Apply For The 2024 Fully Funded PhD Mechanical Engineering Scholarship - University Of Alabama

From THE UNIVERSITY OF College of ALABAMA Engineering

Multiple fully funded PhD positions at the University of Alabama - Dr. Zhou Yu

About the University

The University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, is the oldest and largest of the public universities in Alabama. Classified as an "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity".

Our Mechanical Engineering program offers diverse career opportunities in both industry and academia, with graduates sought after by esteemed companies such as Michelin, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Mercedes Benz, Northrup Grumman, etc. Notably, UA boasts a renowned football program with 18 national championships and a basketball team that recently made it to the NCAA tournament final four. Tuscaloosa's strategic location, approximately 50 miles from Birmingham, offers easy access to major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans, all within a 300-mile radius.

About the PI: Dr. Zhou Yu will join the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alabama as an Assistant Professor commencing this August. He got his bachelor's and master's degrees from Shandong University in China and a PhD degree from Virginia Tech. He has taken postdoc training at both Argonne and Los Alamos National Laboratories. He has over 40 publications with more than 1600 citations (available at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vdyQoyoAAAAJ&hl=en).

His research focuses on molecular simulations, battery materials, and electrochemistry.

Position Details: Dr. Zhou Yu is seeking motivated and talented individuals to join his research group. The focus of the research projects lies in comprehending the physicochemical properties of advanced functional materials, especially battery materials, through molecular simulations. Successful candidates will have opportunities to collaborate closely with scientists from Oak Ridge and Argonne National Laboratory on innovative research endeavors. These fully funded positions come with competitive stipends and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Energy and Power Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or a related field. A Master's degree is preferred but not required.

• For Bachelor's degree holders: Minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. For Master's degree holders: Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

• English proficiency requirements: TOFEL ≥ 79 (or IELTS ≥ 6.5) and GRE ≥ 300 (The GRE is automatically waived for applicants with a master's degree OR a waiver can be requested for Bachelor's degree holders with five or more years of field-related work experience.)

• Familiarity with molecular simulations software or packages (e.g., GROMACS, LAMMPS, GAUSSIAN, VASP, ADF, CP2K, etc.) and proficiency in one computer programming language (eg, Python, MATLAB, C, etc.) are advantageous.

Application Process: Interested candidates should compile their CV, unofficial transcript, and contact information for three professional references into a single PDF document. This PDF should then be emailed to Dr. Zhou Yu at zhou.yu@ua.edu, with the subject line "PhD candidate - name". Please note that references will not be contacted without prior permission from candidate.

Deadline and Start Date: Applications will be accepted until 5/31/2024. Successful candidate will begin their PhD studies in August 2024 or January 2025.

Don't miss this opportunity to join a dynamic research community and embark on an exciting journey towards becoming a leader in mechanical engineering. Apply now and become part of our team at the University of Alabama!