Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

This is a full-time 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor undergraduate teaching position in the Agricultural Engineering Technology Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. 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 Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Engineering Technology with a focus on machinery systems. The successful candidate will also engage with internal partners, such as college Dairy and Meat Pilot Plant personnel, Laboratory Farm personnel, and/or external industry partners to successfully complete research projects. Teaching and research facilities include newly renovated state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratory spaces, greenhouse facility, as well as a 475-acre multi-enterprise livestock and crop laboratory farm.

UW-River Falls strives to be a leader in collaborative and undergraduate research; we therefore seek faculty members who have an interest in or experience with faculty-student collaborative research, scholarship, and creative activity. Faculty members are expected to accomplish a record of scholarly achievement, including (but not limited to) mentoring of undergraduate research 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. Anticipated appointment date is August 24, 2026.

RESPONSIBILITIES: (100% Teaching)

•        Teach engineering courses and upper level undergraduate courses in Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Engineering Technology, with a focus on machinery and instrumentation plus additional supporting core courses (e.g., programming, computer aided-drafting and design, thermodynamics, etc.) depending on the department’s needs and candidate’s expertise.
•        Engage with Laboratory Farm personnel and industry partners, as needed, to successfully teach required courses and complete research projects.
•        Modify existing courses or develop new courses, as needed, to create a dynamic curriculum that prepares students for professional careers.
•        Incorporate new pedagogies, active learning techniques, and technologies into courses, with the objective of creating strong, dynamic, and effective courses.
•        Engage in scholarly activity, which can include developing a research program, mentoring undergraduate research 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.

Requirements

Qualifications Required:

•      Ph.D. in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field, completed within 6 months of hire.
•        Demonstrated industry and/or research expertise should be in the area(s) of machinery systems engineering, machine design, instrumentation or control system development.
•        Ability to teach undergraduate courses in introductory engineering, computer programming, computer aided drafting (CAD), off-road machinery design and analysis, agricultural machinery management, and other courses that support the department’s mission.
•        Demonstrated 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.

Qualifications Preferred:

•     Knowledge or experience using CAN bus systems
•        Knowledge of or experience in one or more of the following: engineering simulation tools (FEA, CFD, DEA, etc.), control systems, machine design, welding, and metal fabrication techniques
•        Experience related to curriculum development in higher education.
•        Interest and/or experience in developing collaborations with industry partners.