Open Rank - Academic Professional

The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/) at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia invites applications for an Academic Faculty position titled Director of Learning Innovation (DLI). Applicants will be considered at all ranks.  Candidates are expected to demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the teaching and teaching innovation.

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering is hiring for an Academic Faculty (Academic Professional Track) position titled Director of Learning Innovation (DLI). A position of this type, with slightly varying titles, throughout the history of the department by 5 different people. Success in this position involves achieving three objectives: (1) Foster a culture of evidence-based teaching practices and curricular innovation, (2) improve our understanding of engineering education using educational research methods, and (3) build the national profile of the department as a leader in biomedical engineering education. We expect the focus of work in this role to be primarily the department's top ranked undergraduate program, but engaging with the graduate program may also be possible or needed. We estimate the breakdown of the Director of Learning Innovation to be approximately 15% research; 35% administration; 30% teaching and 20% service, detailed below.

TEACHING (30%)

We expect the DLI's teaching responsibility to be serving as the course director for Problems in Biomedical Engineering (BMED2250). BMED2250, typically taken undergraduate's second year, uses a Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach to guide students through the development of potential solutions to a broad single-disease-focused design challenge. A similar course has been a cornerstone of the department's undergraduate curriculum since its establishment and are described in work by Newstetter (2006). The course is offered during Fall and Spring semesters and enrolls around 150 students per semester in 5 to 6 `studio sections with a weekly  lecture. Critically, the course also serves to enculturate faculty to the department's philosophy of teaching. The course director is responsible for overall coordination of course instruction, managing the lecture portion of the class, training TAs and Faculty facilitators, and typically facilitating 1 studio section. Depending on the candidates¿ background and interests, other teaching assignments may be possible.

ADMINISTATION (35%) 

Achieving the three objectives for the DLI position will require the candidate to integrate curricular leadership and educational research. As a departmental leader, the DLI is responsible for identifying and guiding opportunities for curricular improvements, especially through the translation of leading educational research. They will also mentor individual faculty throughout the department about teaching, evidence-based teaching, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research. To do so, the DLI will work closely with other leaders in the department, TT and NTT faculty, and the Director of Faculty and Student Training.

RESEARCH (15%)

The DLI will also be expected to engage in research and research dissemination. A major focus of that work is likely to be scholarship related to their innovation work. However, they are encouraged to pursue related research independent of active innovation projects as well. Successful candidates will be those that look for both traditional and novel opportunities for scholarly dissemination. We have a special interest in candidates who can build strong relationships to share research results and promote our innovation work across Georgia Tech, biomedical engineering, and engineering education. The DLI will be encouraged to pursue external funding both to support programmatic change efforts and their own research. The department has a history of receiving funding from NIH, NSF, and KEEN to support programmatic curricular change efforts.

SERVICE (20%)

All department faculty are assigned to one to two departmental committees. It is expected that the DLI will be routinely assigned as a member of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and/or the department¿s Faculty Learning Committee (a yearly community of practice faculty development opportunity). The DLI will also be encouraged to pursue opportunities for professional service.

A PhD in engineering or related field is required by the start of the appointment:

Guidelines for Rank Appointment:

• Associate Academic Professional. This is the entry-level rank and normally requires completion of the terminal degree. In exceptional cases, this rank may be used for individuals completing a terminal degree and for a period of two (2) years. If the degree is not conferred, another position appointment is required.
• Academic Professional. This rank requires a terminal degree. It also requires significant related experience or promotion from the rank of Associate Academic Professional. Ordinarily at least three (3) years as an Associate Academic Professional is required before promotion to the rank of Academic Professional. The quality of performance and potential for development must be recognized by peers. Credit for previous academic or professional experience should be explicitly stated at the time of employment.
• Senior Academic Professional. This rank requires a terminal degree. It also requires evidence of superior performance in the chosen field, recognition by peers (whether national, regional, or local), and successful and measurable related experience. Promotion to Senior Academic Professional from the rank of Academic Professional requires at least five (5) years at that level. Credit for previous academic or professional experience should be explicitly stated at the time of employment.
• Principal Academic Professional. This rank requires a terminal degree. It also requires evidence of superior performance in the chosen field, recognition by peers (whether national, regional, or local), and successful and measurable related experience, including but not limited to supervision of others' work, significant responsibility, and authority within program area, and demonstrated impact. Promotion to Principal Academic Professional from the rank of Senior Academic Professional requires at least six (6) years at that level. Credit for previous academic or professional experience should be explicitly stated at the time of employment.

We ask that candidates describe the relevance of their PhD training in their materials.

We will give preference to those who provide evidence they meet some of the following criteria:

• Experience with undergraduate teaching, especially in engineering courses.
• Experience coordinating large multi-section courses, transitioning courses from lecture to non-lecture based pedagogical approaches, and/or first-year specific education.
• Experience developing and/or implementing research-based instructional strategies.
• Experience working with departments, courses, and students to improve the success of all students in engineering and STEM.
• Experience designing, implementing, and assessing faculty development activities to increase the use of evidence based instructional strategies in a variety of courses.

Applicants should submit 1) a letter of application, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) a description of teaching interests, 4) A statement that in two pages or less outlines how the applicant's professional and academic experiences have prepared them to support and apply Georgia Tech's mission and values (listed below), and 5) the names and contact information for at least three references.

Applications will be considered beginning November 15, 2025, but the search will continue until the position is filled. 

Panitch, Alyssa

School Chair-Academic - Biomedical Engr, GT/Emory

alyssa.panitch@bme.gatech.edu