Job Details
The School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) at the University of Virginia (UVA) seeks candidates for two tenure-eligible or tenured positions in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The primary responsibilities for this position include research, teaching, and service to the department, university, and professional community. The appointment rank and compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Applicants are particularly sought with expertise in hypersonic and high-speed flows, including but not limited to computational and experimental hypersonics, combustion and propulsion, aerothermodynamics and high-temperature gas dynamics, hypersonic materials and structures, hypersonic vehicle design, flight dynamics and control, and data-driven or advanced computational methods for high-speed flow applications. However, outstanding applicants in other areas related to hypersonic and high-speed aerospace systems will also be considered.
The UVA MAE department has strong research expertise in reacting flow, hypersonics, multiphase flow, advanced flow diagnostics, high-performance computing, heat transfer in extreme environments, and robotics and autonomous systems. UVA Engineering has established research thrusts and multidisciplinary centers in several areas of aerospace engineering science and technology, including leadership and participation in the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH), the Rolls-Royce University Technology Center, the Center for Risk Management of Engineering Systems, and the previous National Center for Hypersonic Combined Cycle Propulsion.
This position is based in Charlottesville at our principal location. UVA is a highly selective undergraduate and graduate institution that annually ranks as one of the premiere public universities in the United States, with one of the highest graduation rates in the nation. UVA is situated in Charlottesville, Virginia, a picturesque and vibrant small city consistently recognized as one of the nation's top places to reside. UVA's location offers proximity to the NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and many national security stakeholders, enriching opportunities for collaboration and engagement with numerous federal organizations. More information about the city, the school, faculty benefits and other topics can be found at https://hr.virginia.edu/careers-uva/why-uva.
Qualifications
Candidates must have received a doctorate or equivalent in Aerospace Engineering by the start of their appointment, and an earned B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from an ABET-accredited or equivalent program is preferred. Evidence of a commitment to high-impact scholarship, funded research, undergraduate- and graduate-level teaching and advising excellence, professional and university service, and mentoring are expected.
Applicants must demonstrate the potential to pioneer new research frontiers in aerospace science and technology by developing a competitive, externally funded research program. Applicants should demonstrate the potential to collaborate with current UVA faculty in MAE and across the University, including UVA's School of Engineering and Applied Science, UVA's School of Arts & Sciences, or UVA's School of Data Science.
In conjunction with these positions, senior graduate students are eligible and encouraged to consider the UVA Engineering Rising Scholars program. This program is designed to encourage early-career scholars to pursue a career in academia by supporting their postdoctoral work before beginning in a tenure-track position at the University of Virginia. Detailed information and application instructions are available at https://engineering.virginia.edu/rising-scholars-postdoctoral-program.
Application Instructions
Apply for this position in Interfolio. Provide the following in PDF format:
- Cover letter that summarizes your areas of research/scholarship, and areas of potential collaboration at the University of Virginia. To help us organize our review of applications, please also specifically list your primary areas of research in boldface at the top of your letter
- Curriculum vitae
- A statement describing your current research, future directions, and broader impacts;
- A statement describing your teaching and mentoring practices, especially in regard to a residential learning environment marked by the free and collegial exchange of ideas;
- A statement describing demonstrated contributions to fostering inclusive practices that create climates in which all stakeholders can achieve their maximum potential (please focus on skills and experience, not beliefs and opinions)
You will also request 3-5 references directly in Interfolio by providing names and contact information in the application. These reference requests will be generated immediately once you submit your application.
Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. The University will perform background checks on all new faculty hires prior to making a final offer of employment.
For questions about these positions, please contact Haibo Dong, Professor, at hd6q@virginia.edu.
Organization
In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.
What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation's leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.
Each of the University's eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger's, 2016).
As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.
RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES
As an R1 institution, the University's research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.
Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty's engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.
NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM
UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.
Established as the nation's 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children's Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.
The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation's best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.
INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING
The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.
One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University's residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation: UVA's faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.
Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards. Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow's leaders inside and outside the classroom.
LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Living in Charlottesville you'll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries. No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.
In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others. Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses. The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers.
The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
