Assistant Professor

The Department of Physics at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) invites outstanding applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position starting late August 2018.

We seek a broadly trained physicist who has the potential to establish a highly visible undergraduate research program and who will be passionate about teaching physics at every level of the curriculum in a primarily undergraduate, residential, liberal arts-centered institution. We are especially interested in candidates whose research and pedagogy will connect and integrate physics with other disciplines and who have the potential to collaboratively contribute to interdisciplinary curricular and scholarly efforts within the School of Science and at the College.

The search is primarily focused on candidates who can support the department’s geophysics degree specialization. This includes supporting introductory-level geology courses and establishing a student-centered experimental research program. Candidates with research specializations in geophysics or planetary science/exoplanets will receive preference. An earned doctorate in physics, or a closely related field, is required. Although post-doctoral experience is preferred, other backgrounds will be considered; ABDs will be considered only if the degree will be completed prior to the start date.

Teaching and research are mutually supportive activities at TCNJ. Candidates should be strongly committed to the teacher-scholar model, to maintaining both high-quality teaching and an active and productive research program involving highly motivated undergraduates, and to seeking external funding consistent with this mission. Our expectation is that a substantial portion of the new faculty member’s research will be performed on campus and will involve undergraduates. Faculty members also serve as academic advisors and have service responsibilities within the Department, School, and College. A newly renovated research laboratory and competitive start-up funds will be provided.

To Apply

To apply, compile a single PDF file containing the items listed below and email to [email protected]. Include the candidate’s name and “Tenure-Track Search” in the subject line.

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vitae
• Statement of teaching philosophy (3 pages maximum)
• Description of research interests, including the role of undergraduates (3 pages maximum)
• Statement of commitment to inclusivity and diversity
• Unofficial copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts.

In addition, three confidential letters of recommendation are required, including at least one commenting on teaching effectiveness. Letters should be emailed directly by the recommenders to [email protected] with the name of the candidate in the subject line.

Applications are due by December 1, 2017. Late submissions will be considered if a suitable candidate pool is not identified by the deadline.

About the Department of Physics

The Physics Department, which currently has nine full-time, tenure-line faculty members and approximately 80 majors, is housed in a modern science complex that offers state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities and instrumentation, including research-grade SEM and AFM facilities and a new 27-inch telescope. Candidates who can leverage these facilities with undergraduates are preferred. TCNJ's Department of Physics is consistently ranked by the America Institute of Physics (AIP) and the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTec) as a netional leader in the graduation of both physics majors and of high school physics teachers. For more information about the department, visit: http://physics.tcnj.edu/.

About TCNJ

Founded in 1855, TCNJ is a selective public primarily undergraduate institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. TCNJ emphasizes the residential experience for our nearly 6,500 undergraduate students, 30% of whom are self-described as members of groups traditionally underrepresented in academe and STEM. Students benefit from a 13-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 21 students, which has led to TCNJ attaining a first-year to sophomore retention rate of 94% and a graduation rate of 86%. TCNJ has also received national recognition for the adoption and promotion of the teacher-scholar model for our faculty and deep engagement of our undergraduates in research. TCNJ was awarded the inaugural “Campus-wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishment” from the Council on Undergraduate Research in 2016. In part because of TCNJ’s intentional and comprehensive integration of research into our undergraduate curricula and institutional culture, an increasing number of TCNJ graduates have pursued and completed doctoral degrees over the past ten years. TCNJ was awarded, in 2006, a Phi Beta Kappa chapter—an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ’s seven schools—Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Science. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College’s campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty. For more information, visit www.tcnj.edu.

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and strongly encourages women and members of underrepresented groups to apply. TCNJ has also been a proud recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant, which has worked to support the careers of women faculty members in STEM disciplines by developing systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women.

Final offer of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation.