Apply now to be postdoctoral fellow in advanced space propulsion

6/1/2020 Debra Levey Larson

Written by Debra Levey Larson

Associate Professor Joshua Rovey with graduate students in the aerospace propulsion lab
Associate Professor Joshua Rovey with graduate students in the aerospace propulsion lab
This postdoctoral fellow will be part of a two-year project sponsored by NASA and will work closely with collaborators at NASA Glenn Research Center and NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center, as well as industry collaborators.  The postdoctoral fellow will conduct research on a novel multimode micropropulsion concept that combines a chemical catalytic thruster and electric electrospray thruster into the same system.  Research will focus on thruster, feed system, and PPU development. 

Additionally, the fellow will be responsible for attending NASA meetings, publishing conference papers, and archival journal publica-tions.  The fellow will work closely with a small business partner and work, supervise, and mentor one to two Ph.D. students.  It is expected the fellow will also lead research group meetings, assist with proposal writing, and review and proof publication manuscripts.

To apply for this position, please submit a resume/CV and two representative publications to EPLab Director Joshua Rovey. Full consideration will be given to complete applications received by Dec. 31, 2020.

Required: Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or related field.  Per University of Illinois policy, eligible candidates must have obtained their Ph.D. degree within 10 years of the start date of the position.

Desirable qualifications:  Experience conducting experimental research related to micro space propulsion systems, including thrusters, feed systems, and power processing units. Experimental research experience with green ionic liquid propellants, especially energetic green propellants, such as AF-M315E and LMP-103.

The Department of Aerospace Engineering is ranked in the top in U.S. undergraduate and graduate programs, is home to 33
world-renowned faculty members, 200 graduate and 520 undergraduate students, and has annual research expenditures of $10 million.  A 3,000 sq. ft. addition will be completed later this year to expand its space engineering activities. 

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.
llinois is an EEO Employer/Vet/Disabled - www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu.

For more information, visit the EPLab website.


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This story was published June 1, 2020.