The Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., Canada is aiming to build on its ranking as one of the world's top engineering schools by expanding its recruitment of both tenure-track and teaching track positions across multiple departments. This broad initiative is expected to continue the growth of McMaster as a leading destination for innovative teaching and research.
To support this growth and further develop McMaster Engineering's longstanding strengths in research, innovation and graduate training, the positions being offered will include two Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) and tenure-track positions, with specialization in the fields of micro-nano technology, smart systems, and bio-innovation.
"The rapid growth in the reputation of the Faculty of Engineering reflects our continuing focus on innovative research designed for impact and educating agile learners to become equipped to tackle our world's greatest challenges," says Ishwar K. Puri, McMaster's dean of engineering.
In addition to successful applicants teaching both undergraduate and graduate level courses, they will also be expected to establish a strong externally-funded research program, supervise graduate students and foster existing or new collaborations with other departments and faculties.
“A range of perspectives leads to better insights and innovation, and our diverse and inclusive community is a key factor in our success. We welcome experts from around the world to be part of this next generation of growth and innovation in the Faculty of Engineering," adds John Preston, McMaster Engineering's associate dean, research and external relations.
The strength of McMaster Engineering has been its strong focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and an emphasis on research with impact. This focus on R&D with real-world impact is demonstrated by how its research has scored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in categories such as good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, and industry, innovation and infrastructure and climate action.
Earlier this year, McMaster ranked 17th in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and number one in Canada for good health and well-being and decent work and economic growth. The rankings recognize the important contributions universities make to their communities, countries and on an international scale.
In a combination of both its commitment to impactful research and collaboration, McMaster Engineering has also aimed at providing a supportive and inclusive environment that celebrates big ideas and commercialization while working with industry partners around the world to solve the world's most pressing challenges.
The Faculty's mission to push the boundaries of discovery and innovation plays a significant role in helping McMaster University earn its reputation as one of Canada's most innovative universities.
As Canada's most research-intensive university, McMaster's commitment to research continues to be reflected in its rankings. Most recently McMaster was named one of the world's top 70 universities in the 2021 Times Higher Education rankings. As well, 14 academic disciplines at McMaster Engineering are ranked among the best in Canada by Shanghai Ranking.
Innovation extends to McMaster Engineering's approach to education. In September 2020 after a two-year pilot, McMaster Engineering formally launched The Pivot, an historic $15 million initiative marking the largest transformation of the school's curriculum, experiential learning and the classroom experience in the 62-year history of the Faculty.
This year, as part of The Pivot initiative, more than 1,100 first-year engineering students are experiencing the school's new interactive course called Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects in Engineering. This novel course integrates concepts previously taught in four different courses into a single, seamless, project-based learning experience, allowing students to work in teams, design prototypes and solve real-world problems.
By transforming the engineering curriculum, reimagining the learning environment and amplifying experiential learning, The Pivot takes a project-based and experiential learning approach to developing future-ready graduates with design-thinking and entrepreneurial mindsets.
For more information on current opportunities within the Faculty of Engineering, view the postings here.
Dexter Johnson is a contributing editor at IEEE Spectrum, with a focus on nanotechnology.
