The Karen M. Swindler Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology seeks exceptional candidates for one or more tenure-track or tenured faculty positions at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor.  To be considered at the rank of Full Professor, the applicant should have a strong record of teaching, funded research, and service to warrant a tenured appointment, subject to SD Board of Regents approval.  The department promotes an outstanding educational environment for students; thus, applicants should demonstrate an interest and commitment to excellence in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.  Preference will be given to candidates with experience and research interest in advanced materials (including energetic materials), alternative energy, biochemical and bioprocess engineering, catalysis, machine learning/data science, pharmaceuticals, polymer processing and composites, and separations/bio-separations.  Exceptional candidates with other research interests will also be considered.  Previous university teaching, process design, and/or other industrial experiences are highly desirable as well as a strong record of multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Candidates will have an earned doctorate in Chemical Engineering or in a closely related discipline at the time of appointment.  Successful candidates are expected to initiate and/or sustain a strong, externally sponsored research program.  The desired start date is August 2022. 

The new faculty member will participate in the BS and MS programs in Chemical Engineering and the PhD program in Chemical and Biological Engineering.  Opportunities exist to collaborate with CBE faculty (http://www.sdsmt.edu/cbe/research/) and with other faculty on campus from various programs including Biomedical Engineering, Materials Engineering and Science, and Nanoscience and Nanoengineering PhD programs.  The CBE faculty enjoy close supporting relationships with the Composites and Polymer Engineering Laboratory (CAPE, http://cape.sdsmt.edu), the Composites and Nanocomposites Advanced Manufacturing Center (CNAM, http://www.sdsmt.edu/Research/Labs-and-Centers/Composite-and-Nanocomposite-Advanced-Manufacturing-Center/), the Direct Write Laboratory (DWL, http://www.sdsmt.edu/Research/Labs-and-Centers/Direct-Write-Lab/), the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF, http://sanfordlab.org/), the Biochemical Spatiotemporal NeTwork Resource (Bio-SNTR, http://www.sdepscor.org/biosntr/index.php), and the 2-Dimensional Materials for Biofilm Engineering, Science and Technology Center (2DBEST, https://sdepscor.org/what-we-do/research/2dbest/). For additional information regarding research opportunities, view http://www.sdsmt.edu/Research/.

The Karen M. Swindler Chemical and Biological Engineering Department has a long-standing tradition of excellent process-oriented educational programs, producing quality graduates sought after by both industry and top graduate programs.  In 2011, CBE moved into the $19MM Chemical and Biological Engineering and Chemistry (CBEC) building, which offers state of the art teaching facilities and research laboratories and includes a new pilot scale unit operations laboratory.  The department offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees, and it is currently home to about 165 undergraduate students and 45 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers.  CBE has a strong research enterprise with annual grant expenditures exceeding $2.5MM.  For more information regarding the Karen M. Swindler CBE Department, visit http://www.sdsmt.edu/CBE. 

Established in 1885, South Dakota Mines is one of the nation’s leading engineering, science and technology universities.  South Dakota Mines is located in Rapid City, SD, and delivers a best-in-class education at an affordable price, with a supportive and collaborative campus community that prepares graduates to become in-demand leaders in today’s fastest-growing industries.

Known for our academic rigor, we maintain an average class size of 24 and our students benefit from immersive learning experiences including undergraduate research, co-ops/internships, and numerous nationally competitive engineering teams. College students who are serious about their future, passionate about STEM, and eager to solve society’s most pressing problems excel at Mines. Our Research Programs are concentrated in four areas: energy and environment; materials and manufacturing; STEM education; and underground science and engineering.  South Dakota Mines is a growing university that enrolls around 2,400 students from 45 states and 40 countries and is ranked as the best engineering school for return on investment by College Factual. The placement rate for recent Mines graduates is 97 percent in their field of study.

Rapid City is the state's second largest city (with an urban population of 77,503 and metropolitan population of 148,749) and is nestled at the foot of the beautiful Black Hills. Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial are all within an hour of the university. Rapid City enjoys a relatively mild climate and offers year-round recreational opportunities, including, hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, fishing, and hunting, to name a few. For more information about South Dakota Mines and Rapid City, visit: http://sdsmt.edu/The-Rushmore-Region/.

South Dakota Mines is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and offers an excellent comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and life coverage options for employees, spouses and dependents; retirement plans; paid holidays; and a generous vacation and sick day allowance. Individuals interested in this position must apply online at https://www.sdsmt.edu/employment/. Human Resources can provide accommodation to the online application process and may be reached at (605) 394-1203. Review of applications will begin December 6, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled. Employment is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory background investigation.