Assistant Professor - AI and Digital Engineering for Next-Generation Energy and Manufacturing Systems

About the role

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Houston (UH) invites applications for a Presidential Frontier Faculty (PFF) position at the rank of tenure‑track Assistant Professor. The PFF program is a university‑wide, integrated, interdisciplinary hiring initiative aimed at federal priorities and societal challenges in health, energy, sustainability, and security. The appointment is a joint position with 85% effort in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and 15% effort in Computer Science (CS), with MAE as the tenure home, and is expected to begin in Fall 2027. Areas of interest include physical artificial intelligence, digital engineering, digital twins, cyber‑physical systems, scientific machine learning, sensing, controls, optimization, predictive modeling, and reliability of engineered systems. Relevant application areas span energy, manufacturing, aerospace, and critical infrastructure systems such as smart and autonomous manufacturing, emerging energy technologies, fusion‑enabling and advanced nuclear systems, superconducting and cryogenic systems, energy storage, data‑center energy, power‑dense electronics, and resilient infrastructure. MAE comprises approximately 38 full‑time faculty, 90 doctoral students, 200 master’s students, and over 1,500 undergraduates, with established strengths in materials, mechanics, manufacturing, thermal sciences, controls, robotics/autonomy, aerospace systems, and energy systems. UH is a Carnegie Tier One public research university in Houston, the nation’s fourth‑largest city and a global hub for energy, aerospace, health, and technology, offering a highly collaborative environment across the Cullen College of Engineering, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Bauer College of Business, and university‑wide institutes.

Responsibilities

• Establish a nationally recognized and externally funded research program.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
• Contribute to high‑quality undergraduate and graduate education through effective teaching.
• Collaborate within MAE and across UH, including with CS, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Decision and Information Sciences (DISC) in the C. T. Bauer College of Business, the Advanced Manufacturing Institute, the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute, the UH Energy Institute, the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH, and related centers and institutes.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, applied mathematics, physics, or a closely related field at the time of appointment.
• Employees must maintain a home address in the state of Texas for the duration of the appointment.
• Official transcripts are required for a faculty appointment and will be requested upon selection of the final candidates.
• The position is security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.
• Individuals conducting research in critical infrastructure areas (communication infrastructure systems, cybersecurity systems, electric grid, hazardous waste treatment systems, and/or water treatment facilities) are subject to regular review to ensure the security and integrity of the research.

Qualifications

• Strong record of scholarship.
• Creative vision for future research.
• Commitment to engineering education.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.