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POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in partnership with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, invite applications for a tenure-line faculty position at the rank of Associate or Full Professor in Biomechanics and Biorobotics. The successful candidate will also serve as the Director of the Center for Movement Science and Technology (C-MOST) within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. The anticipated start date is Fall 2027.

This is a strategic leadership opportunity for an internationally recognized scholar to help shape the future of biomechanics and biorobotics at Penn State. The successful candidate will lead the continued development of C-MOST while establishing a broader interdisciplinary Biorobotics Research Cluster that connects and facilitates world-class research across Penn State's colleges, institutes, and campuses.

The Opportunity

Penn State has longstanding strengths in biomechanics, movement science, engineering, the life sciences, neuroscience, materials, computation, medicine, and human health. C-MOST provides a foundation for bringing these complementary strengths together around fundamental questions of movement and the development of transformative technologies.

We seek an accomplished scientist, engineer, or physician-scientist with an outstanding record of scholarly achievement, external research funding, interdisciplinary collaboration, and scientific leadership. The successful candidate will develop and advance a compelling vision for C-MOST and create new opportunities for collaboration among researchers, engineers, clinicians, and external partners.

The Director will be expected to build C-MOST as a platform for interdisciplinary discovery and technology development while advancing a broader vision for Biorobotics at Penn State. This effort will bring together expertise spanning biomechanics and neuromechanics, robotics and control, biological systems, materials, computation, medicine, rehabilitation, and human performance.

The position provides an opportunity for a senior scholar to help define a field at the intersection of biology, movement, engineering, and robotics and to build research programs that extend from fundamental discovery to technologies with meaningful applications in health, medicine, performance, and beyond.

The Director will also contribute to the strategic activities and administration of C-MOST, including personnel, budgetary resources, research infrastructure, development activities, education and outreach, and engagement with internal and external partners.

Importantly, this is a faculty leadership position. The successful candidate will maintain an independent, externally funded research program and will contribute to undergraduate and graduate education and mentorship.

Areas of Research

We seek candidates whose scholarship contributes to the broad and rapidly evolving field of biomechanics and biorobotics. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Human and biological movement biomechanics
• Neuromechanics and sensorimotor control
• Biorobotics and bio-inspired robotics
• Human-robot interaction
• Assistive and rehabilitative robotics
• Wearable and robotic technologies
• Computational biomechanics and movement science
• Robotics for health, medicine, and rehabilitation
• Musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems
• Mechanobiology and biological materials
• Robotics, sensing, and control of biological movement
• Translational technologies for human performance, health, and rehabilitation

We particularly encourage applications from candidates whose research crosses disciplinary boundaries and who have demonstrated the ability to build collaborative programs involving scientists, engineers, clinicians, and/or external partners.

Penn State's Interdisciplinary Research Environment

Penn State offers an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biomechanics, biorobotics, life sciences, engineering, and human health. C-MOST was established in 2015 to advance interdisciplinary research and training in basic and applied movement sciences. The center includes faculty from across 14 Departments and 6 colleges, bringing together expertise in biomechanics and neuromechanics, physiology, cognition, biorobotics, computational modelling and clinical science. The center is housed within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. The Huck Institutes serve as a hub for life sciences research at Penn State, bringing together scientists from across the University to address fundamental questions and societal challenges. The Huck Institutes supports Centers and Institutes, including C-MOST and the Neuroscience Institute; graduate programs, including the Interdisciplinary Graduate Degree Programs in Integrative and Biomedical Physiology and in Neuroscience; and manages shared and core facilities with instrumentation and expertise in genomics, metabolomics, imaging, and other technologies.

The Department of Kinesiology is home to over 50 faculty and 900 students. Faculty have funded research in the areas of biomechanics, motor neuroscience, women’s health, cardiovascular physiology, environmental physiology, clinical rehabilitation, and behavior change to increase physical activity. The Department offers separate B.S., M.S., M.A.T., and Ph.D. degrees. There are also options for dual Ph.D. degrees in Clinical and Translational Sciences and in Neuroscience. The Department of Mechanical Engineering is home to more than 65 faculty, 350 graduate students, and 1110 undergraduate students. The Department offers separate B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degree programs in mechanical engineering including online graduate programs in mechanical engineering and in additive manufacturing and design.  Together, the faculty across the departments conduct in excess of $60M per year of funded research across a broad spectrum of traditional and emerging areas.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to collaborate broadly across Penn State, including with the College of Health and Human Development, College of Engineering, College of Medicine, Materials Research Institute, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and other interdisciplinary institutes, centers, and programs.

The position is designed to capitalize on these complementary strengths and create new intellectual and technological connections across the University. The Director will have an opportunity to help define the next generation of interdisciplinary research in biomechanics and biorobotics and to establish Penn State as a leading destination for researchers working at the interface of movement, biology, engineering, and robotics.

Qualifications

Candidates must have an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in biomechanics, kinesiology, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, robotics, neuroscience, medicine, or a closely related discipline.

Successful candidates will have:

• An outstanding record of research excellence and scholarly productivity appropriate to the rank of Associate or Full Professor;
• A sustained record of peer-reviewed extramural research funding, including active awards;
• A record of leadership in interdisciplinary research initiatives and collaborations;
• National or international recognition for scholarly contributions;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and sustain productive collaborations across disciplinary and organizational boundaries;
• Experience developing large-scale research programs or multidisciplinary research initiatives;
• Experience translating fundamental research, technologies, or discoveries toward clinical, industrial, or other applications;
• Evidence of effective teaching and mentorship at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels;
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrated ability to bring together individuals and groups with diverse scientific and technical expertise around shared research goals.

Candidates for the rank of Full Professor should demonstrate a sustained record of national or international scholarly leadership, significant external funding, and contributions to the development of interdisciplinary research programs. Candidates for Associate Professor should demonstrate a strong record of scholarly achievement, external funding, interdisciplinary collaboration, and leadership appropriate to the rank.

About Penn State

The Pennsylvania State University is a land-grant institution and one of the top 30 research universities in the United States, ranking among the top 15 public institutions. The University Park Campus is located in State College, a vibrant university town in central Pennsylvania, offering excellent schools and outstanding recreational and cultural activities. The campus is within a 3-4 hour drive to major metropolitan areas, including Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Pittsburgh.

 

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission.

 

Our campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

 

Application Materials

Applicants should submit the following materials through the online application system:

• Cover letter (1–2 pages) describing the candidate's qualifications and interest in the position.
• Research statement (3–4 pages) describing current research, future research directions, and plans for developing an externally funded interdisciplinary research program at Penn State.
• C-MOST and Biorobotics Vision Statement (2–3 pages) describing the candidate's vision for C-MOST and for developing a broader Biorobotics research cluster at Penn State, including opportunities for interdisciplinary research, external partnerships, and growth.
• Teaching and mentoring statement (1–2 pages).
• Curriculum vitae.
• Names and contact information for three professional references.

For more information, please contact Search Chair Jonas Rubenson ([email protected]). Review of applications will begin immediately, and continue until a suitable candidate is identified.

 

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

 

 

 

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional wellbeing. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

 

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission.

 

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