Description
The Department of Engineering at Swarthmore College invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning in Fall 2027.
Candidates should have expertise in Mechanical Engineering and be capable of teaching courses in mechanical design and/or materials engineering. We will prioritize candidates whose teaching and research encompasses the cross-cutting focus areas of engineering design, social impacts of technology, and/or sustainability.
We seek candidates with the ability to teach talented undergraduates from diverse backgrounds in introductory core courses as well as mid- to upper-level elective courses in the candidate’s area of specialization – see https://catalog.swarthmore.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=31&poid=2439 for current offerings. Our course load is two courses per semester or the equivalent including lab sections.
Swarthmore’s Department of Engineering provides an ABET-accredited general Engineering major, with faculty distributed across the subfields of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil/Environmental Engineering, as well as a growing cross-cutting focus on Biomedical Engineering. All courses that count for our major have an attached laboratory component. Like the College at large, we value academic rigor and place a strong emphasis on undergraduate research. The department is housed in a new science building, and research support is available through both departmental funds and internal college College grants. Additional information about the department is available at https://www.swarthmore.edu/engineering/
Although Swarthmore is a small liberal arts college that strongly values teaching, it is essential that faculty engage in high-quality research that involves our students. Some of the factors which support this include:
- We attract exceptional undergraduates with great potential to become useful research assistants. Our top undergraduates compare favorably in ability with many early-career grad students, and their work as research assistants is often funded 100% by the college.
- The college has a generous sabbatical policy: one semester of paid leave every four years, extendable to a year with external funding. The first sabbatical leave is funded for a full year by the college.
- The job comes with ample support for lab space and equipment. Furthermore, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to customize their own lab space in our new building.
- The college's location near Philadelphia is ideal. Not only is Philadelphia a great city, but there are many potential collaborators and facilities nearby at 8 engineering schools (5 of which have graduate programs).
Located in the suburbs of Philadelphia and near Wilmington DE, Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity. We welcome applications from all candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable experience effectively supporting, teaching, and engaging a highly diverse student body. For more information available to all faculty at Swarthmore, see https://www.swarthmore.edu/provosts-office/welcome-to-provosts-office .
Qualifications
The successful candidate will have completed their PhD by January 2028. Interest in undergraduate teaching is crucial, and previous teaching/TAing experience is highly valued. We seek candidates who have a demonstrated and established record of conducting original research.
Application Instructions
Candidates should submit a cover letter that addresses their teaching experience, their interest in teaching at Swarthmore, and their preparation to teach undergraduates of diverse backgrounds. Cover letters should highlight any aspects of candidates’ research or teaching that touch on the cross-cutting focus areas of engineering design, social impacts of technology, and/or sustainability.
Additional application materials should include a CV, a teaching statement, a research statement, and names of three references who can be contacted with requests after the initial round of candidate selection. All application materials (cover letter and both statements) should address how candidates’ teaching and scholarship support diversity in engineering.
We will begin reviewing applications December 1, 2026 and continue accepting them until the position is filled. Candidates should apply by December 1, 2026 to recieve full consideration.
Please address any questions about the applications, the position, or our program to Maggie Delano, Associate Professor and Chair of Engineering at mdelano1@swarthmore.edu .
Apply at: apply.interfolio.com/189681
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity. We welcome applications from all candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to working effectively supporting, teaching, and engaging a highly diverse student body.
