Assistant or Associate Professor in Integrated Security of Aerospace and Ocean Systems

The Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Integrated Security of Aerospace and Ocean Systems effective August 2017. The position will be filled, depending upon qualifications, at the rank of assistant or associate professor.  A Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering, ocean engineering or a related field is required. Prospective applicants who have extensive and direct experience in applying their security-related research to aerospace and/or ocean systems, but possess a Ph.D. in engineering or science not closely related to aerospace or ocean engineering, are also encouraged to apply.

This faculty search is part of a cross-college cluster hire being conducted within the Integrated Security Destination Area (http://provost.vt.edu/destination-areas.html), which is one of several focused Virginia Tech initiatives to recruit and support world-class groups of faculty colleagues that bridge disciplinary strengths.  This initial hire focuses on all aspects of today’s embedded cyber-physical/human systems, and we are seeking colleagues who will build our departmental, college, and university strengths in the study of all dimensions of security and privacy at the interconnections of the digital and physical worlds as individuals, groups, organizations, and systems interconnect these domains of complex action. Over the next four years, the number of Internet-connected devices will more than double, intrinsically changing the ways people interact with technology and their environment; however, fundamental security and privacy challenges have yet to be adequately addressed for these new technologies.  This cluster hire will foster interdisciplinary collaborations that explore these challenges through the lens of technology, law, governance, ethics, and business.

Candidates for this position should be capable of conducting research with primary focus on the development of aerospace and/or ocean systems that are resilient to security threats or that provide significant resilience of other critical systems to security threats. Such threats can include cyber-physical attacks, malicious software, and natural disasters.  Example areas of security research that are currently being pursued within the department include GPS/GNSS spoofing and detection, the detection and defeat of cyber-physical attacks against general sensing and control systems, and defense against drone-based threats to high-value national assets.  The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to make contributions in additional areas of application or theory related to security and to compliment the department’s existing strengths.  Candidates should have research expertise in one or more of the following thrusts:  Autonomy; Controls; Air Transportation Security; Data Analytics; or in some other recognized sub-discipline of Aerospace and Ocean engineering related to resilience, security, and privacy.  Candidates should also demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate instruction and specialized graduate education.

The successful candidate will join a Department that is comprised of 37 faculty members, with approximately 175 full-time graduate students and 500 undergraduate students.  The candidate may contribute to the department’s existing collaborations with the Hume Center for National Security and Technology (www.hume.vt.edu), the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (www.ictas.vt.edu) and the Center for Space Science and Engineering Research (Space@VT, www.space.vt.edu).

Virginia Tech recognizes the critical importance of diverse teams of scholars.  It seeks to diversify its faculty along multiple dimensions, including those that have been historically marginalized and excluded given the institutional history and legacy of the university.  Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world.  Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT—serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence.  We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members.  Virginia Tech is a recipient of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers. Virginia Tech is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The AOE Department strongly supports the Virginia Tech Principles of Community. Information about the AOE Department is available at www.aoe.vt.edu.

Applicants must provide a cover letter, contact information for three professional references, a candidate statement discussing teaching, research, and professional goals, and a current CV. Those wishing further information about the search process may contact Dr. Mark Psiaki, Faculty Search Committee Chair, Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, 205 Randolph Hall, Virginia Tech, 460 Old Turner Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061 or at mlpsiaki@vt.edu. Review of applications will begin January 4, 2017 and continue until the position is filled.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, or veteran status; or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees, or applicants; or any other basis protected by law.

For inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies, contact the executive director for Equity and Access at 540-231-2010 or Virginia Tech, North End Center, Suite 2300 (0318), 300 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061.