Assistant Professor of Transportation Engineering

Civil Engineering Department

College of Engineering

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in the Civil Engineering Department. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the 23-campus California State University system and among 12 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn-by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 28 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility, and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. In 2022, the campus launched the Black Thriving Initiative recognizing that Cal Poly Pomona’s future as a university is linked to the success of its Black community. More information about our campus initiatives and our Principles of Community can be found on the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s website. 

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.

Student Population. Cal Poly Pomona is the number one polytechnic university in the nation for student diversity and economic mobility. Our caring and inclusive campus community is committed to helping anyone who dreams of success achieve it. In Fall 2024, Cal Poly Pomona served more than 24,000 students and close to 2,000 graduate students, mostly residents of California. Over half of Cal Poly Pomona students are first-generation college students, 70% receive financial aid, and 42% are low-income students. The university enrolls 56% percent of historically underrepresented students. Our diverse student body identifies as 53% Hispanic/Latinx, 22% Asian, 13% White, 4% two or more races, 3% unknown, 3% African American/Black, 2% International, less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Native American. Forty-three percent of students enroll in our STEM majors and our top five enrolled programs across the university include mechanical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, psychology, as well as finance, real estate, and law.  

Inclusive Excellence and Student Success. We aspire to be the model inclusive polytechnic university in the nation. We have a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and to educational experiences that leverage the diverse perspectives and experiences needed to succeed and thrive in a diverse society.

*As a part of the application for faculty positions, all candidates must submit a Student Success Statement that demonstrates their commitment and record of contributions to diversity and equity through their teaching, scholarship, or service by speaking to at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria below. 

Candidates should explain how they have engaged in the criteria below in their pedagogy, scholarship, and/or service, as well as the level to which these efforts have been consistently incorporated into their work. 

Inclusive Excellence Criteria:

1. Incorporates the contributions and struggles of historic ethnic minority groups or other disadvantaged communities into their teaching, scholarly work, and/or service contributions;
   
   
2. Adopts teaching strategies that support the learning and success of students from diverse student populations;
    
3. Mentors and engages diverse student populations in discovery, scholarship, and creative activities;
   
   
4. Engages students in problem-based projects and learning that address the needs of diverse communities;
   
   
5. Possesses knowledge of challenges and barriers for underrepresented students and faculty within the discipline and uses it to inform their work in specific ways;
   
   
6. Mentors and assists diverse student populations interested in pursuing graduate education;
   
   
7. Engages in community-responsive action research or service with diverse student populations and communities;
   
   
8. Has experience in or demonstrates a commitment to adopting experiential learning activities and pedagogy with diverse student populations and communities; and
   
   
9. Has expertise in or demonstrated commitment to teaching, scholarship and/or service that contributes to access, diversity, and equal opportunity in higher education.

College of Engineering:

The College of Engineering’s mission is to prepare students for industry and advanced studies by implementing an inclusive polytechnic philosophy through collaborative teamwork, innovation, entrepreneurship and professional integrity. The College offers 12 ABET-accredited undergraduate degrees and 7 Master’s degrees to over 6,500 students across seven academic departments that include: Aerospace Engineering, Chemical and Materials Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering Technology, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The College is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report and currently ranks 5th among undergraduate engineering programs in non-doctorate-granting public institutions. Additionally, it houses more than 40 student clubs that offer hands-on learning opportunities and have been recognized at several national competitions. We encourage a broad range of applicants who are committed to enhancing a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to an inclusive campus environment

Civil Engineering Department:

The Civil Engineering Department strives to be a leader in polytechnic education, where hands-on learning is the foundation of a broad-based educational experience. U.S. News and World Report ranked Cal Poly Pomona Civil Engineering Department 4th in the nation in 2024 among institutions offering BS and MS degrees in civil engineering. The Civil Engineering undergraduate program, one of the largest undergraduate programs in the nation in terms of student enrollment, currently has approximately 1,600 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students. A student body in the Civil Engineering Department consists of 49% Hispanic/Latino, 23% Asian, 15% White, and 13% others. The success of our undergraduate and graduate programs results from the solid curriculum that incorporates theory and practice in a learning-centered environment. Students are provided with opportunities to apply their knowledge in hands-on projects, collaborate with faculty members on research, and participate in valuable internships and service-learning programs.

Position Description:

The Civil Engineering Department is inviting applications for one tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level. The position will begin in August 2025 – Fall semester. The department is primarily interested in candidates with broad expertise in transportation engineering. Secondary areas of interest include traffic engineering, intelligent transportation systems, transportation system engineering, transportation facility design, transportation planning, traffic safety, and sustainable transportation. The responsibilities will include teaching a variety of courses in transportation engineering. Teaching assignments are based upon the needs of the department and may include lower division courses, upper division courses, as well as graduate level courses. The successful candidate is expected to collaborate with industry and universities and secure external grants to develop applied research projects. 

Minimum requirements include: 

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, or a closely related field, with an emphasis in transportation by the date of appointment (The Ph.D. degree must be conferred by the start date of the position.)
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusivity and equity. Evidence should be provided in a Student Success Statement that responds to the prompt above - “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success.”

Preferred/Desired Qualifications: 

All applicants who meet the required qualifications will be considered. Other preferred / desired qualifications include:

• Specialization in transportation engineering or a relevant engineering field
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Traffic Engineer (TE)
• Evidence of college teaching activities (e.g., full-time/part-time instructor, teaching assistant, Lab experience) within the last three years
• Evidence of a commitment to teaching excellence
• Evidence of ongoing scholarly research in the field of transportation engineering
• Industry experience in transportation engineering, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated ability to develop lecture and laboratory curriculum.

Conditions of Employment:

The person offered this position is required to pass a background check.

Application Process:

A completed application will consist of

• Cover letter in which you describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications.
• A Student Success Statement (up to 2 pages, single-spaced) that responds to the prompt above - “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success” and addresses at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria listed (please indicate the criteria numbers in your Statement);
• Curriculum vitae;
• Teaching Philosophy statement (2 page max);
• Research Statement (2 page max);
• Reprints of up to 3 publications;
• Link to a portfolio website providing three samples of the candidate’s own professional work;
• Unofficial transcripts (undergraduate and graduate, official transcripts will be required of finalists).

Finalists for the position will: 

• be required to provide official transcripts for the highest degree before the on-campus interview; 
• be required to provide at three letters of reference with their contact information, at least one of which should specifically address teaching, dated within the last two years;
• final candidates being interviewed are expected to make a presentation of research and a teaching demonstration to faculty and interact with students. 

The position is open until filled. First consideration will be given to completed applications received no later than November 22, 2024. 

Salary Range for academic year, nine-month appointment: $107,000 - $111,300.

Please direct inquiries to

Dr. Yongping Zhang

Faculty Search Committee

Phone: 909.869.2632

Email: cpp_ce_search@cpp.edu

Applications are accepted only via PageUp—online application portal—for University hires.

Equal Opportunity Employer
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. The university seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing. Cal Poly Pomona subscribes to all state and federal regulations and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, medical condition, and covered veteran status. The university hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. As required by the Clery Disclosure Act, the university prepares a public annual security report.