Job Summary
The Mechanical Engineering Department at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning Fall 2025. We invite skilled teacher-scholars committed to inclusive, equity-minded teaching with a demonstrated record of scholarship to join our teaching-centered and research-active department, which is committed to undergraduate education. We are looking for a colleague with expertise broadly in the area of Materials Science & Engineering (including materials structure/properties, processing/manufacturing and/or mechanics of materials), where all specializations are welcome.

We seek candidates with a demonstrated commitment to excellent undergraduate teaching that promote welcoming and diverse learning environments. Immediate teaching responsibilities (i.e., within the first two years) would include courses in materials engineering, manufacturing processes and mechanics of materials. There will also be opportunities to teach senior-level courses in the candidate’s area of interest (as a technical elective), as well as our senior design sequence. To this end, applicants are requested to detail, in their cover letter, what new technical elective(s) they would initially be ready to offer or senior project(s) they would best be able to advise. The total teaching load will be 18 credit hours per year (the equivalent of three, 3-credit courses per semester).

The Mechanical Engineering Department of 8 tenure/tenure-track faculty and 4 lecturers currently offers a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering (ABET accredited), supports around 250 undergraduate students, and is specifically committed to providing support for developing engaging, interactive courses that meet our learning objectives (see: https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-engineering-applied-science/degrees-and-programs/mechanical-engineering). Faculty in our department often mentor undergraduate students in research experiences during the school year. Internal funding opportunities are also available to support undergraduate student-faculty research both during the academic year as well as during summer sessions. In addition, Gonzaga’s Center for Teaching and Advising provides regular faculty development and education opportunities, including a New Faculty Learning Community program to help welcome and support new faculty throughout their first year at Gonzaga. The newly opened Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science and Engineering on Gonzaga’s campus contains teaching, research, and collaboration spaces for faculty from Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Math, Physics, Psychology, and Engineering.

With a mission rooted in the Jesuit tradition (see: https://www.gonzaga.edu/about/our-mission-jesuit-values), Gonzaga seeks to educate students to become compassionate leaders who engage with the world, seek justice, and contribute to the common good. As a campus community, we prioritize inclusive excellence and increasing campus diversity, particularly in supporting underrepresented students in higher education. The Mechanical Engineering Department at Gonzaga University seeks candidates who align with this mission and requests applicants to address it in their cover letter. We value candidates who have worked with a diverse array of faculty, staff, and students, and who contribute to a welcoming campus climate. Experience working with underrepresented and minoritized students through teaching, research, mentoring, or administration is preferred.

Gonzaga’s campus sits adjacent to downtown Spokane, WA, along the Spokane River in the Inland Northwest’s most metropolitan region. We exist on the traditional homelands of the Spokane people, one of the Interior Salish speaking tribes of the region. Spokane is Washington’s second largest city and boasts a vibrant restaurant, entertainment, and arts community; it is also home to a diverse array of neighborhoods and popular outdoor recreational areas.
Essential Functions
Teach 18 credit hours of courses per year. Teaching responsibilities will initially include one or more courses in Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Processes, and Mechanics of Materials. There will also be opportunities to teach first-year and senior-level seminar courses in the candidate’s area of interest (as a first-year seminar and technical elective, respectively), as part of our senior design sequence, or more broadly across the curriculum.
Establish a research program in the candidate’s area of expertise; candidates are also encouraged to: 1) develop research programs that support undergraduate student participation in the research, 2) mentor and oversee undergraduate research assistants, and 3) communicate results through peer-reviewed papers, presentations, and other communications appropriate to the discipline.
Provide academic and career advising and mentoring to undergraduate students (typically 15 – 25 per year).
Support the Department, University, and discipline through service and other forms of academic citizenship.
Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field (ABDs considered with completion by July 15, 2025)
Evidence of teaching/mentorship at the undergraduate level
Evidence of an ongoing scholarly/research agenda
Desired Qualifications
Evidence of engaging, inclusive teaching practices at the undergraduate level that includes materials, manufacturing or mechanics courses and/or introductory-level courses for mechanical engineering majors
Demonstrated ability to establish and run a research program (e.g. post-doctoral record, industry research record, significant leadership role in a research project, advising undergraduate students in a research context, etc.)
Postdoctoral and/or industrial record