The Physics Department at Colorado College invites applications for two tenure-track assistant professor positions starting in August 2024.  We seek candidates with the potential to become excellent teacher-scholars who are excited to teach across the undergraduate physics curriculum, from introductory to advanced physics courses, to a diverse community of students.  The Physics Department is commited to inclusive and equitable teaching practices and we are excited to hear from candidates who share this vision.  Candidates should also have a demonstrated history of or specific ideas for providing undergraduate research opportunities.  Compensation for the position is approximately $85,000/year as tabulated here.

For the first position, we seek a computational physicist in any subfield or an experimentalist with a significant computational component to their work. For several years, we have been weaving computation through our curriculum. We anticipate this hire will help further this process and offer computational physics research opportunities to our students. We are excited about the possibility of stronger connections with our Computer Science program and are interested in candidates with ideas for interdepartmental collaborations.

 https://employment.coloradocollege.edu/postings/7298

For the second position, we seek an experimentalist with interdisciplinary interests. Note that previous teaching or research experience in an interdisciplinary topic isn’t necessary, but interest and ideas along these lines are preferred. We are particularly interested in collaboration with our Environmental Studies Program, so someone whose teaching or research interests facilitate this would be particularly welcome. We hope this hire will also help us revise and develop our upper division lab courses as well as provide experimental research opportunities to our students.

https://employment.coloradocollege.edu/postings/7299

If you feel that you qualify and would like to be considered for both positions, please submit separate applications to both. Given the current composition of our department, we are unlikely to hire someone whose research lies solely in the field of astronomy or astrophysics. 

Colorado College is a nationally recognized undergraduate liberal arts college of approximately 2,000 students. Located one hour south of Denver at the foot of Pikes Peak (Tava-kaavi), the city of Colorado Springs offers many cultural and recreational activities in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Region.

The College actively promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment in which students and employees of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives can learn and work. Antiracism is central to the College’s goals for the future, as evidenced by our multi-year external and self-study leading to our Antiracism Implementation Plan. We are particularly interested in faculty who have a dynamic vision for building an antiracist physics classroom.

We follow the Block Plan, an unusual academic calendar in which students take and faculty teach one course at a time, which allows flexibility for innovative teaching. Faculty teach six blocks per year. In your cover letter or statements, please include ideas you may have for teaching on the Block Plan, as well as ideas for new courses that are well suited to a liberal arts environment or that help us develop our department’s curricular goals laid out above.

Applications should contain: a cover letter, your CV, a teaching statement discussing your philosophy of teaching and your experience with or potential for incorporating active learning strategies; a research statement discussing your research interests and plans to include undergraduate students in your work; an equity and inclusion statement detailing your potential to contribute to the antiracism goals of Colorado College through your teaching, research, and/or service; undergraduate and graduate school transcripts to demonstrate the focus and breadth of your previous coursework, and three confidential letters of recommendation. At least one letter should comment on your teaching ability. A Ph.D. in physics or a related field is required, and graduate coursework in physics is preferred. Applications from candidates who have reached ABD status will be considered.

Colorado College is an equal opportunity employer committed to increasing the diversity of its community. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, gender identity or expression, disability, or sexual orientation in our educational programs and activities or our employment practices.

Applications received by 11:59pm MT on October 13, 2023 will receive full consideration.

Queries may be directed to Kristine Lang, Physics Department Chair, at kmlang@coloradocollege.edu.

About Colorado College

The Colorado College is a small, selective, undergraduate liberal arts college at the foot of Pike's Peak. Our unusual block plan academic calendar, in which students take and faculty teach one course at a time, allows flexibility for innovative teaching. Our department has graduated an average of 15 physics majors per year recently. We would like to encourage more women and minorities to take an interest in physics and astronomy; if you can help us do that, we will be especially happy to hear from you.

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