Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy

If you are a current Barnard College employee, please use the internal career site to apply for this position.

Job:

Barnard is a premier liberal arts undergraduate college for women in New York City founded in 1888, long affiliated with Columbia University. Barnard's joint Physics & Astronomy Department works closely with the many Barnard faculty in related STEM disciplines, but also has strong ties, historically, to both the Columbia University Physics and Columbia University Astronomy Departments. These Columbia departments offer many opportunities for collaboration across a broad range of partners on and off-campus, including the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Nevis Labs, the Data Science Institute, the Climate School, the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics and the American Museum of Natural History. Columbia Astronomy is also a member of the MDM Observatory and the LSST Corporation, and its faculty, research scientists, postdocs and students have access to, and use, a broad range of ground and space-based astronomical facilities.

Job Description:

The goals of the Barnard Physics & Astronomy Department are to enhance the experience of its physics, astrophysics and astronomy majors through activities that develop community, provide academic support, and connect them to STEM-related opportunities outside the classroom, such as the Barnard Summer Research Institute on campus and NSF-funded REUs elsewhere.

Barnard faculty are expected to engage in teaching, research, curriculum and program development, pre-major & major advising, as well as mentoring advanced undergraduate research. There are also ample opportunities to collaborate with faculty and students across Barnard College and at Columbia University. We are seeking candidates in one of the following three areas: Observational, Theoretical or Computational Astronomy/Astrophysics.

The successful hire will further the aims & vision of the department, but is also expected to cultivate a healthy relationship with CU Astronomy, critical for our own astrophysics & astronomy majors.

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:

Qualifications

Candidates must have a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics or Physics, and should have a strong research agenda & record of scholarship, as well as a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching, mentoring, and increasing participation in the discipline.

We are particularly interested in candidates with a compelling research record that is nicely matched by a promising ability to meet the pedagogical demands of carrying a large (100-125 students), algebra-based astronomy lecture class for non-majors, as well as one of the more moderately-sized (50-75) introductory courses in our calculus-based physics sequence for majors.

Application Requirements

Applicants are required to upload the following documents. Only complete applications submitted via Workday will be considered.

• Curriculum Vitae (maximum file size: 5 MB)

A single PDF file (maximum file size: 30 MB) containing:

• Signed cover letter, whose opening sentence alerts the reader to which of the 3 broad categories (Observational, Theoretical, or Numerical) you primarily self-identify.

• Research statement highlighting past accomplishments and future plans

• Teaching/Mentoring statement describing pedagogical philosophy, experiences, and interests
  

Upon submitting an application, applicants will be prompted to provide the name and contact information for at least three references. These references will be contacted immediately to provide confidential letters of recommendation that will be included with the candidate's application materials. In order for an applicant to receive full consideration, letters of recommendation must be received by the date on which the review of applications will begin.

Review of applications will begin on approximately 12-01-2025 and continue until the position is filled.

For questions or further information please contact Search Chair Professor Tim Halpin-Healy at AstroSearch@barnard.edu.

Salary: $95,000 - $115,000

Barnard College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Barnard does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, veteran or military status, age, disability, or any other legally protected basis. Qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

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