St. Olaf College Tenure Track Position in Physics (Engineering Emphasis)

The Physics Department at St. Olaf College invites applications for a full time tenure track position at the assistant or associate professor level beginning August 15, 2017. The department is seeking an engineer or applied physicist whose expertise will help support the interests of engineering-bound physics majors. The individual hired will be expected to teach courses throughout the physics curriculum including the engineering practicum and to develop an experiment-based undergraduate research program. Significant startup funds will be available. We are particularly interested in applicants who will contribute to the department's commitment to increasing access and opportunities for populations which are currently under-represented in physics and engineering.

Qualifications. Candidates must

-- hold a Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or a closely related field by August 15, 2017

-- show potential for excellence in teaching in a liberal arts setting and for developing an experimental research program amenable to participation by undergraduate students

-- have the ability to teach at all levels in the undergraduate physics curriculum

-- have the ability to teach an engineering practicum course and special topics courses in the candidate’s area of expertise.

Additional desirable qualifications include postdoctoral academic or industrial research experience and/or previous teaching experience.

Responsibilities. The successful candidate will have responsibilities in three main areas:

-- Teaching. In a given year, teach a set of courses drawn from all levels of the physics program, including courses aimed at engineering-bound physics majors. The normal teaching load (classes and labs) is six course-equivalents per year.

-- Scholarship. Develop an experimental research program with the potential to attract external funding and amenable to participation by undergraduate students, including summer research opportunities that draw interest from physics majors. ·

-- Service. Initially, participate in the functioning of the Physics Department and serve as the engineering advisor for St. Olaf and as an academic advisor. Over time, develop an active role in the broader academic life of the college.

Application Procedure. All application materials must be submitted online at https://stolaf.hiretouch.com. A complete application consists of

-- a cover letter introducing yourself and describing your interest in and qualifications for the position

-- a current curriculum vitae

-- a statement on teaching which includes your teaching interests, ideas about pedagogical approaches, and experience you may have had (about 2 pages)

-- a 3-5 page statement describing the research you propose to carry out as a new St. Olaf faculty member. You should assume the availability of startup funds sufficient to enable the development of a project with the potential to attract external funding.

-- official or unofficial graduate and undergraduate transcripts

-- names and email addresses of three professional references who can speak to your abilities in classroom teaching and scholarship (recommendation letters will be solicited from references by the search committee after an initial round of screening).

Evaluation of completed applications will begin on October 1, 2016. Our intention is to conduct finalist interviews in mid-to-late November and to fill the position by early December. Candidates who are invited to campus for an interview will also be asked to submit a written 1-2 page reflection on the College’s mission.

Contact Information. Inquiries about the position are welcome and can be addressed to the search committee chair, Professor David Nitz, at physicssearch2016@stolaf.edu or 507-786-3619.

About the department The Physics Department is in the Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics (FNSM), which also includes the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and MSCS (Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science). The FNSM is housed in the recently-constructed Regents Hall complex, a wellequipped LEED Platinum building designed to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research. The physics faculty numbers 6 FTE. The department has recently graduated an average of 29 majors per year, placing it as the third highest producer of physics bachelor degree holders among undergraduateonly institutions in the U.S. (data published by the American Institute of Physics). The FNSM has an active undergraduate research program and many of our majors continue their education in graduate or professional schools. For more detailed information about our program see http://wp.stolaf.edu/physics/.

About St. Olaf College Founded in 1874, St. Olaf College is a residential, coeducational liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students and 800 faculty and staff employees. It is located in Northfield, Minnesota, about 45 minutes from Minneapolis and St. Paul with their rich and diverse cultural resources. The college offers an academically rigorous, nationally ranked liberal arts education that fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit and emphasizes a global perspective.