Tenure-Track Faculty Position Announcement

Department: Mechanical Engineering

Faculty Hire Number: #25-21

Rank: Associate Professor

Effective Date of Appointment: August 20, 2025 (Subject to Budgetary Approval)

Salary Scale: $105,000 to $115,000 (Dependent upon qualifications)

CSUN’s Commitment to You:

CSUN is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning and inclusion. Our values include a respect for all people, building partnerships with the community and the encouragement of innovation, experimentation, and creativity. CSUN strives to cultivate a community in which a diverse population can learn and work in an atmosphere of civility and respect. CSUN is especially interested in candidates who make contributions to equity and inclusion in the pursuit of excellence for all members of the university community.

As a Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI), inclusiveness and diversity are integral to CSUN’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement. As of Fall 2023, CSUN enrolls ~36,000 students, where 55.7% are Latinx, 19.7% are White, 8.9% are Asian-American, 5.0% are Black/African American, 0.1% are Native American, and 0.1% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. 

For more information about the University, visit: http://www.csun.edu

About the College:

For more information about the College of Engineering and Computer Science, see: https://www.csun.edu/engineering-computer-science/college

About the Department:

For more information about the Department of Mechanical Engineering, see: https://www.csun.edu/engineering-computer-science/mechanical-engineering

Position:

The department of Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is seeking a tenure-track faculty member in  fluid mechanics at the rank of Associate Professor.

The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and have research interests in fluid mechanics and thermal sciences. Candidates must demonstrate a specialization in either experimental methodologies or computational analysis/simulation of complex models involving fluids. They are expected to develop and conduct an effective research program in areas of fluid-structure interactions, turbulent flows, or biofluid mechanics.

Teaching responsibilities include instruction and participation in and supervision of capstone student design projects. Candidates are expected to supervise MS theses and provide academic and professional advisement to undergraduate and graduate students. Initiation and maintenance of creative scholarly activities and an externally funded research program are expected. Active and effective participation in curriculum development, assessment and accreditation, and other departmental activities, as well as in professional and student organizations (e.g., ASME, ASEE), are normative expectations. Additionally, candidates should demonstrate experience or a willingness to pursue evidence-based approaches that promote retention of students from culturally diverse backgrounds.

In addition to teaching, the position requires weekly office hours, attending faculty meetings, participation in assessment of student learning, and service to the department, college, and university. The successful candidate may be required to teach on weekdays, evenings, weekends, and/or online and will be held to the standards and requirements of the college and department in which he/she/they is/are housed for recommending tenure and promotion. Given CSUN’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement in a diverse environment, the successful candidate will help the Department achieve equitable academic outcomes for all students through teaching, student mentorship, scholarship, and service.

Required Qualifications:   

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a closely related field from an accredited institution (Doctorate must be completed by the date of appointment from an accredited institution)
• College or University-level teaching experience, in-person or online
• An undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field from an accredited institution
• Teaching experience at undergraduate and/or graduate levels as the instructor of record  
• Evidence of an established pattern of scholarly activities and research publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or conference proceedings in the areas mentioned in the position description within the past five years
• A record of receiving funding from government agencies, private companies, and/or scientific societies as a PI
• A minimum of five years of work and/or mentorship experience in academia and/or industry, after earning a PhD degree

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of effective engagement OR potential to engage with a diverse student body
• Experience using culturally responsive pedagogy that leads to equitable outcomes for all students
• Experience creating a student-centered learning environment
• Research/Lab experience that includes working with students from diverse backgrounds 
• Experience adopting inclusive approaches to mentoring
• Academic (teaching or research) experience at an ABET-accredited institution  

Application Deadline:

Preferred application deadline is November 30, 2024 and applications received after this date may be considered on an as needed basis. However, the position will remain open until filled.

How to Apply:

Candidates should apply by completing the CSUN online application. To apply and for more detailed information on the application and hiring process, please visit this link: www.csun.edu/careers  

Applicants must submit a cover letter addressing: 1) how they would make a unique contribution to the department, 2) a preliminary plan for establishing their independent research program, 3) their experience working with a diverse population, and 4) motivation to work in academia and particularly at CSUN, to the website in the section above. Applicants must submit the cover letter along with their curriculum vitae, research statement, teaching statement, diversity statement, and the names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three referees who can address the candidate’s teaching, research, and service qualifications. In later stages of the search process, applicants may be requested to provide additional materials, including letters of recommendation, verification of terminal degrees, licenses and certificates, professional work samples, and evidence of student mentoring.

At time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work in the United States.

General Information:

In compliance with the Annual Security Report & Fire Safety Report of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, California State University, Northridge has made crime-reporting statistics available on-line here. Print copies are available by request from the Department of Police Services, the Office for Faculty Affairs, and the Office of Equity and Diversity.

The person holding this position may be considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California.

CSUN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Our nondiscrimination policy is set forth in Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting the Department of Mechanical Engineering Office at 818-677-2187.