About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Description

The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for multiple tenure-track faculty positions. While we are seeking talented applicants qualified for a tenure-track assistant professor position, under exceptional circumstances, highly qualified candidates at the associate professor rank may receive consideration. The appointment is expected to begin September 1, 2025.

The position is defined broadly across the entire scope of BME, including areas that overlap with and build on current research themes, as well as areas that do not currently exist in the department. Applicants working on areas with a strong clinical and translational focus, which will leverage collaborations with UMass Chan Medical School and Boston-area hospitals, are strongly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate is expected to teach existing graduate and undergraduate courses in BME and will be encouraged to develop new creative curricula in areas of their interest or across disciplines.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering currently has 14 full-time faculty members, approximately 60 graduate students, and 370 undergraduates. The department expects to significantly expand its BME faculty and student count over the next few years. Additional information about the Department can be obtained at bme.umass.edu.

Requirements

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field by August 31, 2025. Applicants must demonstrate potential for scholarly excellence and for developing an externally funded research program. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an internationally recognized scholarly presence. Candidates will also be expected to teach existing undergraduate and graduate courses in our curriculum in biomedical engineering in addition to developing courses in their area of expertise. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Additional Information

The steps of the process are as follows:

• A minimally qualified pool is identified from the applicants, ideally by the end of November 2024.
• All remaining candidates are evaluated and a “long list” is identified, which will be interviewed via video conference. Candidates invited to these interviews will be emailed at least one week before the scheduled date.
  • For candidates advancing to the long list: references will be contacted, and candidates will have an opportunity to submit 1 or 2 representative scholarly works.
• A “shortlist” is developed from the long list, and these candidates will be invited to interview on campus. While we anticipate interviews on campus in January and February 2025, we remain flexible in light of potential health concerns related to travel.

College of Engineering Mission, Vision, and Inclusivity statement: https://www.umass.edu/engineering/about/mission-vision-and-inclusivity-statement

UMass Amherst Inclusivity Mission Statement: https://www.umass.edu/diversity/about

Application Instructions

Candidates must provide the following in their application package addressed to “BME Faculty Search Committee.” Applications must be received by November 15, 2024, for full consideration. All files must be provided in .pdf format.

• A cover letter, addressed to “BME Faculty Search Committee”. The cover letter should a) introduce yourself, b) briefly describe your research interests, and c) describe your vision for this position. Page limit: 2 pages
• A research statement. Candidates should situate their past research in a broader scholarly context and give their research vision for this position. Candidates are specifically asked to mention the types of scholarship they will perform, how that scholarship will be disseminated, and the expectation for how that scholarship will be funded. Statements will be evaluated based on assessment of demonstrated excellence or demonstrated promise of future excellence. Page limit: 5 pages
• A teaching statement. Candidates should describe their past teaching experience and express their teaching vision for this position. Candidates are specifically asked to mention existing courses in BME they are qualified to offer and also mention classes they are interested in developing. Candidates should address both undergraduate and graduate classes. Statements will be evaluated based on assessment of demonstrated excellence or demonstrated promise of future excellence.  Page limit: 2 pages
• A statement of vision for the candidate’s role in advancing equity, justice, inclusion, and broadening participation in engineering. Please discuss prior experiences and planned future actions integrated across research, teaching, service, and outreach that will result in more equitable engineering solutions, help broaden participation in engineering, build an inclusive engineering community, and contribute to the mission of the College of Engineering and UMass. (https://www.umass.edu/strategicplan/strategic-plan). Page limit: 2 pages
• A current curriculum vitae. The CV is typically ordered as follows: 1) education, 2) employment, 3) awards and honors, 4) sponsored research (if any), 5) peer reviewed publications, 6) service, and 7) other sections as considered appropriate by the candidate.
• Contact information, (name, title, email address, institution) for 3 professional references. References will not be contacted until the second phase of the search.

The University is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic career and degree.