Associate/Full Professor & Inaugural Director for the Institute for Autonomous & Connected Systems (Tenure Track/Tenured) in Norfolk

The Batten College of Engineering and Technology (BCET) at Old Dominion University (ODU) seeks an experienced, accomplished, and visionary leader to serve as the inaugural Director of a newly established Institute for Autonomous & Connected Systems (IACS) starting Fall 2024. This will be a 10-month tenure track/tenured faculty appointment at the Associate or Full Professor rank. This position is open to candidates from all engineering disciplines in any of the academic departments in the BCET. The appointment will be in one of the five BCET departments depending on the selected candidate’s background and expertise.

The primary responsibility of the Institute Director is to provide strategic leadership for the institute to realize its vision and mission in alignment with the BCET’s Strategic Plan “Focus on the Future”. The Director will also be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in their field. The inaugural director will work collaboratively with the institute faculty and stakeholders to:

• Establish effective strategic goals and develop a robust strategic plan for enhancing the quality, quantity, impact, and recognition of the sponsored research activities;
• Encourage the institute faculty to pursue and secure research funding;
• Oversee and coordinate the research activities and foster a culture of innovation within the institute;
• Identify strengths, gaps, needs, and sustained growth opportunities;
• Promote excellent research through synergistic interdisciplinary collaboration among the institute faculty and other faculty in the college and across campus;
• Cultivate relationships and develop partnerships with other universities, government, industry, and funding agencies;
• Create new and improve existing interdisciplinary engineering academic programs relevant to the institute mission;
• Communicate research impact and represent the institute to the public and stakeholders;
• Advise the Dean on all matters relating to the Institute and its mission.

About the Institute: The IACS Institute brings together faculty and students across the Colleges of Engineering & Technology, Arts & Letters, and Sciences who have mutual interest in advancing the interdisciplinary research and development of autonomous and connected systems including uncrewed and autonomous vehicles in air, land, space, and maritime applications. The Institute serves to elevate awareness of ODU’s expertise in autonomous and connected systems, connect ODU researchers with relevant industry and government agencies, and pursue large team-based funding opportunities. IACS has an education mission and supports an undergraduate certificate program and a minor in Engineering, Design and Operation of Uncrewed Aerial Systems. The vision of IACS is to be recognized as a leader of innovation and applications of autonomous and connected systems. The Institute is also poised to create opportunities for research collaboration between the BCET, the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center (VMASC), and several industry partners in the Hampton Roads region.

Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to candidates who:

• Possess strong leadership, administrative, and communication skills;
• Are able to develop and articulate a vision for advancing the mission of the institute through partnerships with industry and the government;
• Have prior leadership experience in leading large grants or in academic leadership roles such as department chair and director of research centers;
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to shared governance practices, transparency, consensus building, collaborative leadership values, and diversity, equity, and inclusion among students, faculty, and staff.