Professional Practice Assistant Professor Focused on Teaching and Student Success in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Ohio State University; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH seeks a teaching-focused Professional Practice Assistant Professor to deliver high-quality instruction in mechanical and aerospace engineering, with a focus on design and manufacturing, capstone design courses, and student success. The role includes curriculum development, experiential learning, and collaboration with industry partners.

The candidate will mentor undergraduate design teams, contribute to program assessment, and advance instructional

Qualifications

• Doctorate (academic) or equivalent combination of education and academic experience with a major in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated history of impactful scholarly activity with potential for continued success in pedagogy or discipline.
• Teaching and mentoring skills with ability to improve curriculum and create new courses.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for collaboration with colleagues and industry partners.
• Proven independence, initiative, and strong project leadership.
• Experience in running, organizing, and evaluating student project teams.
• Experience in design and manufacturing education across design, systems engineering, and manufacturing areas.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality instruction across core areas of mechanical engineering, with emphasis on design and manufacturing including capstone courses.
• Develop and update course materials, lectures, assignments, and labs.
• Incorporate innovative pedagogical approaches (active learning, project-based learning, AI tools).
• Mentor undergraduate students and capstone design teams; oversee student projects.
• Collaborate with faculty on instructional innovation and interdisciplinary teaching initiatives.
• Contribute to assessment and continuous improvement of the undergraduate curriculum.

Skills

Teaching & mentoring

Communication skills

Independent work

Project leadership

Curriculum development

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Capstone project supervision

Innovative thinking

Education

Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Job description

Professional Practice Assistant Professor Focused on Teaching and Student Success in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Ohio State University

Columbus, OH

Position Overview

This teaching-focused position will be responsible for delivering high-quality instruction across core areas of mechanical engineering, with an emphasis on design and manufacturing including capstone design courses, as well as at least one of thermal sciences, mechanics, or control systems. The successful candidate will contribute to curriculum development, foster experiential learning, and support student success in alignment with the shared values of Ohio State.

Performance Objectives

• Teach undergraduate courses in engineering design, including capstone design courses. In addition, teaching courses in one or more core areas of mechanical engineering is expected. The other core areas include:
• Manufacturing processes, reliability, and systems
• Engineering mechanics (e.g., statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials)
• Thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer with an emphasis on computational approaches
• Dynamic systems and control
• Develop and update course materials, including lectures, assignments, and laboratory components
• Incorporate innovative pedagogical approaches (e.g., active learning, project-based learning, and use of simulation tools including implementation of artificial intelligence models)
• Mentor and advise undergraduate students, including design teams and capstone projects
• Contribute to assessment and continuous improvement of the undergraduate curriculum
• Collaborate with faculty on instructional innovation and interdisciplinary teaching initiatives

Qualifications

Education and Experience Requirements

Required:

• Education: Doctorate (academic) or equivalent combination of education and academic experience with a major in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
• Scholarly Impact: Demonstrated history of impactful scholarly activity that has strong potential for continued success. Scholarly impact may be reflected in either pedagogical excellence, disciplinary excellence, or a combination of the two.
• Advanced Teaching and Mentoring Skills: The candidate should possess teaching and mentoring skills within a professional context, including the ability to improve the curriculum in the areas of expertise and create new courses where appropriate. This should include demonstrated experience developing and teaching courses or leading technical professional education programs related to design and manufacturing engineering. The candidate should also have demonstrated experience of mentoring and supervising students or recent graduates in academic and/or professional setting(s).
• Communication Skills: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required, with a focus on working constructively, decisively, and collegially with both external and internal colleagues and interdisciplinary teams. A clear and insightful vision of this position within The Ohio State College of Engineering community as well as local, regional, and national industrial partners is an important requirement for this appointment.
• Proven Independence and Initiative: We value individuals who can work independently and are proactive self-starters with strong project leadership skills.
• Innovative Thinking: A successful candidate will display innovative thinking, be open to sharing ideas, and have a willingness to continuously learn.
• Potential to be a conscientious university community member.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of the entire engineering design process as well as teaching in the engineering design, systems engineering, and manufacturing areas.
• Demonstrated experience in the running, organization, and evaluation of student project teams.
• Potential for leadership and collaboration in a professional or academic environment related to the primary areas listed under performance objectives.
• Evidence or potential for broader impact in the discipline of the core areas of mechanical engineering education, training, or research.
• Evidence or potential for independent work and/or collaborations with groups or individuals with a successful record of obtaining capstone project funding related to the core areas of mechanical engineering education, training, or research.
• Demonstrated experience and history of collaborative projects that are in areas that complement OSU and the College of Engineering’s internal and external partners.

Review of applications will begin on October 15 and continue on a rolling basis.

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.