University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Application Process:

Click "Apply Now" and create or login to your applicant profile. Upload the following required documents:

1. Cover letter.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. A statement describing your research.
4. A statement describing your teaching.
5. A statement of how your combined professional and academic experiences have equipped you to make a valuable contribution to the COE Complete Engineer ® Program (engineering.unl.edu/complete-engineer).
6. A list of at three (3) to five (5) professional references including contact information.

The statements for items 3, 4, and 5 together should total no more than seven (7) pages. All documents other than the cover letter and the curriculum vitae can be added in "Additional Attachments." After the review of applications begins, those with any missing required statements may not be given full consideration. For questions about this position, please contact Dr. Christine Wittich, search committee chair, at cwittich@unl.edu.

Job Summary:

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Structural Engineering with an anticipated start date in August 2026. Candidates for this position are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching excellence at the undergraduate and graduate levels, along with a proven research capability that will support the development of an externally funded, independent research program and publication in leading scholarly journals. The successful candidate should also be prepared to collaborate with colleagues, develop new research efforts, and contribute to ongoing research initiatives.

This position offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and access to advanced research infrastructure. Facilities within CEE include high-bay structural testing laboratories on both City Campus in Lincoln and Scott Campus in Omaha. Additional advanced research infrastructure is available through the Nebraska Transportation Center, the Mid-America Transportation Center (Region VII University Transportation Center), the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, the Nebraska Nanoengineering Research Facility, the Nebraska Water Center, the Heartlands Robotics Cluster, and the Holland Computing Center. Opportunities for collaborations further span the University of Nebraska system, including the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, the Center for Nanohybrid Functional Materials, the Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory, NSF Nebraska EPSCoR, NASA Nebraska EPSCoR, Innovation Campus, and other state and federally funded research centers and programs.

About Us:

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering consists of 36 faculty members, 487 undergraduate students, and 105 graduate students with ABET/EAC accredited programs for the B.S in civil engineering and B.S. in environmental engineering, as well as advanced programs leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees on the Omaha and Lincoln campuses. 

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering plays a key role in advancing COE’s ambitious research goals, supported by start-of-the art facilities, including an $80 million research building and a $115 million engineering teaching facility newly constructed in 2024. The department contributes to the college’s record enrollment of 3,867 undergraduates, a 3.9% increase from Fall 2024. COE is dedicated to delivering a world-class engineering education, featured by its unique Complete Engineer® Program. Additionally, UNL COE was among the first three institutions in the nation to receive the ASEE Diversity Recognition Program Silver Award. The college boasts over 250 faculty, serving programs on City Campus and East Campus in Lincoln and Scott Campus in Omaha. We expect the successful candidate to help shape the future of both the Department and COE during a period of exciting growth and change. Additional information about the Department and College of Engineering (COE) can be found at http://cee.unl.edu and http://engineering.unl.edu.

About Us Continued:

About UNL, Lincoln, and Omaha

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is Nebraska’s land-grant research university, is a member of the Big Ten, and ranks among Doctoral Universities with the Highest Research Activity [Carnegie CIHE]. As the state’s flagship institution, UNL plays a key role in the research and innovation landscape within the region and leverages the department’s co-location in Lincoln and Omaha. The city of Omaha, the largest metropolitan area in Nebraska, is a rising tech hub in the Midwest. Lincoln, the state capital, is also part of a growing high-tech region known as the ‘Midwest Silicon Prairie’. Taking advantage of both communities, UNL offers a vibrant, welcoming, family-friendly community with a strong economy, excellent public school systems, modest cost of living, and a high quality of life. Learn more about life in Lincoln and Omaha at placetobelnk.com, aboutlincoln.unl.edu, and visitomaha.com.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related field.
• Ph.D. in civil engineering or a closely related field prior to the start date of the appointment.
• Expertise in structural engineering.
• Active record of scholarly achievement in structural engineering, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications or equivalent scholarly output appropriate to career stage.

Preferred Qualifications:

• B.S. and/or Ph.D. in civil engineering.
• Strong record of scholarly achievement in structural engineering.
• Proposed research agenda that complements and enhances existing departmental and university strengths.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to secure external research funding.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to teach core undergraduate and advanced graduate courses in structural engineering.
• Demonstrated experience or commitment to mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
• Professional licensure.
• Commitment to advancing the department’s mission in research, teaching, and service.