Research Associate Job Listing at UT Dallas in Richardson, TX (Job ID 22637)

Description

A post-doctorate position is available in the Thermal Energy Materials and Process Lab at UT Dallas. This position will support research and development conducted at UT Dallas and NREL. The candidate will join team members on cutting-edge laboratory and analytical projects to research, develop, and evaluate heat and mass transfer in absorbent materials (e.g., hydrogels), components, and systems, including conventional and non-conventional HVAC, paper drying, adsorption heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and other building energy systems. Preferred Degree: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science or relevant other engineering or science field

Minimum Education and Experience

Ph.D in a related field.

Preferred Education and Experience

Ph.D. with strong academic and research record in relevant heat transfer, thermodynamics, or mass transfer field with emphasis on both modeling and experimental research.
Demonstrated experience in some or all of the following:

• Polymerization
• Absorption or adsorption processes
• Heat and mass transfer fundamentals
• Laboratory experiments and data acquisition systems
• Numerical modeling techniques and computer programming

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

General Duties and Responsibilities: The successful candidate should have a strong background and understanding of polymeric materials development, adsorption or absorption processes, heat and mass transfer, including theory, numerical modeling, and experiments. The candidate will contribute to the design, analyses, and verification of the absorption component and system. The researcher is expected to document work/results in reports, presentations, conferences, archival journal papers, as well as to interact with UT Dallas and NREL partners in industry, academia, and national laboratories.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform absorbent materials synthesis and characterization including but not limited to SEM, FTIR, UV-vis, DSC, TGA, Vapor sorption analysis, BET.
• Develop a heat and mass transfer numerical or Multiphysics model for adsorption component and systems for guiding materials development.
• Develop engineering models, component design and optimization and determine the most efficient materials, operations, and processes with techno-economic analysis.
• Lead the system optimization for future lab-scale and pilot demonstration.
• Assist in project management, including report writings, paper publications, and presentations in program review or conferences.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The researcher has the opportunity to be involve in in-depth and multifaceted disciplines in chemical, mechanical, and material engineering. The candidate should have course works in thermal science, chemical engineering, and material science, and demonstrated expertise in the area of adsorption process, heat transfer, and thermal modeling.

• Familiar with hygroscopic and hydrophilic polymer synthesis and characterization.
• Experience with computational tools for heat and mass transfer. Familiar with ANSYS Fluent / COMSOL / Matlab.
• Coursework in thermodynamics, heat transfer, chemical theories, and energy system modeling, and the ability to formulate and solve engineering problems.
• Knowledge on inorganic and organic adsorbent or absorbent.
• Demonstrated research capability and creativity to solve challenging problems, as well as the ability to work well in a team.

Additional Information

What we have to Offer:
UT Dallas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusiveness. We offer an employee-friendly work environment with a comprehensive benefit package including:

• Competitive Salary
• Tuition Benefits
• Medical insurance – including 100% paid employee medical coverage for full-time employees
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Long and short-term disability
• Retirement Plan Options
• Paid time off
• Paid Holidays

About UT Dallas The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to graduating well-rounded members of the global community whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers in a constantly changing world. A diversity of people, ideas and perspectives is crucial to our vision and mission. A charter member of SEA (STEMM Equity Achievement) Change, UT Dallas is a place where members of the community are welcomed, treated fairly, and encouraged to their pursuit of excellence.

What You Should Know UT Dallas is ranked among the “Best of the Best Colleges” for LGBTQ Inclusion by Campus Pride. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosts a variety of programs and leads initiatives toward efforts to cultivate a culture of equity and belonging for all members of the campus community. “LilyPad” lactation facilities are located throughout campus for private use by nursing parents. The University currently supports nine Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that are communities of faculty and staff from various identities along with advocates and allies (e.g., Black Faculty and Staff Alliance, Universal Access ERG, Military and Veteran ERG).
A remote work schedule is not available for this position.

Important Message

1) All employees serve as a representative of the University and are expected to display respect, civility, professional courtesy, consideration of others and discretion in all interactions with members of the UT Dallas community and the general public.

2) The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to providing an educational, living, and working environment that is welcoming, respectful, and inclusive of all members of the university community. UT Dallas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its services, programs, activities, employment, and education, including in admission and enrollment. EOE, including disability/veterans. The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request reasonable accommodation in the employment application and interview process, contact the ADA Coordinator. For inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Title IX Coordinator.

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