The Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering (MMAE) Department at the University of Central Florida (UCF) is seeking nominations and applications for Department Chair. The successful candidate should have an earned doctoral degree in one of the department’s disciplines or closely related fields and must qualify for tenure as a full professor. He/She will have the unique opportunity to lead one of the fastest growing departments at UCF and in the nation.
With approximately 1,400 undergraduate and 200 graduate students, the department offers doctoral programs in mechanical engineering (ME) and materials science and engineering (MSE), master’s programs in ME, MSE and aerospace engineering (AE), and bachelor’s programs in ME and AE (both ABET-accredited). The instructional and research activities are conducted by 31 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, many of whom have joint appointments with UCF’s research units, including Institute for Simulation and Training (IST), Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC), Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).
The department’s annual research funding exceeds $5M, and four of its faculty members have received NSF CAREER awards during the past six years. Recently the department took leadership roles in multi-campus energy initiatives that led to federal and state funding. With existing collaborative relationships with local energy/turbine companies such as Siemens, Mitsubishi and Alstom, there is significant potential for the Department to further establish national prominence in this area. The Central Florida Research Park is located adjacent to the UCF campus and is home to the nation’s largest cluster of government agencies and industries specialized in training and simulation R&D. The recently established College of Medicine at UCF is expected to offer collaborative opportunities in biomedical research. Located in the heart of the I-4 high tech corridor, UCF has one of the largest enrollments among U.S. universities. For more details regarding the department, visit
mmae.ucf.edu
Candidates should submit a letter of interest, a vision statement, a CV, and contact information of four references to
mmaechairsearch@mail.ucf.edu. Screening will begin on November 24, 2008 and continue until the position is filled. The expected starting date is August 8, 2009.
The University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
