8370BR

College of Science

COS School of Physics and Astronomy

Detailed Job Description

The School of Physics and Astronomy at the Rochester Institute of Technology invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Astrophysical Instrumentation and Technology. The position is anticipated to be at the rank of Assistant Professor, however appointment at a higher rank would be considered for candidates carrying commensurate qualifications and academic standing. The position start date is August 2024. Applicants are expected to have the demonstrated ability, or strong potential, to establish and maintain a vigorous, externally funded research program that incorporates undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers. We are particularly interested in applicants who will augment and support existing strengths of RIT astrophysics by capitalizing on the infrastructure at RIT and in the Western New York region.  Areas of interest include: advanced optics and optical systems; new broad-band and single-photon counting detector technologies; novel spectrometric and interferometric technologies; and other technologies and instruments relevant to the priorities identified in the 2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The successful candidate will join the School of Physics and Astronomy and become a core member of the Astrophysical Sciences and Technology (AST) PhD program faculty, and potentially also a member of the core faculty of the new Physics PhD Program. As such, they must demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching at all levels of the physics, astronomy, and astrophysics curriculum and the potential to mentor research students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The candidate's research program should include a plan to integrate and mentor undergraduate and graduate students at all levels, and showcase their leadership and expertise in developing astronomical instrumentation.

RIT and the School of Physics and Astronomy celebrate and respect diversity in all forms, including race, religion, gender, ethnicity, veterans, people with varied abilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and members from other historically marginalized identities are particularly encouraged to apply. RIT seeks candidates with demonstrated experience teaching and working with individuals from diverse backgrounds to contribute to the University’s mission, vision, and core values of Student Centeredness; Professional Development and Scholarship; Integrity and Ethics; Respect, Diversity and Pluralism; Innovation and Flexibility; and Teamwork and Collaboration. Select to view links to RIT’s core values , honor code , and diversity .

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in astronomy, astrophysics, physics or a closely related field, and have postdoctoral experience. Candidates must have strong communication skills and demonstrate an overall commitment to the educational, research, and teaching mission of the School of Physics and Astronomy.

Department/College Description

The School of Physics and Astronomy consists of 38 fulltime faculty, 9 postdocs, 180 undergraduate physics majors, and 70 graduate students. The School offers a BS and MS program in Physics, a PhD/MS program in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology, and our new PhD program in Physics is being launched in Fall 2024. Faculty in the school currently also contribute to graduate programs in Materials Science & Engineering, Microsystems Engineering, Sustainability, Imaging Science, Mathematical Modeling, and Applied & Computational Mathematics. The College of Science leads six of RIT’s nine major research centers, namely, the Center for Advanced Teaching Learning & Evaluation, the Center for Computational Relativity & Gravitation, the NanoPower Research Laboratory, the Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, the Center for Detectors, and the Digital Imaging & Remote Sensing Laboratory. Currently, RIT has identified five Signature Research Areas, and the College of Science leads three of them, i.e., the Future Photon Initiative, Frontiers in Gravitational Wave Astrophysics, and Unmanned Aerial Systems. College of Science faculty also collaborate with the Center for Human-aware AI and the Computational Linguistics and Speech Processing Lab.

The School of Physics and Astronomy, together with the Center for Imaging Science, the School of Mathematical Sciences, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, supports the multidisciplinary AST PhD and MS programs, which are housed within RIT’s College of Science.  This program currently includes 14 Faculty, drawn from the academic units listed above, and currently supports 49 graduate students. Faculty associated with AST maintain strong research programs covering a broad range of topics and disciplines, including: supermassive black holes, numerical relativity, gravitational wave astrophysics, experimental cosmology, galaxy evolution, active galactic nuclei, massive stars, the earliest and latest stages of stellar evolution, circumstellar disks and outflows, computational astrophysics, and instrument and detector research and development. AST Faculty and students are affiliated with one or more of three major RIT research centers: the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation (ccrg.rit.edu ), the Center for Detectors (ridl.cfd.rit.edu ), and the Laboratory for Multi-wavelength Astrophysics (lama.cis.rit.edu ).

Information about the RIT School of Physics and Astronomy can be found at https://www.rit.edu/science/school-physics-and-astronomy .

Required Minimum Qualifications

• A PhD in astronomy, astrophysics, physics, or a closely-related field
• Demonstrated commitment to research and excellence in teaching at all levels of the curriculum
• Ability to establish and maintain a vigorous program in astronomical instrumentation and technology development that augments our existing strengths
• Demonstrated ability, or strong potential, to obtain external research funding
• A commitment to the educational and teaching mission of the School of Physics and Astronomy.
• A commitment to including graduate and undergraduate students in research
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to contribute in meaningful ways to RIT’s continuing commitment to cultural diversity, pluralism, and individual differences

Required Minimum Education Level

PhD

Faculty Type (Tenure Status)

Tenure-Track

Faculty Rank

Assistant Professor

Employment Category

Fulltime

Anticipated Start Date

15-Aug-2024

Required Application Documents

Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae or Resume, List of References, Research Statement, Statement of Diversity Contribution, Statement of Teaching Philosophy

How To Apply

Apply online at http://careers.rit.edu/faculty . Search: 8370BR. Please submit your application, curriculum vitae and cover letter, and upload the following:

• Statement of research goals and plans for securing external funding (not to exceed 3MB-4 pages)
• Teaching philosophy statement (not to exceed 3 MB-4 pages)
• Statement about contributions to diversity and inclusion, including philosophy and/or approach to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment (not to exceed 3MB-4 pages)

List of three current professional references, along with their contact information

Successful candidates must be committed to working with diverse student and community populations. Candidates must include a statement about their contributions to diversity that includes a description of any previous activities mentoring members of historically excluded racial, gender, or other identities.

Candidates should arrange to have their three references send letters of support directly to Chair, Astronomical Instrumentation Faculty Search Committee, RIT School of Physics & Astronomy via email to : physttbsrch@rit.edu and must be in PDF format.
Inquiries regarding the position may also be sent electronically to physttbsrch@rit.edu.

To receive full consideration, all application materials should be received by December 15, 2023.

Additional Details

In compliance with NYS's Pay Transparency Act, the salary range for this position is listed above. Rochester Institute of Technology considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The hiring process for this position may require a criminal background check and/or motor vehicle records check. Any verbal or written offer made is contingent on satisfactory results, as determined by Human Resources. RIT does not discriminate. RIT promotes and values diversity, pluralism and inclusion in the work place. RIT provides equal opportunity to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, marital status, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status or disability in its hiring, admissions, educational programs and activities. RIT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities under the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York Human Rights Law, or similar applicable law. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Human Resources office at 585-475-2424 or email your request to hr@rit.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.