Assistant Research Professor, The Larson Transportation Institute

The Pennsylvania State University•University Park, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Larson Transportation Institute in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for an Assistant Research Professor in transportation infrastructure engineering. The successful candidate will have expertise in transportation infrastructure sensing, nondestructive evaluation, pavement and railroad infrastructure characterization, infrastructure health monitoring, and data-driven modeling using machine learning and artificial intelligence. The candidate will contribute to multidisciplinary research projects funded by NSF, USDOT, FRA, NCHRP, and state DOTs, and will assist in research coordination activities within the Rail Center for Research Enhancing Shortline Transportation (Rail CREST). This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

Requirements

Terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D.) in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, or a closely related field
Demonstrated research experience in transportation infrastructure sensing, pavement, and/or railroad engineering, and infrastructure health monitoring
Experience in instrumentation, field monitoring, and nondestructive testing of infrastructure systems
Experience with data analysis, machine learning, or artificial intelligence modeling
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publications
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams

Nice To Haves

Embedded sensing technologies and field instrumentation
Pavement and railroad infrastructure monitoring
Finite element modeling and mechanistic analysis
Machine learning and data-driven infrastructure evaluation
Nondestructive testing (FWD, GPR, sensors, etc.)
Experience working with state DOT or federally funded research projects
Experience supervising students and coordinating research activities

Responsibilities

Conduct and lead research on sensing-enabled infrastructure monitoring, pavement and rail material characterization, and AI-based modeling and evaluation.
Assist the Principal Investigator (PI) in developing competitive research proposals and pursuing funding opportunities from federal agencies, state DOTs, and industry partners.
Assist in managing and coordinating research activities within the Rail CREST Center, including collaboration with faculty, students, and external partners.
Supervise and mentor graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and research staff, supporting their technical and professional development.
Assist the PI in conducting and coordinating multi-institutional research projects funded by NSF, FRA, USDOT, NCHRP, and state DOTs.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary research teams and industry partners to advance project objectives.
Prepare high-quality technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations.
Contribute to outreach, workforce development, and technology transfer activities associated with research projects and center activities.