DescriptionThe Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) invites applications and nominations for a faculty position at the Associate Professor or Full Professor level for the Dongarra Professorship in High Performance Computing (HPC), beginning Fall 2027. This prestigious endowed position honors Turing Award laureate and UTK Distinguished Professor Emeritus Jack Dongarra, whose pioneering work established UTK and the Innovative Computing Laboratory (ICL) as a global epicenter for high-performance computing, numerical linear algebra, and scientific software systems.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to serve as the Director of the Innovative Computing Laboratory (ICL), guiding one of the world's premier academic HPC research institutions into its next era of innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international impact.
We seek an exceptional, internationally recognized scholar with demonstrated leadership and a strong track record of sustained external research funding, impactful publications, and effective teaching and mentorship. The successful candidate will advance the department's strategic vision in high-performance computing, lead high-impact research endeavors, and leverage UTK's unique research ecosystem, including deep research partnerships with nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, numerical algorithms and high-performance scientific software; parallel and distributed computing; performance analysis, modeling, and benchmarking; programming models, runtime systems, and compilers; exascale and heterogeneous computing, including GPUs and emerging accelerators; high-performance AI and data-intensive computing; HPC storage, I/O, interconnects, and resilience; and emerging computing paradigms. Candidates need not have expertise across all areas. Of particular interest are researchers whose work bridges algorithms, software, and evolving computing architectures to advance high-performance scientific computing.
The successful candidate will be expected to (1) maintain an internationally recognized, externally funded research program in high-performance computing; (2) provide visionary academic and research leadership as the Dongarra Professor, with the opportunity to serve as Director of the Innovative Computing Laboratory (ICL); (3) publish high-impact scholarly work in top-tier HPC venues and journals; (4) teach undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science and computer engineering; (5) mentor graduate and undergraduate students, with a strong commitment to graduating doctoral students; and (6) contribute meaningful professional and institutional service at the departmental, college, university, and national levels.
UTK is the state's flagship campus and leading research institution with a strong partnership with nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where many UTK faculty have ongoing joint positions and/or joint research projects.
The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success, including adding over 30 new faculty at all levels to the college over 4 years as part of ambitious hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. Key partnerships with Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) through the University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UTORII) and Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) that manages the Y-12 National Security Complex have created an expanded opportunity space for faculty and students in the region. New facilities include the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex, the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN-MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building that houses UTK's Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF), a National Prototype Research Center (NSPC) as part of a partnership with CNS Y-12 under construction, and new facilities for the Biomedical Engineering department and a quantum foundry in planning stages.
TCE currently has 213 tenure/tenure track and over 80 non-tenure track faculty in its nine academic departments and offers 11 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD/DE degree programs. Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the UT Space Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. The college is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 4,800 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, the college sits 28th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 33 early career awards (NSF, DOE, DARPA, AFOSR, AHA, and Sloan) since 2016. In FY25, the college had annual research expenditures of $113.9M.
EECS at UTK has 50 full-time T/TT faculty members, three members of the National Academy of Engineering Fellows, 15 IEEE Fellows, 15 NSF/DOE CAREER awardees, and 19 ranked in World's Top 2% Scientists as compiled by Stanford. The department has a growing enrollment of more than 1000 undergraduate and more than 450 graduate students across the three majors of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science. In addition, the department offers undergraduate minors in computer science, cybersecurity, datacenter technology and management, and machine learning. Successful faculty candidates will be expected to contribute to the continued growth and excellence of EECS.
The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with an elegant and walkable downtown, rich and varied nightlife, vibrant neighborhoods, eclectic restaurants, and amazing access to outdoor activities of all kinds as well as exciting cultural events throughout the year. UTK is in Knoxville, Tennessee, within an easy driving distance to Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Knoxville's TYS Airport, Knoxville has nonstop flights to 22 major airports in the US, including direct flights to cities such as DC, NYC, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix.
In addition, Knoxville and the surrounding areas boast great K-12 schools and one of the most highly educated populations in the entire US. With one of the lowest costs of living in the country, Knoxville was recently recognized in U.S. News and World Report as the 29th best place to live in the U.S. In 2024, US News ranked the State of Tennessee as #5 in fiscal stability, #12 in economy, and #21 in infrastructure.
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field prior to the start of appointment.
The department will pursue tenure consideration for qualified candidates who demonstrate accomplishments that align with holding an endowed professorship and directing a major research laboratory.
For an appointment at the Associate Professor rank, the candidate is expected to have conducted nationally and internationally recognized scholarly research in high performance computing, demonstrated a sustained track record of securing external research funding from agencies such as NSF, DOE, DARPA, or industry, showed evidence of effective teaching and graduate student advising, and exhibited strong academic leadership potential to fulfill the expectations of an endowed chair and laboratory directorship.
For an appointment at the Full Professor rank, the candidate is expected to demonstrate established international leadership in high performance computing, an outstanding track record of major external grant support, high-impact publications in top venues, and successful completion of doctoral students. The candidate should possess proven capabilities and vision to lead major research centers, large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives, or academic laboratories such as the Innovative Computing Laboratory (ICL), along with a record of distinguished professional service.
Preferred qualifications include demonstrated experience or interest in center- or laboratory-level leadership (such as directorship of research units like ICL); experience leading multi-investigator or multi-institutional research grants funded by DOE, NSF, DOD, or industry; experience with joint or collaborative appointments with national laboratories or industrial research facilities; and experience in curriculum development and educational innovation in high performance computing and computer systems.
Application Instructions Applicants should electronically submit the following via Interfolio.
- CV
- Cover Letter
- Teaching Statement
- Research Statement
- Names and Contact Information of Three References
Review of applications will begin October 26, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Please submit your application by October 26, 2026, to ensure full consideration. Please contact the search chair, Dr. James Plank, ([redacted]) if you have any questions.
