Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor - Wildfire
Science and Engineering
School/Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $ 101k - $ 124k
Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.
Target Start Date: August 1st, 2027
Application Deadline: November 1st, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)
Position Description
The Mechanical Engineering Department at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an assistant professor (tenure-track) with expertise in wildfire science research and teaching potential in thermo-fluids beginning in August 2027. We seek candidates with a strong engineering, computational, or physical-science background whose research directly addresses problems in wildfire or fire science and engineering A key aspect of this position is that the faculty member will actively collaborate with the SJSU Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC, https://www.sjsu.edu/wildfire/, a National Science Foundation, Industry-University Cooperative Research Center) to seek funding and conduct research related to wildfire science and management. The Center is dedicated to developing strategies, technologies, and science-based approaches to improve wildfire science and management. Specific areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: fire and fluid dynamics; coupled fire-atmosphere modeling; wildfire behavior and spread; wildland-urban interface fire; combustion and heat transfer in wildland and urban fuels; computational fluid dynamics and multiphysics modeling; high-performance scientific computing; data assimilation; scientific machine learning and AI applied to wildfire prediction; smoke and fire-atmosphere interactions; and experimental or observational approaches supporting wildfire model development and validation.
The successful candidate will join SJSU's Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC), an NSF Industry–University Cooperative Research Center that brings together expertise in wildfire dynamics, fire weather, fire ecology, remote sensing, modeling, and related disciplines. WIRC offers extensive observational and computational capabilities, as well as access to operational systems for fire danger, fuel moisture, fire spread, and smoke prediction. Strong partnerships with industry, government agencies, utilities, and other wildfire stakeholders provide opportunities to connect fundamental research with operational applications. The successful candidate will establish an independent research program that complements and expands these capabilities while leveraging WIRC's interdisciplinary expertise, infrastructure, and external partnerships.
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU Mechanical Engineering provides an exceptional setting for teaching, research, and collaboration. The department has strong programs in robotics and mechatronics, advanced manufacturing, thermal and energy systems, and mechanical design, supported by hands-on laboratories and interdisciplinary research. Its proximity and connections to Silicon Valley's technology, semiconductor, manufacturing, and emerging engineering industries create opportunities for faculty to develop industry partnerships, pursue applied research, and bring real-world engineering challenges into the classroom.
The Mechanical Engineering Department and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.
We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.
Required Qualifications
School/Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $ 101k - $ 124k
Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.
Target Start Date: August 1st, 2027
Application Deadline: November 1st, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)
Position Description
The Mechanical Engineering Department at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an assistant professor (tenure-track) with expertise in wildfire science research and teaching potential in thermo-fluids beginning in August 2027. We seek candidates with a strong engineering, computational, or physical-science background whose research directly addresses problems in wildfire or fire science and engineering A key aspect of this position is that the faculty member will actively collaborate with the SJSU Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC, https://www.sjsu.edu/wildfire/, a National Science Foundation, Industry-University Cooperative Research Center) to seek funding and conduct research related to wildfire science and management. The Center is dedicated to developing strategies, technologies, and science-based approaches to improve wildfire science and management. Specific areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: fire and fluid dynamics; coupled fire-atmosphere modeling; wildfire behavior and spread; wildland-urban interface fire; combustion and heat transfer in wildland and urban fuels; computational fluid dynamics and multiphysics modeling; high-performance scientific computing; data assimilation; scientific machine learning and AI applied to wildfire prediction; smoke and fire-atmosphere interactions; and experimental or observational approaches supporting wildfire model development and validation.
The successful candidate will join SJSU's Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC), an NSF Industry–University Cooperative Research Center that brings together expertise in wildfire dynamics, fire weather, fire ecology, remote sensing, modeling, and related disciplines. WIRC offers extensive observational and computational capabilities, as well as access to operational systems for fire danger, fuel moisture, fire spread, and smoke prediction. Strong partnerships with industry, government agencies, utilities, and other wildfire stakeholders provide opportunities to connect fundamental research with operational applications. The successful candidate will establish an independent research program that complements and expands these capabilities while leveraging WIRC's interdisciplinary expertise, infrastructure, and external partnerships.
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU Mechanical Engineering provides an exceptional setting for teaching, research, and collaboration. The department has strong programs in robotics and mechatronics, advanced manufacturing, thermal and energy systems, and mechanical design, supported by hands-on laboratories and interdisciplinary research. Its proximity and connections to Silicon Valley's technology, semiconductor, manufacturing, and emerging engineering industries create opportunities for faculty to develop industry partnerships, pursue applied research, and bring real-world engineering challenges into the classroom.
The Mechanical Engineering Department and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.
We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Mechanical Engineering or closely related engineering, computational, or physical-science discipline by the time of appointment.