Endowed SmartState Chair - Automotive Systems Integration

Clemson University: College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences: Automotive Engineering

Location

Greenville, SC

Open Date

Dec 08, 2023

Description

Clemson University’s Department of Automotive Engineering, within the newly created School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, is searching for a leader to serve as the BMW- and South Carolina-endowed SmartState Chair in Digital Systems and Cyber Physical System Design domains. This tenure-track faculty position is funded with a $10 million endowment and is considered one of the most prestigious chairs in the United States via South Carolina’s SmartState Program (http://www.smartstatesc.org).

The vision of this position is a person who establishes an internationally-recognized research program around the digital systems, and design and realization of complex systems, with automotive-focused products/processes as the demonstration platform. The position is open to a wide interpretation of this ideal, from the digital thread in automotive systems and manufacturing, electronic integration, software system integration, or a vehicle realization standpoint.

The SmartState Chair will be able to provide intellectual input to the $100-Million Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems (VIPR-GS) research center and be part of the center’s leadership team.

Further, the position may also provide intellectual input to the Deep Orange vehicle development education program (http://cuicardeeporange.com), the flagship educational program of the Department of Automotive Engineering.

The position will include a competitive salary, a startup package, and an annual discretionary fund to support the research, education, and translational vision of the SmartState center. Internationally reputed individuals with scholarly excellence and leadership in complex systems realization, both from industry and academia, are invited to apply. The successful candidate is expected to work closely with the industry and be a researcher, entrepreneur, mentor, and educator.

The Department of Automotive Engineering is a fully integrated tenure-granting graduate department within the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Science at Clemson University. The department offers MS and Ph.D. degrees in Automotive Engineering and is partially funded with $36 million in endowments. The department is located on Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus in Greenville, South Carolina, which currently houses 20 on-site campus partners. It is engaged with over 130 industry partners, including top global manufacturers and suppliers. More information about CU-ICAR and the Automotive Engineering Program can be found at http://www.cuicar.com and http://www.clemson.edu/ces/automotive-engineering/.

Qualifications

Leading candidates should possess the following:

• A Ph.D. or equivalent in a relevant technical discipline (such as Computer Science, Automotive, Electrical, Mechanical, Systems, Aerospace Engineering);
• Renowned scholarship and research areas of special interest include:
• Cyber-Physical Systems Design and Integration: Engineering design, systems engineering, system of systems (metasystems), sustainable by design, electronics/mechatronics control, or cyber-physical systems design; other areas relevant to automotive systems design, integration, and testing are welcomed.
• Digital Engineering: Strong focus on simulation and modeling, and the accompanying verification, validation, and test, possibly addressing simulation approaches for the whole vehicle, vehicle attributes, individual systems, component-level modeling, control systems, and integration. Other considerations for focus include different levels of fidelity, from highly resolved modeling and real-time models to hardware in the loop and reduced-order approaches. AI-enabled complex system analysis
• Digital Manufacturing Processes: Industry 4.0, AR/VR, Cyber-Manufacturing, data science, machine learning, and AI enabling intelligent manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoTs), computational modeling, optimization of advanced manufacturing processes, simulation, and high-performance computing in the context of advanced manufacturing: other areas as relevant to automotive systems digital manufacturing thread.
• A strong knowledge and experience base in global automotive technologies with significant connections to the industry;
• The qualities of an “entrepreneurial scholar.” This means an individual who converts a vision into reality through superior strategic planning and execution skills, while leading the intellectual exploration of new methods, processes, and tools for vehicle development;
• A research and funding track record or demonstrated management of research groups, programs, and associated budgets;
• Experience as an educator, graduate student advisor, or mentor in academic/industrial settings;
• A grand vision to establish a SmartState center focused on their area of expertise.
  

Application Instructions

Application packages should be submitted via Interfolio (http://apply.interfolio.com/103703) and include the following:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Research Statement
• Teaching Philosophy/Mentoring Activities/Vision
• Contact Information for 3 Professional References (name, email address, and phone number)
  
  

Applications will be reviewed starting February 15, 2024, and will be accepted until this position is filled. The expected start date of the position is August 2024.