Cover Letters Template For Academic Job Applications (Page 4 of 6) in pdf

502 W. Main Street #221

Urbana, IL 61801

November 30, 2003

Dr. John Matthews

Civil Engineering

University of Texas at Austin

Box 19308

Austin, TX 76019-0308

Dear Dr. Matthews,

I am writing to apply for the position of Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering beginning Fall 2004, as

advertised on your department website. I am currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign, and fully expect to complete my PhD degree requirements by May 2004. I am extremely

interested in obtaining a faculty position at the University of Texas, as its engineering research programs

have a stellar reputation that is known worldwide.

I believe that my academic training and my six years of experience working as a structural engineer prepare

me to be an effective researcher and instructor in your department. My doctoral dissertation was conducted

under the direction of Prof. Mark Daniels, and looks at the use of a relatively new methodology for the

design of joints, walls, footings, and other portions of reinforced or prestressed concrete structures. In my

research, I developed an integrated design and analysis environment for this methodology in which both

strength and serviceability requirements are explicitly satisfied. This was delivered in a computer-based

program that is freely available to the community and has been downloaded by more than 2500 people.

Although my dissertation focuses on a single topic, other areas that interest me for my future research stem

from my goal of developing improved analytical models and methods for design, evaluation, and upgrade of

concrete structures subjected to monotonic and reversed loading and structures equipped with passive

systems. One of the studies that I have started is the development of a performance-based seismic design

method for ductile reinforced concrete wall structures based on yield displacement. I have also worked on

evaluation and improvement of accuracy of nonlinear static analysis for seismic design under the auspices of

a project from the Applied Technology Committee, a national organization.

During my graduate training, I have been fortunate enough to also serve as a teaching assistant and

occasionally instruct for an intermediate level course on reinforced concrete design. My five years of

professional experience as an engineer have provided me with a broad view that is useful in assisting

students with projects and assignments. Through my participation as a teaching assistant, I have developed

confidence and an interest in teaching and look forward to the opportunity to both teach assigned classes and

to develop my own classes.

I would enjoy discussing this position with you in the weeks to come. In the meantime, I am enclosing my

Curriculum Vitae and statement of teaching and research interests. Letters of recommendation will arrive

under separate cover. If you require any additional materials or information, I am happy to supply it. Thank

you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Alexander Carrols

Page 4 of 6

Academic Cover Letter Handout, updated 11/10/2006

Cover Letters Template For Academic Job Applications Page 4