Boston University

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering at Boston University has embarked on a bold new strategic plan that will pursue excellence and impact along convergent themes: (1) Intelligent, Autonomous and Secure Systems, (2) Synthetic Biology, Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology, (3) Energy, Sustainability and Climate, (4) Materials by Design, (5) Photonics and Optical Systems, and (6) Neuroengineering, Neuroinformatics, and Neuroscience. As part of our Materials by Design theme, the College is searching for a tenure-track assistant professor to begin in the academic year 2023/2024 in the broad area of Engineered Living Materials. Whereas traditional materials are comprised entirely of non-living components, and thus have properties that are relatively fixed after fabrication, engineered living materials leverage the autonomous and adaptive functionality of living organisms such as cells, bacteria, and plants to create active and animate materials. By combining living and non-living matter, engineered living materials can achieve vastly greater ranges of properties, functions, and autonomy. We are particularly interested in candidates who are working at the intersection of fields such as synthetic biology, materials science, mechanics, cell biology, and chemistry to design, develop, and characterize new engineered living materials—whether for mechanical, biological, electrical, or environmental purposes—or to create new manufacturing processes. Further, we envision a colleague who will complement ongoing experimental, computational and theoretical efforts across the College of Engineering in advanced manufacturing, structural materials, optics/photonics, robotics, energy systems, and biomedical science.

Boston University is an AAU institution with a rich tradition of inclusion and social justice. We are proud that we were the first American university to award a PhD to a woman and the university from which Martin Luther King Jr. received his Ph.D. The College of Engineering believes that the cultural and social diversity of our faculty, staff, and students is vitally important to the distinction and excellence of our research and academic programs. We are especially eager to have a colleague join our ranks who will contribute to our mission of ensuring BU is inclusive, equitable, diverse, and a place where all members of our community can thrive. For more information, on diversity and inclusion at BU, please visit https://www.bu.edu/diversity/ .

Since research in Engineered Living Materials cuts across all three of our departments (Mechanical Engineering (ME), Biomedical Engineering (BME), and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)), this is a College-wide search. The candidate will have a primary appointment in one of the three departments, and we anticipate that he/she/they will also have an affiliated appointment in the Division of Materials Science and Engineering. Affiliated appointments in other departments will also be considered.

The College of Engineering attracts exceptional undergraduate and graduate student and faculty talent at all levels. The College has 125 tenured or tenure-track primary faculty and is ranked 16th among private universities, with all of its individual programs ranked in the top 20. Research activity by primary College faculty is over $60M per year. Engineering faculty lead and participate in several high-profile, interdisciplinary research centers including the Biological Design Center, BUNano, the Neurophotonics Center, the Center for Systems Neuroscience, the Photonics Center, the Hariri Center for Computational Science and Engineering, the Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, the Center for Information and Systems Engineering, and the NSF Engineering Research Center in Cellular Metamaterials. For more information about the College, please visit http://www.bu.edu/eng/ .

Candidates must hold a PhD in an appropriate area and show potential for leading an independent, vibrant, world-class research program. The College of Engineering also places high value on excellence in teaching and on community. Candidates will be expected to teach both graduate and undergraduate courses.

Applicants should submit 1) a cover letter that describes their research/creative and teaching interests; 2) a teaching statement that describes their teaching philosophy and experience, 3) a diversity statement that describes how they, through their teaching and/or scholarship, will contribute to our goal to engender a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, 4) a statement of research accomplishments and goals including how a focus on collaborative and convergent research can affect your research impact, 5) a current CV and 6) three references with their contact information.

We encourage candidates to apply early, as we will begin reviewing applications on November 15, 2022. Applications received by December 16, 2022 will be given full consideration.

To apply, visit https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/22258

About Boston University

Boston University is an AAU institution with a rich tradition of inclusion and social justice and a commitment to broadening participation of underrepresented groups in engineering. We are proud that we were the first American university to award a PhD to a woman. The enhancement of diversity and inclusion in engineering is a foundational initiative in the College of Engineering’s new strategic plan.

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