Description

Applications are invited for the inaugural head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) being established in the Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT). The newly formed department is the result of growing enrollment and positive momentum within the nationally ranked biomedical engineering graduate and undergraduate programs that presently exist within the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE). The new BME department head will help shape the future by establishing and implementing a vision which aligns with university goals and research thrusts to grow UT’s biomedical sciences portfolio. This is an exciting time in TCE, with new records in research, translation, and enrollment being set in each of the past three years. The new department head will be equipped to grow the current BME faculty from the eleven core and multiple affiliate faculty members in alignment with their vision. 

The BME degree programs presently reside within the MABE department. Operation of an independent department will commence upon the start of the appointment of the department head, anticipated to be on August 1, 2025. The BME program has current enrollments of over 350 undergraduate and more than 30 full-time graduate students. Current BME faculty research strengths include cellular engineering, cardiovascular biomechanics and imaging, prosthetics, neuroscience, and robotics. Strategic partners in the region include the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Knoxville. In addition, there are cross-disciplinary college and campus cluster faculty hiring initiatives in numerous areas, including precision health, bioinformatics, and radiochemistry for imaging and therapeutics. The head of BME will have the opportunity to lead the department in its pursuit of excellence with strategic hires in key areas through the college, and through participation in university-level initiatives. The goal is to establish UT’s BME department as a national and global leader in research innovation and excellence in education. 

Primary responsibilities of the inaugural department head include: 

• providing visionary leadership to encourage excellence, innovation, and strategic growth in research, teaching, and service; 
• recruiting and mentoring excellent faculty members; 
• advancing professional development of faculty, staff, and students; 
• promoting productive relationships with all constituents, including students, parents, alumni, industry, and government agencies; 
• fostering productive interdisciplinary relationships with a variety of entities across the University community; and, 
• advocating for and promoting the interests of the department within and outside the University.  

TCE is in an unprecedented period of growth and success including adding over 30 new tenure-line faculty members 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. 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. TCE is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 3,800 undergraduate and 1,150 graduate students, the college ranks 29th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings, up 6 spots since 2021.  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. 

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering or other closely related field and be eligible for appointment at the rank of full professor.  

The successful candidate must demonstrate: a commitment to a welcoming culture, the ability to recruit and retain top faculty and staff, recognized expertise and an established portfolio of external funding in a BME-related field of research, experience and willingness to work with alumni and donors, a commitment to a team environment and collegial spirit within TCE, the ability to manage conflict, a strategic vision for the department that aligns with TCE priorities, and the administrative skill to implement a plan for such a vision.  

Application Instructions

About University of Tennessee - Tickle College of Engineering

Since 1838, the Tickle College of Engineering has been committed to graduating students who are ready to thrive in and contribute to the State of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. Programs spanning most major engineering fields are offered, with several nationally ranked among the top 30 of all public institutions. Along with obtaining an excellent engineering education, our students are instilled with the Volunteer Values of lifelong learning, leading with integrity and innovation, inclusivity, active community engagement, and responsible resource management. Our research portfolio spans eight departments of study, with particular clusters of strength in the areas of advanced manufacturing; next-generation materials; energy; environmental engineering, and healthcare, robotics, and smart technologies. Many of our graduates have risen to top positions in industry, government, and academia, including nine astronauts who have literally risen, spending a collective 1,000 days (and counting!) in space.

Connections working at University of Tennessee - Tickle College of Engineering