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Position Details

Academic Personnel

Assistant Professor, Astronomy (2 Positions)


Position Overview


School / Campus / College: College of Arts and Sciences

Organization: Astronomy

Title: Assistant Professor, Astronomy (2 Positions)


Position Details


Position Description

The Astronomy Department of the University of Washington seeks to fill two full-time, tenure-track, 9-month faculty positions at the level of Assistant Professor, starting in September 2023. We encourage applications from candidates in all areas of astronomy or astrophysics. 

University of Washington (UW) faculty engage in teaching, research, and service. Responsibilities include developing a vigorous program of externally-funded, original research in astronomy, mentoring PhD students, and teaching astronomy at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Current UW Astronomy faculty are involved in observational, theoretical, and data-intensive research on the solar system, exoplanets, stars, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy, high-energy astrophysics, and cosmology. Faculty, postdocs, and students are frequent observers across the electromagnetic spectrum at national facilities, and regularly use local, national and international facilities for computational astrophysics.  The Department has founding and continuing roles in the Astrophysical Research Consortium’s 3.5m telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (including SDSS-V), both located at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. UW astronomy is home to the Virtual Planet Laboratory, which studies exoplanet habitability with both simulations and data from ground- and space-based facilities (including JWST). VPL faculty also lead the UW Astrobiology Program (a dual-title Ph.D. program). UW Astronomy's DiRAC Institute is a leader in data-intensive astrophysics, co-founder of the Rubin Observatory project, and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). DiRAC hosts Rubin's solar system, time-domain pipeline, and other project teams, gearing up to lead early LSST science efforts in a number of areas. UW’s Dark Universe Science Center (DUSC) hosts a group active in cosmology and astroparticle physics.  The department maintains a strong presence in theoretical astrophysics including numerical and analytical methods. Current faculty are involved in leadership, research, and outreach through the NASA Washington Space Grant, housed in the Aeronautics & Astronautics department. The department is actively developing novel instrumentation for ground and space, and collaborating across departments to develop cubesat and small sat capabilities. 

Interdisciplinary research is strongly encouraged with other programs on campus, including the Physics Department, as well as units engaged in astrobiology, computer science and engineering, and the University’s eScience Institute (supporting data-intensive research across campus).  

Diversity is a core value of the Astronomy Department. The department is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural and inclusive environment.  The student body of the University of Washington is growing ever more diverse, and we encourage applications from minoritized candidates. The successful applicant will be expected to advise and mentor students. The department is invested in mentorship and equity work across career stages, and values community-building, teaching, peer-support, and lived experience. All faculty are strongly encouraged to actively contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusivity goals of the department, and the University as articulated in the UW Diversity Blueprint and Department of Astronomy diversity statement.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a PhD or foreign equivalent degree in astronomy, physics, or related field, complemented by a strong record of research productivity. This may be demonstrated through published research, or other research products such as astronomical instrumentation (hardware and/or software).

Instructions

To support an equitable search and reduce bias, the initial longlist of candidates will be decided through an anonymized application process described below. Email inquiries may be addressed to: Mario Juric and Eric Agol, search committee co-chairs, at uwastro@uw.edu.

Priority will be given to applicants who submit the materials below by October 21, 2022.

Applicant Materials should include:

  1. Anonymized Research Statement: up to 3 pages, including a summary of previous research achievements and future interests. In this anonymized statement, the merits of the applicant’s work should be emphasized, but we ask that the applicant’s name, institution names, and group names be removed. Citations within the text should be numbered. Examples of anonymized statements are available here.  

  2. Anonymized Statement of Teaching and Mentoring: up to 1 page, providing a summary of teaching and mentoring experiences, and future pedagogical goals. The applicant’s name, institution names, and group names should be removed. Citations within the text should be numbered.

  3. Anonymized DEI Statement: up to 1 page,  showing how their work would contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusivity goals of the University (as articulated in the UW Diversity Blueprint). The merits of the applicant’s work and personal experiences can be emphasized, but we ask that the applicant’s name and group names be removed. This statement may include, but is not limited to, any of the following: (1) familiarity with current research related to DEI in academic settings; (2) training in and implementation of equitable teaching practices; (3) understanding of DEI as demonstrated through lived experience. Citations within the text should be numbered. 

  4. Non-anonymized Curriculum Vitae. All names can be included, and full references should be listed.

  5. Three non-anonymized letters of reference. The most helpful letters will specifically address the applicant’s accomplishments in several of the following categories: teaching; mentorship; achievement in research; research vision; DEI work; project leadership; independence and individuality in thought; proposal and grant writing; and public communication. 

  6. Non-anonymized Cover Letter (optional).  A cover letter will only be read after the initial selection round.

Anonymization Guidelines:

The goal of anonymization is to allow the search committee to judge candidates based on their accomplishments rather than identity, minimizing opportunities for unconscious bias. Toward that end, the anonymized statements described above should make every effort to conceal the identities of the applicants while focusing on their accomplishments and ideas. This process will not be perfect, but committee members will be reviewing applications with this intention in mind. Please see examples of anonymized statements posted here

To improve anonymity, a staff member will review all applications in advance of the committee’s review. Applicants whose applications inadvertently reveal their identity may be asked to update their application if a simple fix cannot be applied (e.g. blacking out names). 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Benefits Information

A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).

Privacy Notice

Review the University of Washington Privacy Notice for Demographic Data of Job Applicants and University Personnel to learn how your demographic data are protected, when the data may be used, and your rights.

Disability Services

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.

Apply now

The University of Washington is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.


For help signing up, accessing your account, or submitting your application, please check out Interfolio's help and support section or get in touch via email at help@interfolio.com or phone at (877)997-8807.

Title IX Notice

Title IX, Title VII, VAWA, Washington State law, and University of Washington policy collectively prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, pregnant or parenting status, and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) identity.

Anyone may contact the Office of the Title IX Coordinator about sex and gender discrimination, including sexual or gender-based harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and other forms of sexual misconduct. Anyone who has experienced these behaviors has the right to make a complaint to the University, report to the police, to both, or not at all.

Please see the Title IX website to learn more about how to report or make a formal complaint of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or other sexual misconduct. You will also find information about supportive measures and the grievance procedures that are utilized for complaints of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct. Students and employees have access to support measures and resources, whether or not they choose to make a complaint.

Office of the Title IX Coordinator

Valery Richardson, Title IX Coordinator
Mags Aleks, Deputy Title IX Coordinator
4311 11th Ave NE Seattle, WA 98105
206-221-7932
TitleIX@uw.edu