Lecturer or Teaching Assistant Professor, Engineering Fundamentals, Spring 2027

University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Tennessee, Knoxville seeks two dynamic faculty at the rank of Lecturer (non-terminal degree) or Teaching Assistant Professor (terminal degree) to contribute to its first-year engineering program. EF offers an engage Engineering Fundamentals course sequence with hands-on labs and introductory MATLAB/Excel work.

The position emphasizes 90% teaching and 10% service, teaching one to two EF courses per semester, mentoring teaching assistants, and helping run day-to-day operations of EF,

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, engineering physics, or computer science required.
• Excellent communication skills and commitment to innovative teaching.
• Ability to promote inclusive learning environment.
• Interest in first-year engineering and computing education expected.

Responsibilities

• Teach one to two EF courses per semester, with sections up to 128 students.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants.
• Facilitate the day-to-day operations of the EF unit.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Innovative teaching methods

Inclusive learning environment

Education

Master’s degree in engineering, engineering physics, or computer science

Tools

MATLAB

Excel

Job description

Description

Engineering Fundamentals (EF) at the University of Tennessee,Knoxville, seeks two dynamic and innovative faculty at the rank ofLecturer (non-terminal degree) or Teaching Assistant Professor(terminal degree) to contribute to its first-year engineeringprogram. EF is the home of the engage Engineering Fundamentalsprogram, an active-learning focused, first-year curriculum that isresponsible for teaching 8-12 credit hours of common coursework forTickle College of Engineering’s first-year students, depending ontheir major. EF course content, delivered in a flipped classroommodel, primarily focuses on introductory level physics, computingtools (e.g., Excel and MATLAB), hands-on lab activities, andproject design experiences. Additional topics that may be includedin the first-year courses are: the design process, technicalcommunication, teaming, perspectives of the engineering profession,and student success-related topics (time management, study skills,etc.). Engineering Fundamentals is also responsible for teaching anupper-division active-learning introductory programming courseutilizing primarily MATLAB for engineering problem solving.

All faculty in EF are expected to contribute 90% of their time toteaching and 10% to the service mission of EF, the college, theuniversity, and/or the field. The workload for the positionincludes teaching one to two EF courses each semester (courses mayinclude multiple sections up to 128 students), mentoring bothundergraduate and graduate teaching assistants, and facilitatingthe day-to-day operations of the EF unit. Details about the engage Engineering Fundamentals program are available athttps://engage.utk.edu/ . As a faculty member of the EngineeringFundamentals program, you join the University of Tennesseecommunity.

The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is in the midst of anunprecedented period of growth and success, including adding morethan 30 new faculty at all levels to the college over 4 years aspart of ambitious hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowmanand Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in researchexpenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, intellectualproperty development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. Keypartnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) through theUniversity of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII)and Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) that manages the Y-12National Security Complex have created an expanded opportunityspace for faculty and students in the region . New facilitiesinclude the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex, theUniversity of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise(TN-MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building that housesUTK’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF), aNational Prototype Research Center (NSPC) as part of a partnershipwith CNS Y-12 under construction, and new facilities for theBiomedical Engineering department and a quantum foundry in planningstages.

TCE currently has 213 tenured/tenure track and more than 80non-tenure track faculty in its nine academic departments andoffers 11 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD/DE degree programs.Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the UTSpace Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. Thecollege is also home to eight research centers and threeinterdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 4,800undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, the college sits 28thamong public universities in the most recent U.S. News and WorldReport graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 33 earlycareer awards (NSF, DOE, DARPA, AFOSR, AHA, and Sloan) since 2016.In FY25, the college had annual research expenditures of$113.9M.

Knoxville, TN is a vibrant city with a beautiful and walkabledowntown, active neighborhoods, an effervescent nightlife thatincludes numerous theaters and museums, a rich live music sceneacross all genres, and eclectic restaurants. Knoxville is nestledin the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, surrounded by lakesand the Tennessee River, providing amazing access to variousoutdoor activities. Knoxville is within easy driving distance offour major metropolitan areas that regularly host larger culturaland entertainment events.

Qualifications

The faculty position is a full-time, non-tenure-track, 9-monthappointment at the rank of Lecturer or Assistant TeachingProfessor, based on degree. Candidates are required to have earnedat least a master’s degree in engineering, engineering physics, orcomputer science . Candidates should possess excellentcommunication skills, a solid commitment to innovative teachingmethods ( both traditional and technology - enabled ), and theability to promote a n inclusive learning environment .Demonstrated interest in first- year engineering and computingeducation programs is expected. Candidates with experience teachingcomputing applications or engineering physics, experience teachingproject-based courses, experience creating and managing studentprojects, and/ or degrees in engineering education will also begiven preference.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration foremployment and admission without regard to race, color, nationalorigin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexualorientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability,genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or anyother characteristic protected by federal or state law. Inaccordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil RightsAct of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans withDisabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmativelystates that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ordisability in its education programs and activities, and thispolicy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed tothe ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to [e-mail] , or by phone at 865-974-2498.Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, andnational origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA(disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age),sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to theOffice of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business IncubatorBuilding, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email [e-mail], or by phone at 865-974-0717.