengths of existing faculty and infrastructure with strong early‑career new faculty hires. All qualified candidates are invited to apply at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank, with particular encouragement for candidates with multidisciplinary research interests.

• Critical mineral recovery and resource extraction from primary, secondary, and non‑traditional sources
• Separation, processing, and refining
• Recycling, reuse, and materials circularity
• Sustainable and functional materials chemistry and discovery
• Environmental and systems‑level assessment, including LCA, TEA, and supply‑chain risk analysis
• AI/ML‑enabled materials and process discovery and optimization
• Critical materials for reliable energy technologies, semiconductors, advanced computing, and AI infrastructure

Qualifications

The applicant must have an earned Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, or a closely related field.

• Strong record, or clear potential, for developing an externally funded research program in critical minerals, sustainable materials, or closely related areas that align with emerging national priorities in energy, advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and resilient domestic supply chains.
• Multidisciplinary research that bridges engineering, chemistry, materials science, data science, and systems‑level analysis is strongly encouraged.
• Ability to develop a well‑funded internationally recognized research program, contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching, mentor students, and participate in service activities within the department, college, and university.
• Collaboration broadly across the University of Houston and contribution to multidisciplinary teams pursuing major federal, industrial, and national‑laboratory research opportunities.

Anticipated start date: Fall 2027. Applications received by December 1, 2026 will receive priority consideration; review will continue until the position is filled.

Institution Information

The University of Houston is situated on a park‑like campus a few minutes from downtown Houston and enrolls nearly 49,000 students. The Cullen College of Engineering is ranked #45 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report list of top public engineering programs.

• The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has 27 tenured or tenure‑track faculty members, over 234 undergraduate students, and more than 182 graduate students.
• The college oversees state‑of‑the‑art supercomputing facilities in partnership with the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute and offers a college‑wide M.S. program in Engineering Data Science and AI with about 300 students.
• Houston, the fourth‑largest city in the United States, is the “energy capital of the world,” home to the largest medical center globally, and offers world‑class recreational, arts, cultural, educational, and affordable‑housing opportunities.

How to Apply

Applications should include a curriculum vitae; a research statement (not exceeding three pages); a teaching statement outlining philosophy, expertise, and interests (not exceeding two pages); and complete information for four references.

Submit the application and supporting documents through the university’s career site: https://www.uh.edu/human-resources/careers/. Questions may be directed to Dr. Mim Rahimi, Chair of the Search Committee, at mrahimi@uh.edu.

Employees are expected to maintain a Texas home address for the duration of the appointment. Official transcripts will be required upon selection. All positions are security‑sensitive and will require a criminal history check. Research in critical infrastructure areas is subject to regular review to ensure security and integrity.