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VCU College of Engineering

Search for a Senior Engineering Faculty Member

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering is pleased to announce a Strategic Senior Faculty position.  This position is part of a university-wide initiative to recruit high-impact tenured faculty members to support its rapidly growing, transformative research portfolio, with university sponsored research awards of $568 M in FY25. As such VCU’s College of Engineering (CoE), in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, invites applications for an exceptionally accomplished tenured faculty member who can further elevate our college's research capabilities in one or more of our research thrust areas:

1. Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, and Computing
2. Human Health and Medicine
3. Sustainability: Materials, Energy & Environment

Candidates with the most meritorious research accomplishments in any of our research thrust areas, or related areas such as robotics, cybersecurity or manufacturing will be considered. The successful candidate will be appointed to one of our five academic departments: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.

VCU is a Carnegie-classified very high research activity university (R1) with approximately 29,000 students and over $500 million in annual research awards.  VCU is an NSF top-50 public research university and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) among the top 20% of universities worldwide. As Richmond’s largest employer, VCU has over 27,000 employees and produces an economic impact of over $15 billion in the metropolitan area. Home to the VCU Medical Center, the top hospital in the Richmond region and 23 top 50 programs in areas ranging from art to nuclear engineering, VCU is a premier public urban research university. 

VCU’s College of Engineering was established in 1996 as a public-private partnership to address the need for engineering innovation in a 21st-century economy and enrolls over 2,500 B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. students across five academic departments. Several of our programs are ranked among the best in the nation by USNWR and our faculty have a robust record of extramurally funded research, with approximately $48 million in annual research awards in FY25.

The college is undergoing exceptional transformations, expanding its interdisciplinary research and educational offerings and aiming for excellence in impactful thematic areas of global significance. VCU Engineering’s research collaborations with industry, community, and academic partners regularly yield breakthroughs in areas such as robotics, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, pharmaceutical engineering, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, nuclear engineering, materials development, regenerative medicine, rehabilitation, medical device development, data science, and cyber security. The College is home to several institutes and centers including the Institute for Engineering and Medicine, the Medicines for All Institute, the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment, the Virginia Microelectronics Center, the Cybersecurity Center and the Nanomaterials Core Characterization Center.  Please visit https://egr.vcu.edu/research/ for more information on COE research

As the commonwealth’s capital, Richmond, Virginia, offers a vibrant mix of history and culture. In fact, Travel + Leisure named Richmond the best place to live in Virginia in 2023, and Southern Living named Richmond one of the 20 best cities to live in the South in 2024. Entrepreneurs and artists put down roots in Richmond, and Thrillist named it one of the best U.S. cities for creatives in 2022.Richmond’s location in the middle of the state allows for day or weekend trips to the beach, the Blue Ridge Mountains or Virginia’s many wineries. It’s within a two-hour drive of Washington, D.C., and a multitude of excellent institutions of higher education. The Richmond metropolitan area is also home to several Fortune 500 companies, a broad base of financial institutions, hospitals and media firms, high-tech manufacturing companies, small businesses, non-profit organizations and state and local government agencies.

This position comes with a competitive salary, outstanding benefits, a generous start-up package, outstanding laboratory facilities and the possibility of an endowed chair or professorship.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Teaching : The faculty member will be required to teach courses within the College of Engineering curriculum and to mentor students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Courses will include undergraduate and/or graduate courses within their specific department, as well as courses in the ENGR curriculum (as appropriate).

2. Research : Required to have an established research record with an international reputation and external funding, as appropriate, and scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department and the College of Engineering. Demonstration of collaborative research and scholarly activity is required.

3. Service : The faculty member will be involved with service activities for the department, the College, the University, and for professional and scientific organizations. The faculty member will also be involved with outreach efforts to the local community. 4.Clinical: As appropriate, the faculty member will be involved with collaborative clinical activities in scholarship and service.

 Application Process: Candidates should submit the following materials with their application; a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, and the names and e-mail addresses of four references. 

The search committee will request reference letters for candidate finalists. Only complete applications will be considered. Review of applications will start on August 1, 2026, and will continue until filled. For additional information, please contact the Chair of the faculty search committee, Gary Tepper, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, gctepper@vcu.edu.

Benefits: All full-time university faculty members are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related science field
• Academic accomplishments commensurate with appointment at the level of Full Professor or exceptionally qualified Associate Professor (rising to professorship)
• An outstanding record of scholarship in one or more of our advertised research thrust areas
• International reputation as a leading researcher, as evidenced by awards such as society fellow status, national academy of engineering or science membership, or similar recognitions
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
• The candidate will demonstrate commitment to high-quality teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Experience contributing to or leading large, multi-investigator research projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience as director or Principal Investigator of a high-impact nationally- or internationally recognized research center or institute
• A record of industry collaboration or technology transfer.
• Commitment to community engagement and enhancing the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Unit: College of Engineering 

Salary Range: Commensurate

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

ORP Eligible: Yes

Rank: Open

Tenure: Tenure Track

Months: 9 months

Restricted Position: No

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Dr. Gary Tepper 
Contact Email: gctepper@vcu.edu