The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) seeks exceptional candidates to fill two tenure-track faculty positions at all ranks, in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), starting on or before August 1, 2025. This search is part of a cluster hire to add faculty across multiple departments with expertise in foundational artificial intelligence research that bridges the gap between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.

The foundational AI cluster is part of the “It takes a Volunteer” cluster hiring initiative at UT. This cluster aims to build a team of excellence from interdisciplinary areas, including computer science and engineering, biomedical engineering, neuro and cognitive science, and mathematics. As part of this institutional priority initiative, new hires will join a dynamic core group of collaborators with complementary experience and a shared interest in building a national reputation for excellence and innovation in foundational AI.

The ideal candidates for this cluster search should have a collaborative mindset and prioritize working with colleagues to realize shared research and educational achievements, including large-scale proposals, joint publications, and new transdisciplinary curricular programming. For early career faculty, the cluster offers a unique framework for professional development and mentorship within a rich transdisciplinary environment. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant institution, UT is particularly interested in recruiting candidates who are deeply connected to the organizations and communities in which their work will have translational impact, as well as those who will contribute to a climate that values diversity and inclusion.

The hire will also be expected to support the AI TENNessee (Transdisciplinary AI Education and iNNovation) Initiative, a new research and education initiative focused on the State of Tennessee’s unique AI strengths and opportunities.

About the University and Department

UTK is the state’s flagship campus and leading research institution with a strong partnership with the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where many UTK faculty have ongoing joint positions and/or joint research projects.

The Tickle College of Engineering is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success including adding over 30 new faculty as part of ambitious cluster hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, diversity, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. New facilities include the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex, the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN-MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building now under construction that will house UTK’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF).

TCE currently has 185 Tenure/Tenure Track and 67 Non-Tenure Track faculty in its seven academic departments and offers 12 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD degree programs. Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the UT Space Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. The college is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 3,800 undergraduate and 1,150 graduate students, the college sits 29th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 21 early career awards (NSF, DoE, DARPA, AFOSR, and ARO) since 2016. In FY22, the college had NSF HERD research expenditures of $109 million.

EECS at UTK has 44 full-time T/TT faculty members, including two members of the National Academy of Engineering, 13 IEEE Fellows, and 13 NSF/DOE CAREER awardees. The department has a growing enrollment of more than 1,000 undergraduate and 300 graduate students across the three majors of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science. In addition, the department offers undergraduate minors in computer science, cybersecurity, datacenter technology and management, and machine learning.

Successful faculty candidates will be expected to contribute to the continued growth and excellence of EECS.

About Knoxville

The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with an elegant and walkable downtown, rich and varied nightlife cultures, vibrant neighborhoods, eclectic restaurants, and amazing access to outdoor activities of all kinds as well as exciting cultural events throughout the year. UTK is in Knoxville TN, within an easy driving distance to Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Knoxville’s TYS Airport, Knoxville has nonstop flights to 22 major airports in the US, including direct flights to cities such as DC, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Orlando, and Miami.

In addition, Knoxville and the surrounding areas boast great K-12 schools and one of the most highly educated populations in the entire US. With one of the lowest costs of living in the country, Knoxville was recently recognized in U.S. News and World Report as the 29th best place to live in the U.S. In fact, in 2024, US News ranked the State of Tennessee as #5 in fiscal stability, #12 in economy, and #21 in infrastructure.

Qualifications

The minimum qualifications for these positions are a PhD degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a related discipline at the time of appointment.

The preferred qualifications of these positions are previous experience working in the convergent area of AI/ML and neuro-cognitive science, AI/ML and dynamical system analysis, representation learning and uncertainty quantification with a tie to human intelligence.

For an Appointment at the Assistant Professor Rank

The candidate is expected to show potential for obtaining funding for the research programs, and for participation in interdisciplinary teams. The candidate is also expected to show effective, high-quality teaching skills, and ability to effectively mentor undergraduate and graduate students.

For an Appointment at the Associate Professor Rank

The candidate is expected to have conducted nationally/internationally recognized research works and show strong leadership potential.

For an Appointment at the Full Professor Rank

The candidate is expected to propose, advocate, shape, and implement the roadmap to establish a strong footprint and nationwide presence in the crosscutting field of neurocognitive science and AI. It is paramount that potential candidates exhibit strong leadership not only in developing major grants and well established in their own fields, but also exemplify in mentoring junior faculty in the cluster, to nurture and advance their career development.

Application Instructions

Applicants should electronically submit their vita, cover letter, teaching and research statement, representative publications, and three letters of recommendation to Interfolio. Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received and continue until the position is filled. Please submit your application by November 15, 2024, to ensure full consideration. Please contact the search chair, Hairong Qi, if you have any questions.

Complete an application