Endowed Associate Director of Digital Manufacturing

Role details

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is embarking on a transformational endeavor to grow the newly established OU Polytechnic Institute (OUPI). The aims are to further strengthen the educational landscape of the state, provide students with a unique educational experience that will enable them to be successful throughout their careers and respond to industry's need for a well educated, highly skilled and adaptable workforce to meet current and future needs. The Institute will be in Tulsa at the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center campus. Enrollment for the inaugural class began this August and classes will start in August 2024.

This position is being posted now to allow hired faculty leaders time to develop curriculum, plan programming, hire faculty and initiate research. OUPI invites applications for the inaugural Associate Director of Digital Manufacturing, a senior-level faculty appointment and leadership position at the associate/full professor level with an endowed George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair available. This 12-month administrative position offers the opportunity to shape a forward-looking and innovative new program in Digital Manufacturing contributing to teaching, advising, mentoring, curriculum design and implementation at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

This endowed faculty leadership position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of OUPI and is aligned with the OU strategic plan . Individuals with a strong track record in leadership and collaboration in digital manufacturing related fields are encouraged to apply. The OUPI will offer bachelor’s degree completion (junior and senior level classes only) and graduate degree programs focused on innovation and advanced technology to meet growing workforce demands in areas including cybersecurity, software development and integration, artificial intelligence and advanced computing, health information systems and digital manufacturing.

Threading through these areas are competencies in data science. The University of Oklahoma is a Carnegie-R1 comprehensive public research university known for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement, serving the educational, cultural, economic, and healthcare needs of the state, region, and nation from three campuses: the main campus in Norman, the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, and the Schusterman Center in Tulsa. The University of Oklahoma enrolls over 30,000 students and has more than 2,700 full-time faculty members.

OU-Tulsa, a branch campus, is located on a beautiful campus crowned by the Schusterman Center and includes new state-of-the-art classrooms and research facilities. Tulsa was recently voted as one of the top 10 places to live by Relocate America and is an economically sound and inviting community located in the Green Country of Northeastern Oklahoma. A burgeoning art scene, including four art museums, and a revitalized downtown area add to the sense of activity and culture that are available in Tulsa. Visit tulsa.ou.edu and soonerway.ou.edu for more information.

The successful candidate will be a thoughtful, dynamic, purposeful and collaborative leader with a desire to build a polytechnic for the 21 st century. An outstanding record of scholarship, research, dedication to technological education and inclusive excellence is expected to serve in this inaugural role. Candidates must have the requisite record of research, scholarship, teaching and mentoring to hold the rank of associate or full professor in digital manufacturing or a related field. Candidates should also have a PhD in digital manufacturing or a related field and a strong record of departmental, school or other appropriate leadership experience.

In addition, qualified candidates should have a demonstrated record of positive accomplishments in nurturing and enhancement of faculty, undergraduates and graduates, and effective management of complex physical and human infrastructure. Additional weight will be given to candidates that have research programs that include industry sponsorships.