Assistant Specialist

TENURE-TRACK JUNIOR FACULTY POSITION IN ASTRONOMY / PHYSICS EDUCATION

At the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), to begin as soon as possible, pending position approval and availability of funds.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa expects to hire a tenure-track faculty member at the Assistant Specialist level in astronomy/physics education. This position is intended for a faculty member with a strong interest in educational practice and methodology in astronomy and physics. 

Duties include support, coordination, and assessment of the new undergraduate programs in astrophysics and astronomy jointly offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Institute for Astronomy. Specific examples of such duties are:

• Coordinate assessment across the individual courses in the Astronomy and Astrophysics programs.
• Work closely with the program chair in revising the programs.
• Develop evidence based methodologies in conjunction with faculty; provide assistance with implementation, including assessment and feedback.
• Advise undergraduates in the Astrophysics and Astronomy programs.
• Provide internal coordination to facilitate the capstone projects required of seniors in the Astrophysics and Astronomy programs at UHM.
• Provide support and direction for articulation agreements between UHM and other institutions.

The applicant will also teach astronomy, astrophysics and physics courses. The ability to attract external funding to support educational and/or research initiatives, and to investigate topics in science education, astronomy, or physics, is also desirable.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has a strong experimental program in astrophysics (cosmic rays, neutrinos, dark matter) and high-energy physics (b meson physics, instrumentation and neutrinos) and a vigorous theory program in high-energy physics. The Institute for Astronomy has observational programs in galaxies and cosmology, stellar formation and evolution, interstellar material, planetary systems, astrobiology, and solar astronomy, and instrumentation programs in adaptive optics and infrared astronomy.

Minimum qualifications:

• a Masters degree
• in addition to the Masters, 30 credits of graduate study from a college or university of recognized standing and in the fields astronomy or physics
• at least three years of experience in astronomy or physics education at the next lower rank, or its equivalent

Desirable qualifications:

• a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics or a closely related field
• a record of at least three years of effective teaching in astronomy and/or physics courses, or equivalent postdoctoral experience at time of application
• experience in application of evidence-based teaching methodologies (e.g., active learning, group discussion, etc.)
• familiarity with strategies for course and program assessment and development
• ability to support professional development of STEM teaching faculty
• ability to conduct research and publish results in peer-reviewed journals
• ability to attract external funding

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

TO APPLY: Please upload a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, including a complete list of publications, a statement of teaching philosophy including past instructional activities and experience, and a research plan (if applicable) using AcademicJobsOnline at the link: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/10067

Also please arrange for at least four letters of recommendation to be uploaded to the same website.  Applications with all materials received by December 1, 2017 will receive full consideration.

INQUIRIES: Please email [email protected] with any questions. Note that letters of recommendation should be uploaded to the aforementioned website, not sent to this email.

The University of Hawaii is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, status as a protected veteran, National Guard participation, breastfeeding, and arrest/court record (except as permissible under State law).

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

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