Description:

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, which is 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. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, critical mineral recovery and resource extraction from primary, secondary, and nontraditional 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; and 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. Candidates should demonstrate a 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.

The successful candidate will be expected 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. The candidate will also be expected to collaborate broadly across the University of Houston and contribute to multidisciplinary teams pursuing major federal, industrial, and national-laboratory research opportunities.

The anticipated start date of this appointment is Fall 2027. Applications received by December 1, 2026, will receive priority consideration; application review will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the position may be directed to Dr. Mim Rahimi, Chair of the Search Committee, at mrahimi@uh.edu.

Salary and rank commensurate with experience.

University, College, and Department
The University of Houston is in a park-like campus a few minutes from downtown Houston and enrolls nearly 49,000 students. The CEE department currently has 27 tenured or tenure-track faculty members with over 234 undergraduates, and over 182 graduate students. The Cullen College of Engineering is ranked #45 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Reports list of top public engineering programs across the nation. The College oversees state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities in partnership with the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute at the University of Houston and offers a college-wide MS program in Engineering Data Science and AI with about 300 students. Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. with over 7.9 million in population in the greater Houston area. It is the “energy capital of the world” and houses the largest medical center in the world. The greater Houston area offers state-of-the-art recreational facilities, world-class arts and cultural activities, excellent schools, and affordable housing.

How to Apply: Applications should include a curriculum vitae; research statement (not exceeding three pages); teaching statement outlining teaching philosophy, expertise, and interests (not exceeding two pages); and complete information for four references. The application and associated documentation should be submitted through the following site for consideration: https://www.uh.edu/human-resources/careers/

Employees are expected to have a home address in the state of Texas for the duration of their appointments.

Official transcripts are required for a faculty appointment and will be requested upon selection of the final candidates.

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check. Individuals conducting research in critical infrastructure areas (i.e., 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 is maintained.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.