Department: Engineering Technology

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Description:

The Cullen College of Engineering (CCE) at the University of Houston (UH) seeks to hire one tenure-track or tenured faculty member at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor under the Presidential Frontier Faculty Program with research interests in the area of Biomanufacturing with emphasis on Bioprocess Engineering. The faculty member will be hired in the Department of Engineering Technology with affiliations in the Departments of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Engineering as relevant.

The Presidential Frontier Faculty Program is a university-wide integrated interdisciplinary hiring campaign that is overseen by central University leadership and encompasses hiring a large cohort of convergence research faculty to work on health, energy, sustainability, and security. Competitive candidates are expected to have a Ph.D. degree or equivalent when they start their position and show potential for exceptional research and excellence in teaching and service. The successful candidates will be appointed at a rank commensurate with accomplishments and expertise.

Biomanufacturing for Health and Environmental Enhancement: We are seeking faculty candidates who will develop an externally-funded research program aimed at overcoming grand challenges in the broad field of Biomanufacturing for new products such as renewable energy sources, artificial foods, and regenerative medicines, building on advancements in research tools like induced pluripotent stem cells, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, systems biology, and cascade biocatalysis. Areas of interest include bioprocess engineering and related disciplines encompassing technologies used to cultivate and process biological materials into bioproducts, while ensuring the scalability and robustness of biomanufacturing, making it possible to meet the growing global demand for biologically derived products. Desirable areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, Genetic and Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Cell Culture and Fermentation, Bioreactor Designs for Environmental Control and Scale-Up, Continuous manufacturing and Process Monitoring (utilization of advanced sensors, automation) and sustainable bioprocessing.

The Department of Engineering Technology has 29 tenured and tenure-track faculty, modern research facilities, annual research expenditures exceeding $4 million. Our ATMAE accredited Biotechnology program is amongst the top 5 in the nation, with a research emphasis in industrial and therapeutic product development from microorganisms and plants. The biotechnology program is housed in a new Cullen College of Engineering Technology Division building in Sugar Land with state-of-art teaching and laboratory facilities. Our biotechnology program offers BS and MS degrees and has experienced steady growth in student enrollment since its inception in 2009, and currently serves approximately 400 students. Affiliation with other departments in the college allows access to graduate programs with more than 200 PhD students. The successful candidate will join a collegial group of research-oriented faculty working in a highly collaborative environment and be part of the prestigious Presidential Frontier Faculty network.

UH is a Carnegie Tier 1 Public Research University that is strategically located in Houston, the Energy Capital of the world and home to the largest medical center in the nation. The Texas Medical Center includes MD Anderson, Baylor, U.T. Health, Methodist, and organizations, such as the Alliance for NanoHealth which offer opportunities for synergistic activities and collaboration in large-scale efforts. UH is also home to several other research institutes, including the Welch Catalyst for Discovery Center on Polymer Circularity, Welch Center of Excellence in Polymer Chemistry, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute (https://hpedsi.uh.edu/) and the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (https://ami.uh.edu/), to name a few. Houston is “one of the fastest-growing life science community” in the US with more than 1,760 life science and other healthcare related companies and research centers.

UH is one of the largest major research Universities in the United States. Students come to UH from more than 137 nations and from across the world. The Houston Metropolitan Area offers excellent quality of living and a vibrant arts and entertainment scene propelled by a growing economy.

A complete application consists of: (1) a cover letter; (2) Curriculum Vitae; (3) a detailed description of research interests (not to exceed 5 pages); (4) a statement of education, discussing teaching interests and experience and mentoring experience (not to exceed 2 pages); (5) three representative publications; and (6) the name and contact information (email address and phone number) of three professional references whom we may contact. Review of applications will begin by November 15, 2024, and applications will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. The position is available effective September 1, 2025. 

The University of Houston is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples.

For more information please contact:

Professor Fatima Merchant
Department of Engineering Technology
E-mail:  fmerchant@uh.edu

To apply, please visit https://uh.edu/provost/faculty/faculty-resources/prospective-faculty

Qualifications:
PhD in Engineering or related discipline

Required Attachments by Candidate:
Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Teaching Philosophy or Statement, Research Statement, Publications, Curriculum Vitae