Job Information
University of Wisconsin River Falls Assistant Professor - Mechanical Systems in River Falls, Wisconsin
Assistant Professor - Mechanical Systems
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Please see Special Instructions for more details.
Applicants are required to apply online. UWRF will not consider paper, emailed or faxed applications. Applicants are required to provide:
Curriculum vitae
Letter of interest specifying qualifications and experience (cover letter)
A three-part statement, not to exceed 3 pages, covering
Your primary and secondary teaching interests, experience in classroom, and any evidence of successful teaching at the college level
Your industry and/or research expertise
Your applied research and scholarly activity agenda. (Other Document)
An unofficial transcript (official copies of transcripts will be required if hired).
Provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references who can specifically comment on your teaching ability, experience and professional preparation (references).
Inquiries should be addressed to:
Bob Zeng
Assistant Professor and Search Chair
Department of Agricultural Engineering
zhiwei.zeng@uwrf.edu
Deadline to Apply: Initial review of applications will begin upon receipt. For full consideration, applicants should submit all required materials by January 20, 2025.
Employees receive excellent benefits including exceptionally low-cost comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits; employer match of Wisconsin Retirement System contributions of 6.95%; an attractive amount of paid leave per year in addition to paid sick leave. To learn more about our benefits, go to: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/quickguidefasl.pdf
Posting Details
Position Information
UW - System Position Title Assistant Professor - Mechanical Systems
Business Title Assistant Professor
Major Department Code Ag Engineering Technology (J042000)
Appointment Type Faculty
FLSA Status Exempt
FTE (Percentage of Appointment) 100
Typical Working Schedule
Dependent upon class schedule, university service and scholarly research. University hours are Monday – Friday 7:45 am to 4:30 pm.
Hybrid or On Campus On Campus
Position Summary
This is a full-time 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor undergraduate teaching position in the Engineering and Technology Department. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge and abilities in areas such as developing, maintaining and teaching basic engineering courses and upper-level undergraduate courses in Engineering and Engineering Technology (ET), with a focus on machinery systems and instrumentation. The successful candidate will also engage with on-campus colleagues and/or industry partners to successfully complete undergraduate research/engineering design projects.
UW-River Falls strives to be a leader in collaborative undergraduate hands-on learning; we therefore seek faculty members who have an interest in or experience with faculty-student collaborative research, scholarship, and/or engineering projects. Faculty members are expected to accomplish a record of scholarly achievement, including (but not limited to) mentoring of undergraduate engineering design projects with opportunities to collaborate among other disciplines in the College. The standard teaching load is 12 credit hours per semester. Opportunities exist for optional summer employment through teaching, research grants, internship supervision, and other funding sources. More information about the college and department can be found at: https://www.uwrf.edu/academics/cafes.
Anticipated appointment date: August 25, 2025
Responsibilities
Responsibilities:
Teach engineering courses and upper-level undergraduate courses in Engineering and Engineering Technology (ET), with a focus on machinery and instrumentation plus additional courses (e.g., computer aided drafting and design, thermodynamics, etc.) depending on the department’s needs and candidate’s expertise.
Engage with colleagues on-campus or industry to successfully complete research projects
Modify existing courses or develop new courses, as needed, to create a dynamic curriculum that prepares students for engineering careers
Incorporate new pedagogies, active learning techniques, and technologies into courses, with the objective of creating strong, dynamic, and effective courses that engage students.
Engage in scholarly activity, which can include developing a research program, mentoring undergraduate research or engineering projects, and/or participation in professional organizations.
Participate in co-curricular activities including advising of students in curriculum and career planning, involvement in student organizations, internship supervision, and undergraduate research mentoring.
Establish collaborations with appropriate industry partners to facilitate internships and other learning opportunities for students and help ensure relevancy of programs and curricula.
Participate in faculty governance and service activities at the departmental, college, and university levels
Engage in community service where academic expertise can be shared.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
Required Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, or a closely related field, completed prior to start date.
Demonstrated industry and/or research expertise should be in the area(s) of machinery systems engineering with a focus on agricultural or off-road machinery design or modeling, or automation/robotics.
Proven ability to teach undergraduate courses in introductory engineering, instrumentation, machine design, hydraulics and other courses that support the department’s mission.
Demonstrated scholar as evidenced by research activities or industry experience.
Interest and ability to successfully participate in co-curricular activities including advising of students in curriculum and career planning, involvement in student organizations, internships, and undergraduate research mentoring.
Preferred Qualifications:
Product development engineering and/or design experience in the agricultural or off-road machine industry.
Additional expertise in smart technologies (e.g., automation and robotics, IoT and sensors, data analytics and AI), instrumentation, robotics and/or control system development
Experience related to curriculum development in higher education.
Established interest and/or experience in developing collaborations with industry partners.
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number AAF01010
Number of Vacancies 1
Desired Start Date 08/25/2025
Position End Date (if temporary)
Open Date 12/09/2024
Closing Date 01/20/2025
Applicant Review Date 01/21/2025
Open Until Filled No
Special Instructions to Applicants
Applicants are required to apply online. UWRF will not consider paper, emailed or faxed applications. Applicants are required to provide:
Curriculum vitae
Letter of interest specifying qualifications and experience (cover letter)
A three-part statement, not to exceed 3 pages, covering
Your primary and secondary teaching interests, experience in classroom, and any evidence of successful teaching at the college level
Your industry and/or research expertise
Your applied research and scholarly activity agenda. (Other Document)
An unofficial transcript (official copies of transcripts will be required if hired).
Provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references who can specifically comment on your teaching ability, experience and professional preparation (references).
Inquiries should be addressed to:
Bob Zeng
Assistant Professor and Search Chair
Department of Agricultural Engineering
zhiwei.zeng@uwrf.edu
Deadline to Apply: Initial review of applications will begin upon receipt. For full consideration, applicants should submit all required materials by January 20, 2025.
Employees receive excellent benefits including exceptionally low-cost comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits; employer match of Wisconsin Retirement System contributions of 6.95%; an attractive amount of paid leave per year in addition to paid sick leave. To learn more about our benefits, go to: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/quickguidefasl.pdf
Legal Notices
EEO/AA Statement
UW-River Falls is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer subject to all state and federal regulations pertaining to non-discrimination based upon sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, age, arrest and/or conviction record, veteran or military status. All persons, especially women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Employment is subject to federal laws that require verification of your identity and legal right to work in the United States as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act.
Confidentiality of Applicant Materials
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the final candidates may be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
Title IX Notice
As required by Title IX and federal regulations, UW-River Falls does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its education programs or activities, including in admission and employment. Questions about the application of Title IX may be referred to UWRF’s Title IX Coordinator at titleix@uwrf.edu; the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights; or both. For more information, please see uwrf.edu/titleIX.
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies can be viewed at https://www.uwrf.edu/Police/Annual-Security-Report.cfm or call University Police at 715-425-3133 for a paper copy.
Criminal Background Check and Reference Check Policy
Employment will require a criminal background check. Final candidates will be required to provide three professional references with at least one being a prior supervisor. Misconduct checks will be completed and a personnel file review for any University of Wisconsin or State employee within the past seven years prior to hire per UW System Administrative Policy 1275.
Other Notices
Supplemental Questions