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AY2025-2026 Position 50939 Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity - Endowed Associate or Full Professor and Executive Director
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Position Number: 5623887
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Engineering - Civil and Environmental

AY2025-2026 Position 50939 Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity - Endowed Associate or Full Professor and Executive Director
Lyle School of Engineering

Location: Dallas, TX
Open Date: Aug 15, 2024

Description:
The Lyle School of Engineering at SMU, led by the newly-appointed visionary Mary and Richard Templeton Dean, Dr. Nader Jalili, invites qualified candidates for tenured faculty positions at the Associate and Full Professor levels to lead Lyle School's esteemed Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity ("The Institute"). Minimum qualifications for this position include an earned Ph.D. in the appropriate or a closely related discipline, with experience commensurate with the rank of associate or full professor. The departments for the appointment will be determined by the backgrounds and interests of the final candidates in one of Lyle's five departments. Joint appointments either within Lyle or across SMU will also be considered.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of both the technological innovations required for sustainable energy solutions and the human-centered approaches that support the well-being of underserved populations. The Institute's mission is rooted in advancing both scientific excellence and humanitarian impact. We seek candidates who are passionate about the intersection of energy research and community engagement, and who are committed to fostering inclusive and equitable solutions that address global challenges. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in ensuring the Institute's work remains focused on improving the lives of marginalized communities while advancing cutting-edge research in energy and sustainability.

The Lyle School of Engineering has embarked on an ambitious journey, successfully hiring 14 outstanding faculty members, including two department chairs, three center/institute executive directors, and several endowed professors during the 2023-24 academic year. Our culture of faculty growth thrives on innovation, fostering a dynamic and collaborative environment. We are committed to externally funded research, which advances our academic goals and provides students with invaluable real-world insights. Our mission is to lead in the digital transformation of engineering education, equipping students with cutting-edge knowledge and skills to emerge as confident, capable leaders. Through excellence and innovation, we aim to significantly impact the engineering landscape and beyond.

The Hunt Institute, in its reimagined era, will focus on critical sustainability and humanitarian challenges related to global energy issues. These challenges include fundamental and applied topics such as carbon reduction and management; energy conservation; renewable energy technologies and production; power efficiency, management, and distribution; advanced energy storage and conversion technologies; hydrogen transportation and economy; power grid management; natural gas transportation; energy modeling and artificial intelligence (AI); impacts and needs of under-resourced communities; and assessment of sustainability, access, and affordability of energy technologies and solutions.

In recent years, significant funding has been allocated to energy initiatives in the United States and SMU is an ideal location for directing this funding towards human-centered research. Texas' $172 billion energy sector dominates both renewable and non-renewable energy in the United States. The Cox School of Business' Maguire Energy Institute provides unique opportunities for collaboration. Dallas is also home to the Environment Protection Agency Region 6 office, as well as a large philanthropic community deeply invested in humanitarian causes. The Institute Director can build on these strengths and collaborate with faculty and students through activities such as:

Establish industry and government-funded large-scale collaborative research activities at SMU.

Promote resilient R&D collaborations with major local industries to address both the technical and human-centered aspects of energy challenges, including equity, access, and sustainability.

Develop outreach and education activities, such as workshops, short courses, and certificate programs to provide expertise and tools for workforce development and advancing government, industry, and non-governmental organization (NGO) initiatives.

Form national and international partnerships to advance crucial technologies for under-resourced communities.

The goal is to increase energy access and enhance energy security while fostering workforce development, stimulating industrial growth, and promoting overall prosperity through improved energy infrastructure and services.

The Institute's activities and personnel will be supported by streams of income from two endowments. The Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity Endowment Fund provides a stream of income in support of The Institute to focus on finding engineering inspired solutions to humanity's need for shelter, infrastructure, sustenance, education, and safety. The Mrs. H. L. (Ruth Ray) Hunt Endowed Research Fund provides a stream of income to support research in The Institute that will provide ongoing support for the development of new technologies to benefit women and children living in poverty.

About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering

For nearly a century, Lyle has been nurturing exceptional engineers who are catalysts for global change. Our commitment to shaping bold leaders who innovate, pioneer, and tackle society's toughest challenges is unwavering. Embedded in our mindset is a culture of ingenuity that resonates through our research and curriculum. With an impressive 9:1 graduate student-to-faculty ratio, coupled with robust scholarship offerings, we are dedicated to fostering meaningful mentorship and breaking engineering stereotypes. Lyle has proudly earned the American Society for Engineering Education's Bronze Award for championing diversity and inclusivity. Our focus extends beyond campus, addressing critical global issues through groundbreaking research. Our five departments-Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Operation Research and Engineering Management, and Mechanical Engineering-drive impactful innovations beyond academia's boundaries.

Lyle School's acclaimed centers and institutes include the Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security, Hart Center for Engineering Leadership, Caruth Institute for Engineering Education, Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the newly established Center for Digital and Human-Augmented Manufacturing.

A New Era Beckons: In a resounding testament to our aspirations, SMU's pursuit of R1 status is bolstered by a recent landmark $20 million gift (https://www.smu.edu/ignited/news/gifts/templeton-lyle-gift-feb-2023) and $15 million investment on Initiative for Digital Innovation in Engineering and Computer Science (https://www.smu.edu/ignited/news/gifts/odonnell-gift-august-2023). These transformative endowments are pivotal in invigorating our research ecosystem, fostering interdisciplinary alliances to position Lyle as an authoritative force in artificial intelligence, human augmentation, digital transformation and innovation. Empowered by the Provost and Dean, the new faculty will be able to redefine engineering education for our swiftly evolving digital landscape, benefiting Dallas and the broader DFW area.

Our world-class research facilities are complemented by robust resources in high-performance scientific computing (see https://www.smu.edu/Provost/Data-Science-Institute/HPC).

Inclusive Excellence: We believe that equity and inclusion are essential components of our success as teachers and scholars. We seek colleagues who eagerly embrace SMU's central values of intellectual diversity, academic freedom, and the cultivation of cultural intelligence to teach, lead, and collaborate effectively with our students, colleagues, and stakeholders regardless of their backgrounds.

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

All applications should be submitted through Interfolio using the link below:

http://apply.interfolio.com/150935

Qualifications:
An accomplished academic suitable for an endowed associate or full professorship with an earned Ph.D. in the appropriate or a closely related discipline, and a profound understanding of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The expertise will inspire and guide the next generation of trailblazers, bridging the gap between theory and real-world impact.

Application Instructions:
To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/150935

Candidates are required to submit with their application a cover letter that includes research and teaching statements, a statement of leadership background and philosophy, Curriculum Vitae, and contact information for three professional references. Successful candidates will also present a vision for continued growth and development of the institute. To ensure full consideration for the position, the application must be received by December 9, 2024. The committee will continue to accept applications until the position is filled and will notify applicants of its employment decisions after the position is filled. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check. The start date for this position is negotiable, but the desired start date is January or August 2025.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) will not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, education activity, or admissions on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX1 Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies, including the prohibition of sex discrimination under Title IX. The Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX may also be directed to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.