Tenure-Track Assistant Astronomer in Solar Physics, Pos#88340

The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) is pleased to announce the availability of a tenure-track faculty position in Solar and Space Physics, at the Assistant level. Candidates in all specialties are encouraged to apply. However, preference will be given to candidates who complement the IfA solar group’s current expertise. The position will be initially funded by a grant from the NSF Faculty Development in the Space Sciences (FFDSS) Program. Applicants should have an ability to lead and support a research program involving students and postdocs, and an ability to teach effectively at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This faculty position will be located at the IfA, which has offices in Honolulu, Pukalani on Maui, and Hilo, Hawai'i. The anticipated start date is January 2020. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The IfA is heavily involved in experimental, observational, data analysis and modeling investigations of the magnetized solar atmosphere of the Sun, starting from the solar surface and expanding outwards to form the corona and the solar wind. Members of the solar group comprise three tenured faculty, one tenure-track junior faculty, and a research scientist. By capitalizing on their unique expertise, they are engaged in exploring the different facets of solar magnetism, and its role in the dynamics of the solar atmosphere. With the expected first light of the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) in 2020, and with the two first light instruments being designed and built by two members of the group, the IfA solar group is in a strong position to achieve excellence. Furthermore, IfA scientists have guaranteed observing time on DKIST. The IfA solar group also maintains a close collaboration with the NSO Maui Solar Group.  It is within this environment that this group is seeking to expand its diversity and synergy by complementing their strength with a junior faculty appointment.

Although the IfA operates its astronomical research facilities on three different islands (Oahu, Maui and Hawai'i), these are tightly integrated into an efficient and broad astrophysics program. The immediate proximity of graduate students, a diverse astrophysical research facility, and the observatories (even on different islands) are invaluable resources for all IfA scientists, postdocs and students.

Our program, which focuses on a critical-mass faculty and a recently growing number of graduate and undergraduate students engaged in solar research, is designed to have a broad educational impact as we develop a premier center for solar and space physics education in the US. UH is a minority serving higher education institution. Our proposed program will have a significant impact on UH’s undergraduate as well as graduate programs. The engagement of solar faculty in the undergraduate program gives them direct access to a highly diverse group of students, with significant representation from minorities and under-represented groups.  Solar faculty can engage students in their research through the IfA’s graduate and undergraduate program and through a planned new graduate course in solar and heliospheric physics.

The duties of the incumbent will consist primarily of leading a novel research program in solar physics research, teaching at least one graduate or undergraduate course per year, and participating in the academic and scientific life of the IfA. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, Space Physics and/or Astrophysics, or closely related areas, with at least two years of postdoctoral experience related to Solar and Space Physics and successful research experience as demonstrated by accomplishments, publications, and letters of recommendation.

TO APPLY:  Please upload a curriculum vitae (including bibliography) and a 5-year research plan using AcademicJobsOnline,  https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14359 and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be uploaded to the same website. All applications must be received by 5:00 pm HST on October 31, 2019.  Letters of recommendation should be received by the same date and time.

INQUIRIES:  Please contact [email protected] for questions about the application process.  Contact  Shadia Habbal at [email protected] with questions regarding the IfA’s solar research program.

The University of Hawaiʻi 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, citizenship, disability, genetic information, marital status, breastfeeding, income assignment for child support, arrest and court record (except as permissible under State law), sexual orientation, domestic or sexual violence victim status, national guard absence, or status as a covered veteran.  For more information or inquiries regarding these policies, please refer to the following link:  http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/eeo-coordinators/.

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.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawaiʻi may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

Accommodation Request:  The University of Hawaiʻi complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly.  Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.  For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/