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Form of workJob Description Unleash Your Potential With Us
As a next-generation public research institution, we are an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to shape the future and solve the world’s most challenging problems. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you become an integral part of our mission to become a university for the future. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with uniquely talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses and regional locations. That means greater challenges to tackle, more meaningful opportunities to grow, and rewarding experiences that go beyond a paycheck.
The Opportunity
The University of Central Florida (UCF) has committed to the challenge of shaping the emerging digital worlds through the Knights Digital Twin Strategic Initiative (KDT). The KDT initiative capitalizes on UCF’s modeling and simulation (M&S) foundations and strengths to develop new collaboration and partnership paradigms to launch and scale research and business ventures that will enable us to address the new challenges of rapid and disruptive innovation. The vibrant Central Florida ecosystem houses the second largest research park in the country, has over 300 industry collaborators and partners in M&S and engineering in the region, and includes the space coast with emerging and rapidly growing commercial and government opportunities for partnerships. Areas of applications include but are not limited to defense, national security, space operations, semiconductor fabrication, logistics and supply chains, transportation, and smart cities.
The UCF KDT Initiative is inviting applications for multiple 9-month, full-time faculty positions at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure earning) or Associate Professor (tenured) to conduct research, development, and teaching with multidisciplinary teams in areas related to Digital Twins (DT). The tenure homes for these positions will be in either the School of Modeling, Simulation, and Training, or the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Regardless of the tenure home, the faculty members are expected to contribute to our strategic focus on Digital Twin design and implementation.
We invite applications from candidates with strong background in the following areas:
1. School of Modeling, Simulation, and Training (SMST):
a. Real-time modeling, simulation and visualization: Model-based design, development, and implementation with strong hands-on experience.
b. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and data science: Developing and applying data-driven, human-aligned, ethical, safe, and explainable AI models and methods with strong programming skills. Experience with generative AI and recommender systems are pluses.
c. Computational modeling: Leveraging modern distributed and cloud computational systems to train and run models, algorithms, simulations, and visualizations, with strong software and hardware knowledge of high-performance computing (HPC) for big data, IoT sensing, and real-time simulations.
d. Brain-inspired AI and cognitive computational neuroscience.
2. College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS):
a. Computer Science: Technical research in VR/AR/MR, Digital Twin software architecture, rendering, immersive data analytics, ML, and generative AI algorithms and applications.
b. Civil Engineering: Smart cities/mobility, transportation, autonomous vehicles; infrastructure design, monitoring, and maintenance; environmental physical and natural systems for food, energy, and water; emergency management and community resilience.
c. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Anomaly detection, AI, ML/DL, low-order-physics modeling for Digital Twins of newer power generation and energy systems, spanning of hydrogen, ammonia, power-to-X fuels, energy storage, urban air mobility. Applications of Digital Twins leading to optimization, operation, and maintenance of these systems.
d. Electrical and Computer Engineering: ML, AI, and edge intelligence to improve efficiency, predictive capabilities, and decision-making for Digital Twins. Application of Digital Twins to enhance and integrate energy systems (smart grids and renewable energy) and to improve autonomous vehicles, drones, and robotics.
e. Industrial Engineering: Digital twin for organizations/enterprises, and industrial and service operations (Industry 5.0). Model-based systems engineering for product life cycle. M&S for human-machine interactions and human neural signatures and brain-computer interfaces.
Faculty hired under the KDT initiative are expected to develop strong research activities aligned with the overarching vision of the initiative, develop new and participate in existing multidisciplinary activities and projects, train postdoctoral scholars, serve as primary advisor for graduate students, and mentor and interact with undergraduate students. Salary and start-up package will be commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications.
UCF is one of the nation’s largest universities with a diverse student body of more than 68,000 students, 240 degree programs, and more than 12,000 employees. UCF is an economic engine, attracting and supporting industries vital to the region’s future while providing students with real-world experiences that help them succeed after graduation. We encourage you to learn more about UCF at http://www.ucf.edu, SMST at https://www.ist.ucf.edu, and the CECS at http://www.cecs.ucf.edu
Minimum Qualifications:
- A doctoral degree from an accredited institution in an area appropriate to this position at the time of the appointment. This includes but is not limited to candidates with terminal degrees in Modeling and Simulation, Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Informatics, or other areas relevant to the KDT initiative.
Candidates must demonstrate a strong record of research.
To be eligible for appointment as a tenured Associate Professor upon hire, the selected candidate must have a demonstrated record of teaching, research, and service commensurate with rank in a department/school related to the candidate’s area of expertise.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Candidates with an exceptional record of scholarly research and highly recognized for their technical contributions and leadership in their areas of expertise.
- Academic experience in design and development of Digital Twin for research, operational, and/or human systems in one or more of the application areas listed above.
- Demonstrated teaching skills, and ability to effectively communicate with and mentor students and postdoctoral scholars.
- Demonstrated effective communication and collaboration skills across disciplines and an established research network at the local, national, and/or international levels.
- Potential to initiate and obtain funding for multi-disciplinary research activities.
Additional Application Materials Required:
UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/. In addition to the online application, interested candidates should upload a cover letter, research statement, teaching statement/vision, current curriculum vitae, and a list with contact information for three (3) professional references. Candidates are encouraged to specify the (a) school or department, and (b) rank of interest.
NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be simultaneously uploaded. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.
The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials.
Review of applications will start on January 8, 2024; applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all positions are filed.
Are Benefits Important to You? Working at UCF has its perks! In addition to helping drive change and having a positive impact by supporting our students, staff, and faculty, UCF offers:
- Benefit packages including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, healthcare flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program.
- Paid time off, including annual leave (12-month faculty) and sick leave and paid holidays.
- Retirement savings options.
- Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando area attractions.
- Education assistance.
- Flexible work environment.
And more…For more benefits information, go to ‘Prospective Employees’ on the UCF Human Resources website (https://hr.ucf.edu/).
Who Are We?
Founded in 1963 to fuel the region’s talent pipeline and support the growing U.S. space program, UCF is built to make a better future for our students and society. It’s one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF among the nation’s top 20 most innovative colleges, while Forbes, Kiplinger, and The Princeton Review rank us a best-value university. UCF is one of 14 universities nationwide designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Research 1 university. With 13 colleges, including a fully accredited College of Medicine, UCF offers more than 240 degree programs between its main campus, downtown campus, hospitality campus, academic health sciences campus, and 11 UCF Connect centers located throughout the region. In addition, UCF extends its reach to communities in and beyond Central Florida by offering complete, online programs leading to bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, Ph.D.'s., certificates, and more.
The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer. Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.
Additional Requirements related to Research Positions
Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of higher education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.
The additional screening requirements only apply to employment in research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty positions (including employed visiting positions), graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, postdoctoral scholar positions, and undergraduate positions.
