WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Department Chair

     West Virginia University (WVU) invites applications and nominations for the position of Department Chair for the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE) in the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. We seek an energetic and ambitious leader with a strong record of scholarly and professional accomplishments to lead the department into a new era and help achieve greater national and international recognition. The vision of the Statler College is to be recognized internationally for its excellence in education, research and outreach; the CBE Department plays a key role in meeting this vision.

     The CBE Department has a long history of providing an outstanding undergraduate education and strong research in the area of fossil fuels and materials engineering, and it has recently added a new academic and research program in biomedical engineering. The CBE Department has developed strong programs in the areas of process systems engineering, process intensification using novel catalysts, and natural gas conversion.  The newly accredited biomedical engineering program boasts research in several areas related to systems biology, cancer research, neuroscience, and nanomedicine.

     The Department has 14 tenure track faculty and 3 teaching track faculty members, approximately 290 undergraduate, and 60 graduate students. The Department offers degrees at the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. levels in both chemical and biomedical engineering. Faculty have strong research funding records from major agencies such as National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health as well as national and regional industry. In addition, growing collaborations exist between the biomedical engineering program and the WVU’s Health Sciences Center and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Morgantown, as well as between the chemical engineering program and the National Energy and Technology Laboratories (NETL).

     Applicants must have an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, or a closely related field. Applicants must also have a nationally and internationally recognized reputation in research, a proven record of teaching, expertise with student recruiting and retention, service, and active commitments to transparent leadership, team-building, and institutional growth. The successful candidate should possess academic credentials or professional qualifications that merit appointment as a tenured Professor in the department. Lastly, the qualified applicant must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community.

     The Chair reports to the Dean of the Statler College and is responsible for the administration of all programs and budgets of the department, working with faculty, staff, and students to deliver outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs, and fostering research efforts of the highest quality. Specific duties include administration; leadership and planning; mentoring and recruiting; teaching; research and scholarly activity; representing the department to constituents; and developing and maintaining productive relationships with alumni, business, and government communities. The department is developing a strategic vision for the next decade, and the new chair is to play a vital role in establishing the future direction of the department to increase its reputation and national recognition through appropriate rankings.

     The Statler College has eight academic departments, over 4,700 students, and 135 faculty. It is nationally recognized for high quality teaching and research, as well as for its excellent faculty and students. WVU is the State’s comprehensive Land Grant University with a main campus enrollment of approximately 29,000 students and a Carnegie Classification –R1: Doctoral Universities Highest Research Activity. Morgantown is ranked among the most livable small cities in the country, with a population of approximately 31,000 residents. The surrounding metro area has 137,000 residents. The community lies within a high technology corridor that also includes several federal research facilities, such as the U.S. DOE’s NETL, NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation Facility (IV&V), NIOSH and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as private industry. The city is located within reasonable driving distances from Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC. Additional details on the area and the university are available at http://www.morgantownwv.gov/ and http://www.wvu.edu.

     Morgantown is a safe, inclusive, and family-friendly community. WVU provides faculty members with a supportive environment for developing a visible and productive career (https://talentandculture.wvu.edu/new-employees) and a range of progressive policies to support work-life integration (https://faculty.wvu.edu/policies-and-procedures/work-life-integration). WVU also offers a Dual Career Program to assist partners in their career transition and job search, and it belongs to the OH/Western PA/WV Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (https://www.hercjobs.org/oh-western-pa-wv).

     To apply for this position visit www.jobs.wvu.edu. If possible, please submit a single document containing a cover letter detailing professional experience, a statement describing the vision for the department considering the different aspects emphasized above, curriculum vitae and the names and contact information of at least three professional references. Application review begins on December 15, 2019.  It should be noted that complete and professional quality documentation must be submitted in order for any candidate to be considered for this position. For further information, contact Dr. Gregory Dudley, Search Chair via email: gregory.dudley@mail.wvu.edu.