Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering + AI

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POSITION SPECIFICS

Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering +AI

Tenure/Tenure Track Artificial Intelligence Positions at Penn State Harrisburg: Penn State University Harrisburg is aiming to hire multiple tenure-track positions for an exciting opportunity as part of a bold cluster of hires with a primary focus on Artificial Intelligence across the School of Humanities, the School of Business, and the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, including the position below. These faculty will complement a strong cohort of existing faculty in AI and many more whose work leverages AI to advance teaching and research; and supports the launch of the B.S. in Artificial Intelligence in Fall 2026.

Position: Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering + AI

Position Summary: Civil engineering is being transformed by AI and machine learning to improve construction and operation of both horizontal and vertical infrastructure. As a part of a cluster hire, this tenure-track position will play a leading role in the transformation of the construction engineering courses and research within the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering program at Penn State Harrisburg through cutting-edge knowledge of AI and ML use in civil and construction engineering and a commitment to teaching, research, and service. The successful candidate will contribute to our efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for students, foster robust, collaborative research, and engage in service activities supporting institutional goals.

Responsibilities: The primary responsibilities of the Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering + AI include the following:

Teaching: The candidate will be expected to teach 6 credit hours per semester for the first two years and 9 credits per semester after the 2nd year. Teaching assignments may be reduced based on research productivity. Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate courses in Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering. Relevant topics may include but are not limited to construction scheduling, cost estimating, construction management principles, BIM, ethics in engineering and construction, value engineering, sustainable infrastructure including modern building materials, and/or smart cities technologies. Introduction of AI into many of these courses supports Penn State's goal of producing AI literate students in all disciplines starting fall 2026.

Faculty will be expected to teach in both the residential BS and MS degree programs in Civil Engineering and Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology. Faculty also may be asked to teach in the engineering PhD program. Faculty also will be expected to participate in recruitment and retention activities, advise both undergraduate and graduate students, and supervise graduate student culminating experiences.

Research: The candidate will contribute to our growing emphasis on smart cities, sustainability, and resilient infrastructure. This role will focus on AI-driven solutions in Building Information Modeling (BIM), construction automation, and digital twin technologies to achieve resilience. The successful candidate will have opportunities to support smart city initiatives, optimize energy usage in buildings, and reduce carbon emissions through intelligent systems. Collaboration across engineering, computer science, and environmental disciplines is encouraged to advance sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

Service: Faculty are expected to serve on committees at the department, school, and college level so that the mission of the college and university are advanced. Professional service activities are supported and expected by all faculty. Faculty are also expected to actively promote and advance the school's steadfast commitment to inclusive education and improve the range of voices in STEM to their professional and the regional community of south-central Pennsylvania.

Qualifications: To be considered for the Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering + AI, candidates should possess the following qualifications:

Education: Candidates must have a doctoral degree by August 2026 in construction engineering, civil engineering, or a closely related field.

Expertise: The successful candidate will have a background in construction engineering with emphasis on the use of AI, Machine Learning, and/or other advanced technologies to address the challenges of construction regarding project scheduling, estimating, safety, building codes and contracts, construction economics, project management, ethics and professionalism, and/or building information modeling.

Application Process: To apply for the Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering, please visit Penn State's Human Resources website hr.psu.edu/careers and submit the following documents:

Cover Letter: The cover letter should include the candidate's interest in the position, a brief summary of their qualifications, and how they have incorporated inclusive excellence in their educational experiences.

Curriculum Vitae: The curriculum vitae should highlight the following: the candidate's education, teaching, professional experience, research, and service to their prior educational institutions, their communities, and the profession.

Teaching Philosophy: Candidates must submit a statement of teaching philosophy that highlights past experience and future plans for their teaching and that addresses their strategies for promoting inclusive excellence in the classroom.

Research Philosophy: Candidates must submit a statement of research philosophy that addresses research interest, past accomplishments and future goals with emphasis on the use of AI in construction engineering and management.

Professional References: Candidates must submit a list of three professional references with contact information.

System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For additional questions, please contact: Dr. Sofia Vidalis, Search Chair, at smv11@psu.edu.

About Penn State/The College/ The School:

Penn State Harrisburg is a campus of the Pennsylvania State University, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's land-grant institution, serving more than 85,000 students. Penn State Harrisburg, the Capital College, enrolls 4,600 students in residential instruction and an additional 1,000 students in programs delivered online via the University's World Campus. Penn State Harrisburg offers two associate, 35 baccalaureate, 25 Master's, and three doctoral degrees. The college also offers the first two years of study leading to more than 275 baccalaureate majors available throughout Penn State. Additionally, the campus participates in nine online degree offerings (six graduate and three undergraduate) through Penn State World Campus, and offers accelerated undergraduate/graduate programs, joint degrees in collaboration with Penn State Dickinson Law and the Penn State College of Medicine, and continuing education opportunities.

The School of Science, Engineering, and Technology is the largest school at Penn State Harrisburg. The School offers undergraduate degrees in computer science, engineering (civil, mechanical, and electrical), mathematical sciences, biology, and integrated sciences, as well as degrees in engineering technology in the areas of electrical, mechanical, and structural design and construction engineering technology. We also offer residential master's degrees in computer science, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering and an online master's professional degree in electrical engineering. The computer science, and the civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering programs have accelerated undergraduate/graduate degrees leading to both the BS and MS in 5 years. In Fall 2023, the School launched a PhD program in Engineering Systems and will be participating in a university-wide online computer science program launching in Fall 2025. The successful candidate will be joining a faculty of approximately 80 full-time faculty and 12 full-time staff. Faculty and staff are members of various professionally oriented organizations. The School has student chapters of organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, Professional Engineers and Contractors, Society for Women Engineers, National Society for Black Engineers, Society for Hispanic Professional Engineering, and Women in Technology, in addition to the Computing and AI Club.

For more information about Penn State Harrisburg, please visit the college's website at harrisburg.psu.edu.

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