Assistant Professor in Astronomy

Assistant Professor, Astronomy
Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
The Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics
FCSM-3635

Position:
The Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics invites applications for a tenure-track 9-month Assistant Professor position in the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences.

Qualifications:
PhD in astronomy, astrophysics or a related field at the time of employment (August 2023).  Applicants are expected to possess a strong commitment to excellence in teaching and to show evidence or potential for a productive research program. Towson University is beginning a transition from a comprehensive teaching university to a high research activity (R2) institution. Thus, interested candidates should show an ability to pursue and procure external funding to support research.   A candidate who can contribute to a new planetary science curriculum and who has experience in ground-based telescope observing is especially desirable. Post-doctoral experience is preferred.  Starting salary will be commensurate with experience.

Responsibilities:
A successful candidate will be able and willing to teach a variety of courses in astronomy and physics at both the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as conduct research involving undergraduate and graduate students.

The Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences:
The PAGS Department (http://www.towson.edu/pags) has 26 full-time faculty, and comprises four related disciplines: physics, astronomy, geosciences and science education.  Department facilities include a new planetarium and an observatory with a refurbished 16-inch telescope.

Towson University:
Towson University was founded in 1866, is recognized by U. S. News and World Reports as one of the top public universities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, is Baltimore's largest university, and is the largest public, comprehensive institution in the University of Maryland System. TU enrolls over 19,000 undergraduates and over 3,000 graduate students across six academic colleges (business, education, fine arts, health professions, liberal arts, science & mathematics), has over 865 full-time faculty, and offers more than 65 bachelor's, 45 master's, and 5 doctoral programs. Our centrally located campus sits on 330 rolling green acres and is 10 miles north of Baltimore, 45 miles north of Washington D.C., and 95 miles south of Philadelphia.

Application Procedure:
Review of applications will begin December 12, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Applications should be submitted as a single PDF and should include a cover letter, a summary of your teaching philosophy (including a statement on how you will contribute to furthering diversity and inclusion at Towson), research plan, curriculum vitae, and a list of three references.  

Inquiries should be emailed to [email protected].

Click here to apply. Please note that the search number for which you are applying is FCSM-3635.

A Criminal Background Investigation is required for the hired candidate and the results may impact employment.

The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors has been our top priority and the focus of every one of our decisions since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the University System of Maryland (USM) has strongly encouraged full COVID vaccination and up-to-date booster shots (when eligible) for all faculty, staff, and students at all schools in the USM as both a reasonable and necessary means of protecting our health and safety

Please be sure to visit the Applicant Data Form to complete a voluntary on-line applicant data  form. The information you provide will inform the university's affirmative action plan and is for statistical-related purposes only. The information will not be used for any other purpose.

Towson University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and has a strong institutional commitment to diversity, as detailed in “A More Inclusive TU: Advancing Equity and Diversity (2020 – 25).” TU is a national leader in inclusive excellence, the only institution in Maryland with zero achievement gap, and 68% growth in minority enrollment over the past 5 years. We encourage applications from a variety of (dis)abilities, cultural, ethnic, race, sex, gender identity/expressions, national origins, ages, veteran status, color, religious, socio-economic, sexual orientations and belief backgrounds.