The posting
Job Description
The Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science seeks a full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate appointment. Working with EECS and Education faculty, the researcher will develop and evaluate AI tools, study their use by teachers and students, analyze research data, and publish findings.
Responsibilities
40% - EECS research: Design and evaluate AI and computing tools; develop research protocols and prototypes; conduct technical and user studies; analyze qualitative and quantitative data; and prepare publications, presentations, and proposals with faculty and students.
60% - Education research: Plan, coordinate, and evaluate teacher professional learning and classroom research activities with Education faculty and teacher partners. Develop study instruments and reusable instructional materials; collect interviews, observations, exit tickets, and student work; analyze findings; and prepare reports and scholarly manuscripts.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Education: PhD in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, human-computer interaction, education, learning sciences, or a closely related field by the start date.
- Experience: Demonstrated experience designing or conducting research, analyzing qualitative or quantitative data, and preparing scholarly writing.
- Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Knowledge of research design and evaluation methods; ability to develop or evaluate AI or computing tools; skill in data analysis and scholarly communication; and ability to coordinate research with faculty, students, and external partners.
Preferred Qualifications
- Education: No additional degree requirement.
- Experience: Experience with human-computer interaction, embedded or edge AI, AI education, teacher professional learning, classroom research, or community-engaged research; a record of peer-reviewed publications.
- Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Knowledge of mixed-methods research, on-device AI, or teacher professional learning; skill in facilitating co-design activities and translating findings into reusable materials.
Work Location
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Onsite
- This position is based on the UT Knoxville campus and requires in-person collaboration, prototype and study activities, and meetings with research partners. Occasional local travel to study sites may be required.
Compensation and Benefits
- Anticipated hiring range: $75,024
- Find more information on UT Benefits here
Application Instructions
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Cover letter
About The College
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.
About Us
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.
UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.
UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.
The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.
Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!
