Job Description

The School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science (CEES) within the Gallogly College of Engineering (GCoE) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) invites applications for a tenure track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in the area of Transportation Materials, with an emphasis in the development and characterization of transportation materials (especially asphalt, concrete, recycled, multi-functional, smart, climate-resilient, and low-carbon), including experimental, modeling, and life-cycle perspective. A rapid upsurge in extreme weather events and accelerated pace of climate change are impacting the durability and service life of our aging infrastructure, threatening the safety and mobility of users, contributing to supply chain disruptions, and exacerbating network condition issues. With unprecedented advancements and growth potential, transportation materials continue to emerge as a promising area for improved infrastructure durability, functionality, affordability, sustainability, and carbon reduction.

Transportation is a GCoE strategic research cluster area under the “Adaptive Infrastructure” umbrella. The USDOT has recently funded the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) as a Regional University Transportation Center (UTC), creating a unique opportunity for the GCoE to emerge as a leader in improving the durability and resiliency of our transportation infrastructure and making it climate-adaptive and safe. SPTC is a CEES-led initiative to create and leverage transportation-centric opportunities through research, education, and training.

The successful candidate will join a growing transportation group within CEES, demonstrate complementary expertise and develop leadership skills to support the SPTC to become nationally recognized in transportation. State-of-the-art existing facilities supporting transportation materials research (e.g., Fears Structural Engineering Laboratory, Broce Pavement Materials laboratory, and Sam Roberts Noble Microscopy Lab) are available on the OU campus. The candidate will also complement the recently launched interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Materials Science and Engineering at OU.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to bridge the fields of transportation infrastructure across disciplines to tackle large infrastructure challenges, particularly those associated with materials. The successful candidate will join a multi-disciplinary team in developing a strong, externally funded, and nationally recognized research program, advance CEES and SPTC goals, and teach undergraduate and graduate courses focused on transportation materials. The successful candidate will also join the team building an Engineering Pathways – Transportation Alliance program – an academic/industry partnership to address major research, workforce development and outreach needs, funding opportunities, and growth. 

In support of our ambitious plan for strategic research growth (https://www.ou.edu/coe/about), GCoE is investing in rapid growth of faculty numbers and we expect to see within the next three years total growth of nearly 70% in faculty size. GCoE currently has more than 4,000 students and we are heavily invested in growing our graduate and undergraduate student bodies with a goal of reaching more than a 20% increase in the next six years. We seek candidates who are excited to contribute to the goals of our strategic growth and foster a welcoming environment in all aspects of faculty responsibility, including within the classroom and the academic community, and within their professional commitments.  Information about CEES is available at https://www.ou.edu/coe/cees.

OU is a Carnegie-R1 comprehensive public research university known for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement, serving the educational, cultural, economic and healthcare needs of the state, region, and nation from three campuses: the main campus in Norman, the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, and the Schusterman Center in Tulsa. OU enrolls over 30,000 students and has more than 2,700 full-time faculty members. Norman is a culturally rich and vibrant town located in the Oklahoma City metro area. With outstanding schools, amenities, and a low cost of living, Norman is a perennial contender on the “Best Places to Live” rankings. Visit https://www.ou.edu/facultyrecruitment for more information.

OU invests in its faculty by providing support and resources through our Center for Faculty Excellence and Office of Vice President for Research and Partnerships. The GCoE supports faculty development through mentoring, new faculty orientation series, and access to research and educational support. Candidates who seek to work in a rapidly growing college, in collegial interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary groups, and in strong academic units are encouraged to apply.

Strategic Plan

Launched in July 2020, “Lead On, University” defines a clear plan for the future of OU’s Norman campus and comprehensive strategies to achieve it. The plan is built upon five overarching pillars that stem from OU’s core traditions of providing a world-class, affordable education; creating a welcoming place of belonging; and harnessing innovation and pathbreaking discoveries to advance society (see https://www.ou.edu/leadon.html for details).

Applicants must have an earned Ph.D. in civil engineering, transportation engineering, material science and engineering or a related field at the start of the appointment. Evidence of the ability to build a record of externally funded research and scholarship is required.

The successful applicant is expected to assist CEES in offering core and elective undergraduate courses; offer graduate courses in their area of specialty; and develop an active, externally funded, and nationally recognized research program in transportation materials. Evidence of licensure or a path to obtaining registration as a professional engineer is desired. 

Applicants are invited to submit the following: (1) a cover letter; (2) a research plan and vision describing focus areas, funding avenues to be explored, experience in externally funded research and creative activity, and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students; (3) a curriculum vitae; (4) up to three examples scholarly activity (e.g., copies of research publications); (5) contact information for five references. In addition to outlining research and scholarly contributions, applicants may address their approach to teaching, teaching experience and efforts to support success of undergraduate and graduate students in the cover letter.

The application should be uploaded to the following website: https://apply.interfolio.com.  Initial screening of applications will begin January 15, 2025, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  The earliest start date for the position is expected to be August 16, 2025. Inquiries about the position should be addressed to Dr. Royce Floyd ([email protected]) or Dr. Musharraf Zaman ([email protected]), co-chairs of the search committee.