Description

The Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University (SMU), led by the newly appointed visionary, Mary and Richard Templeton Dean, Nader Jalili, invites accomplished candidates for the position of Full Professor and Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), position #5728. The successful candidate for chair of the department will also hold an endowed professorship with the anticipated start date of August 1, 2025.

The Lyle School of Engineering has embarked on an ambitious journey, successfully hiring 14 outstanding faculty members, including two department chairs, three center/institute executive directors, and several endowed professors during the 2023-24 academic year. Several faculty searches are ongoing during the 2024-2025 academic year. Our culture of faculty growth thrives on innovation, fostering a dynamic and collaborative environment.

We are committed to cutting-edge research funded by competitive federal grants, industry-funded projects and philanthropic gifts, which advances our academic goals and provides students with a competitive edge in the industry and/or academia. Our mission is to lead in the digital transformation of engineering education, equipping students with cutting-edge knowledge and skills to emerge as confident, capable leaders. Through excellence and innovation, we aim to significantly impact the engineering landscape and beyond.

The CEE department at SMU has experienced significant growth in research in the last several years, with current externally-funded awards totaling approximately $5 million among eight tenured or tenure-track faculty. The department offers two undergraduate degrees in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, which are both ABET accredited. The department also offers MS and PhD programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering.  The department is also home to the Master of Arts (MA) in Sustainability and Development degree. These programs benefit from close collaborations with the Lyle School of Engineering’s Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, global partners, and regional government and industry professionals for internships and project- and community-based education.

With a strong collaborative culture of innovation, small class sizes, and student-centered learning, the department is well poised to continue making a deep and lasting impact on the broader field of Civil and Environmental Engineering.  Our faculty are actively engaged in research programs that cover a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary areas, including sustainable and resilient cities, smart transportation and infrastructure, natural hazards, energy and environment, artificial intelligence (AI), infrastructure impacts on health, global and sustainable development, and humanitarian engineering.

This diverse expertise forms a strong foundation, with a clear trajectory for expanding the department’s impact across all areas of CEE that align with our mission and degree programs. The DFW area is experiencing significant growth in the construction and consulting sector, creating valuable opportunities for the department to continue to grow in these fields. As the demand for skilled professionals in overseeing complex construction and consulting projects rises, the department can play a pivotal role in preparing students to lead innovative, sustainable, and efficiency initiatives. To take advantage of these opportunities, the department has new MSCE specialties in Construction Management and CEE Leadership that are partnerships with SMU’s Cox School of Business.

We are seeking a visionary leader to further elevate the department’s intellectual, creative, and scholarly development. The successful candidate will hold an earned doctoral degree and have relevant academic experience, coupled with international recognition in their discipline(s). They will possess demonstrated excellence in technical, academic, and professional achievements, with a proven capacity for leadership. This is a unique opportunity for a dynamic leader who can inspire continued growth in cutting-edge research and innovation within Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a strong focus on expanding collaborations with Federal agencies, industry, nonprofits, and other external partners.

More information about the department is available at https://www.smu.edu/Lyle/Academics/Departments/CEE

About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering

For nearly a century, Lyle has been nurturing exceptional engineers who are catalysts for global change. Our commitment to shaping bold leaders who innovate, pioneer, and tackle society’s toughest challenges is unwavering. Embedded in our mindset is a culture of ingenuity and leadership that resonates through our research and curriculum. With an impressive 9:1 graduate student-to-faculty ratio, coupled with robust scholarship offerings, we are dedicated to fostering meaningful mentorship and breaking engineering stereotypes. Lyle has proudly earned the American Society for Engineering Education’s Bronze Award for championing diversity and inclusivity. We celebrate a diverse student body, with close to 30% of our undergraduates identifying as an underrepresented group (Black and Hispanic/Latinx) in engineering and computer science.  Additionally, we have a long-standing tradition of female enrollment that surpasses the national average, with approximately one-third of undergraduate students and over 25% of graduate students identifying as women, showcasing our dedication to empowering female scholars at all levels. In CEE, the numbers are even higher, with 40% of students identifying as women. Our focus extends beyond campus, addressing critical global issues through groundbreaking research. Our five departments—Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Operation Research and Engineering Management, and Mechanical Engineering—drive impactful innovations beyond academia’s boundaries.

Lyle School’s acclaimed centers and institutes include the Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security, Hart Center for Engineering Leadership, Caruth Institute for Engineering Education, Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the newly established Center for Digital and Human-Augmented Manufacturing.

A New Era Beckons: In a resounding testament to our aspirations, SMU’s pursuit of R1 status is bolstered by a recent landmark $20 million gift (https://www.smu.edu/ignited/news/gifts/templeton-lyle-gift-feb-2023) and $15 million investment in the Initiative for Digital Innovation in Engineering and Computer Science (https://www.smu.edu/ignited/news/gifts/odonnell-gift-august-2023). These transformative endowments are pivotal in invigorating our research ecosystem, fostering interdisciplinary alliances to position Lyle as an authoritative force in artificial intelligence, human augmentation, digital transformation and innovation. Empowered by the Provost and Dean, the new faculty will be able to redefine engineering education for our swiftly evolving digital landscape, benefiting Dallas and the broader DFW area. The Lyle School also benefits from campus-wide interdisciplinary clusters and initiatives in urban science and natural hazards.

Our world-class research facilities are complemented by outstanding resources and opportunities in high-performance data science and scientific computing through the O’Donnell Data Science and Research Computing Institute (see).With unparalleled access to the NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, SMU is data driven and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

SMU Values: We seek colleagues who eagerly embrace SMU’s central values of intellectual diversity, academic freedom, and the cultivation of cultural intelligence to teach, lead, and collaborate effectively with our students, colleagues, and stakeholders regardless of their backgrounds.

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

All applications should be submitted through Interfolio using the link below: http://apply.interfolio.com/163485

Qualifications

Qualifications for this position is an accomplished academic suitable for an endowed full professorship with an earned Ph.D. in the appropriate or a closely related discipline, with experience commensurate with the rank of full professor. Their expertise will inspire and guide the next generation of trailblazers, bridging the gap between theory and real-world impact.

Application Instructions

Candidates are required to submit with their application a cover letter that includes research and teaching statements, a statement of leadership background and philosophy, Curriculum Vitae, and contact information for three professional references. Successful candidates will also present a vision for continued growth and development of the department.  To ensure full consideration for the position, the application must be received by March 20, 2025. The committee will continue to accept applications until the position is filled and will notify applicants of its employment decisions after the position is filled. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check. The start date for this position is negotiable, but the desired start date is August 1, 2025.