Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Application Procedure:

To apply, please visit our website at: gonzaga.edu/jobs . Applicants must complete an online application and submit the following:

• A statement of teaching philosophy that includes:
• evidence of teaching effectiveness,
• a description of how the candidate creates and maintains an environment that supports and promotes learning for students with a variety of backgrounds and identities, and
• a description of how the candidate would advance GU’s mission and our commitment to inclusive excellence through their teaching and advising.
• A statement that describes the candidate’s research program and explains how it can support undergraduate research experiences. The statement should also describe the candidate’s experience mentoring undergraduates from backgrounds and identities historically marginalized in the sciences and describe how the candidate would advance GU’s mission through their research.
• A cover letter that summarizes the areas above and describes the candidate’s understanding of and commitment to the university’s Mission. Additionally, the candidate is asked to specify what technical elective(s) they would initially be ready to offer.
• Names and contact information of three professional references (letters will be requested when finalists are selected.)

Gonzaga University is a Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic institution, and is therefore interested in candidates who will contribute to its distinctive mission. Gonzaga University is a committed EEO/AA employer and diversity candidates are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their disability status and/or protected veteran status. Applicants with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations to complete the application or hiring process should contact Human Resources (509) 313-5996.

Position Information

At Gonzaga we don’t just state our mission. We live it every day as a Catholic, Jesuit, and humanistic University. It is the reason we exist and the foundation for our purpose: educating students for lives of leadership and service. From students to faculty and staff members, everyone here knows what we stand for – and they know how valuable our mission is to the success of our institution.

Proposed Rank/Hiring Title Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Department Mechanical Engineering

Proposed Hiring Contract Type

Non-Tenure Track End Date

Appointment Percent

Appointment Percent 100%

Months per Year 9 months

Job Summary

The Mechanical Engineering Department at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning Fall 2025. We invite skilled teacher-scholars committed to inclusive, equity-minded teaching with a demonstrated record of scholarship to join our teaching-centered and research-active department, which is committed to undergraduate education. We are looking for a colleague with expertise broadly in the area of Materials Science & Engineering (including materials structure/properties, processing/manufacturing and/or mechanics of materials), where all specializations are welcome.

We seek candidates with a demonstrated commitment to excellent undergraduate teaching that promote welcoming and diverse learning environments. Immediate teaching responsibilities (i.e., within the first two years) would include courses in materials engineering, manufacturing processes and mechanics of materials. There will also be opportunities to teach senior-level courses in the candidate’s area of interest (as a technical elective), as well as our senior design sequence. To this end, applicants are requested to detail, in their cover letter, what new technical elective(s) they would initially be ready to offer or senior project(s) they would best be able to advise. The total teaching load will be 18 credit hours per year (the equivalent of three, 3-credit courses per semester).

The Mechanical Engineering Department of 8 tenure/tenure-track faculty and 4 lecturers currently offers a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering (ABET accredited), supports around 250 undergraduate students, and is specifically committed to providing support for developing engaging, interactive courses that meet our learning objectives (see: ). Faculty in our department often mentor undergraduate students in research experiences during the school year. Internal funding opportunities are also available to support undergraduate student-faculty research both during the academic year as well as during summer sessions. In addition, Gonzaga’s Center for Teaching and Advising provides regular faculty development and education opportunities, including a New Faculty Learning Community program to help welcome and support new faculty throughout their first year at Gonzaga. The newly opened Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science and Engineering on Gonzaga’s campus contains teaching, research, and collaboration spaces for faculty from Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Math, Physics, Psychology, and Engineering.

With a mission rooted in the Jesuit tradition (see: ), Gonzaga seeks to educate students to become compassionate leaders who engage with the world, seek justice, and contribute to the common good. As a campus community, we prioritize inclusive excellence and increasing campus diversity, particularly in supporting underrepresented students in higher education. The Mechanical Engineering Department at Gonzaga University seeks candidates who align with this mission and requests applicants to address it in their cover letter. We value candidates who have worked with a diverse array of faculty, staff, and students, and who contribute to a welcoming campus climate. Experience working with underrepresented and minoritized students through teaching, research, mentoring, or administration is preferred.

Gonzaga’s campus sits adjacent to downtown Spokane, WA, along the Spokane River in the Inland Northwest’s most metropolitan region. We exist on the traditional homelands of the Spokane people, one of the Interior Salish speaking tribes of the region. Spokane is Washington’s second largest city and boasts a vibrant restaurant, entertainment, and arts community; it is also home to a diverse array of neighborhoods and popular outdoor recreational areas.

Essential Functions

• Teach 18 credit hours of courses per year. Teaching responsibilities will initially include one or more courses in Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Processes, and Mechanics of Materials. There will also be opportunities to teach first-year and senior-level seminar courses in the candidate’s area of interest (as a first-year seminar and technical elective, respectively), as part of our senior design sequence, or more broadly across the curriculum.
• Establish a research program in the candidate’s area of expertise; candidates are also encouraged to: 1) develop research programs that support undergraduate student participation in the research, 2) mentor and oversee undergraduate research assistants, and 3) communicate results through peer-reviewed papers, presentations, and other communications appropriate to the discipline.
• Provide academic and career advising and mentoring to undergraduate students (typically 15 – 25 per year).
• Support the Department, University, and discipline through service and other forms of academic citizenship.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field (ABDs considered with completion by July 15, 2025)
• Evidence of teaching/mentorship at the undergraduate level
• Evidence of an ongoing scholarly/research agenda

Desired Qualifications

• Evidence of engaging, inclusive teaching practices at the undergraduate level that includes materials, manufacturing or mechanics courses and/or introductory-level courses for mechanical engineering majors
• Demonstrated ability to establish and run a research program (e.g. post-doctoral record, industry research record, significant leadership role in a research project, advising undergraduate students in a research context, etc.)
• Postdoctoral and/or industrial record

Open Date

Open Date 07/11/2024

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Application Review Begins on

Application Review Begins on 10/15/2024

Lower Reference

EEO Statement

Gonzaga University is a Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic institution, and is therefore interested in candidates who will contribute to its distinctive mission. Gonzaga University is a committed EEO/AA employer and diversity candidates are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their disability status and/or protected veteran status. Applicants with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations to complete the application or hiring process should contact Human Resources (509) 313-5996.

Hiring Salary $84,907 - $90,567; commensurate with education and experience.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Application Procedure:

To apply, please visit our website at: gonzaga.edu/jobs . Applicants must complete an online application and submit the following:

• A statement of teaching philosophy that includes:
• evidence of teaching effectiveness,
• a description of how the candidate creates and maintains an environment that supports and promotes learning for students with a variety of backgrounds and identities, and
• a description of how the candidate would advance GU’s mission and our commitment to inclusive excellence through their teaching and advising.
• A statement that describes the candidate’s research program and explains how it can support undergraduate research experiences. The statement should also describe the candidate’s experience mentoring undergraduates from backgrounds and identities historically marginalized in the sciences and describe how the candidate would advance GU’s mission through their research.
• A cover letter that summarizes the areas above and describes the candidate’s understanding of and commitment to the university’s Mission. Additionally, the candidate is asked to specify what technical elective(s) they would initially be ready to offer.
• Names and contact information of three professional references (letters will be requested when finalists are selected.)

Gonzaga University is a Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic institution, and is therefore interested in candidates who will contribute to its distinctive mission. Gonzaga University is a committed EEO/AA employer and diversity candidates are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their disability status and/or protected veteran status. Applicants with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations to complete the application or hiring process should contact Human Resources (509) 313-5996.