Assistant Professor Practice; Advanced Rocketry Laboratory

Job Title

Assistant Professor of the Practice (Advanced Rocketry Laboratory)

Prairie View A&M University

Mechanical Engineering

Commensurate

Prairie View, Texas

Faculty

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A Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Please be advised that Texas A&M University will NOT pay this fee. Therefore, if you need immigration sponsorship for your employment, we recommend that you consult with your private immigration counsel at your own expense to ascertain whether your current immigration status would make a potential offer of employment from Texas A&M University subject to this fee.

In addition, on January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Abbot issued a moratorium on the filing of any new H-1B unless approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accordingly, if you will now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status this moratorium may affect our ability to employ you should you be selected as the final candidate

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The salary is determined in accordance with the University’s compensation structure and will be commensurate with the candidates’ education and experience, within the assigned salary range for this position.

Prairie View A&M University seeks an Assistant Professor of Practice to lead and deliver an interdisciplinary, student-centered, design-build-test rocketry program anchored in the Advanced Rocketry Laboratory. A core expectation of the appointment is the ability to operate responsibly in controlled-technology environments, including practical experience with export compliance requirements such as ITAR/EAR and related controlled information frameworks.

This position is funded by a grant or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of grant or restricted funding.

• Provide leadership for an interdisciplinary, student-run rocketry program, including governance structures, mentorship models, and peer-teaching frameworks that scale.
  Build and sustain a laboratory culture emphasizing safety, documentation, accountability and professional conduct.
  Lead readiness for major lab milestones (test campaigns, design reviews, readiness reviews, learning reviews, etc.).
• Implement and maintain laboratory export-control practices aligned to ITAR and EAR.
  Partner with university compliance, safety, and research security administrative offices to ensure auditable, instruction-compatible compliant workflows.
  Establish practical training, documentation, and access control practices that enable student learning while protecting controlled information.
• Lead the technical design and instructional layout of the Advanced Rocketry Laboratory.
  Collaborate with faculty, Facilities, EHS, and Space Services to translate instructional requirements into buildable lab layouts and commissioning plans.
  Identify infrastructure requirements including power, networking, ventilation/exhaust, high‑pressure systems, fire protection and emergency shutoffs, hazardous storage and access controls, and test area governance (blast, debris, and noise).
  Develop lab readiness documentation, including standard operating procedures, hazard analyses, training plans, and test conduct packages.
  Integrate quality, risk, and configuration management concepts into lab instruction and course materials, reflecting common aerospace practice.
• Develop and deliver hands‑on instruction for advanced rocketry laboratories and associated lecture courses, with an emphasis on student‑centered learning and applied training.
  Demonstrate the ability to teach complex technical content in high‑consequence environments where rigor, verification, and procedural compliance are essential.
  Collaborate with faculty, and industry representatives to develop and refine rocketry‑focused curriculum,…