The Bates College Department of Physics and Astronomy invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position starting in August 2023. The search is open to theoretical, computational, observational, and experimental approaches to all subfields of physics, with a preference for experimentalists. The new faculty member will be expected to teach across the curriculum required of physics majors and to establish an active research program involving undergraduate students.

The department is staffed with six full-time faculty members, and shares a seventh position with the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences; in addition, two masters-level Assistants in Instruction provide support to introductory and laboratory-oriented courses. Research specialties in the department include experimental ultracold atomic physics, observational extragalactic astronomy, experimental nonlinear optics and laser dynamics, and computational fluid dynamics. The department graduates ten to twenty Physics majors per year, as well as providing support for a Physics minor and an Engineering Combined Plan. All majors produce a senior thesis, typically involving a research project in the context of a faculty member’s area of expertise.

The teaching load of the position is five courses per year (taught over two semesters and a four-week May Short Term). Research is supported through pre-tenure leaves, faculty development grants, a robust grant support office, and through college-supported student research positions. Faculty research is routinely supported by the NSF, NASA, and other external funding sources. Development of teaching is supported through a new Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning as well as through projects such as a recent HHMI Inclusive Excellence grant supporting the transformation of STEM courses, with an emphasis on creating learning environments where students flourish. Significant lab space and start-up funds are available, as is a wide range of existing equipment and materials, as well as the support of a professional machinist and machine shop. Bates maintains the Leavitt high-performance computing cluster which is available to support the curricular and scholarly needs of the position.

Qualifications: a PhD in physics or a closely related field. Postdoctoral experience is seen as beneficial but is not required. We strongly encourage applications from individuals with identities that have been historically marginalized in physics, individuals who have followed non-traditional pathways to higher education due to societal, economic, or academic disadvantages, and individuals with a demonstrated capacity to advance the college’s continuing commitments to equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist teaching. Candidates are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in these areas in their application materials.

Application Instructions: Review of applications will begin on November 14, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit the following: a cover letter addressing interest in Bates College, curriculum vitae, statement discussing teaching philosophy and experience, statement discussing research interests and proposed research program, and copies of graduate transcripts.

Our vision of success as a department includes marginalized students and colleagues who are thriving. The candidate’s past and potential contributions to equity and inclusion, and their capacity to contribute to and expand upon this vision, should be addressed either in a separate, additional document, or integrated into the teaching and research statements.

Three letters of recommendation will be requested from candidates selected for further review. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

APPLY HERE: https://www.bates.edu/employment/opportunities/?job=492598