Assistant Professor of Space Science

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY: The University of Alabama in Huntsville, classified as a High Research Activity institution, offers academic and research programs in the Colleges of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Professional and Continuing Studies, and Science. Huntsville maintains one of the highest per capita incomes and standards of living in the Southeast. It is a national center of aerospace and high technology research and is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Huntsville and surrounding communities present many opportunities for healthcare research and professional practice.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE: The UAH College of Science advances cutting-edge research and offers first-rate degree programs thanks to our distinguished faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. Our location in Huntsville facilitates partnerships and collaborations with NASA, the US Army, NOAA, the HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, and the numerous high-tech companies located in Cummings Research Park, the second largest research park in the country.

College of Science students enjoy the benefits of a research-intensive institution in a medium-sized university, including a 16:1 student-to-professor ratio and numerous research, leadership, and co-op/internship opportunities. The vibrant UAH campus, diverse student population, and academic and social organizations provide an enriching and cross-disciplinary student life experience. USA Today, Princeton Review, Consumers Digest, and Payscale have ranked UAH as a top educational value.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: UAH is a recognized leader in space research, and the Department of Space Science was created to develop a corresponding academic program with a national ranking.

Our faculty and researchers study cosmic plasmas and radiation and how they interact with each other from microscopic to galactic scales. In fact, over 99% of the visible universe is in a plasma state. We employ cutting edge observational and modeling techniques to learn about this most abundant, yet still enigmatic, form of matter.

The Department is a graduate program exclusively, offering an MSc or PhD degree in Space Science, although we also teach an undergraduate class in space science for the UAH Honors College. Our students develop a broad spectrum of skills, including computational science, data analysis, analytic theory, and even space instrumentation development. Our graduates work at NASA centers, national labs, universities in the US and abroad and in private industry.

The department enjoys close collaborations with the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) and with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. We run several summer schools and an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program.

Created in September 2013, the Department of Space Science is the newest department in the College of Science at UAH.

Our areas of expertise include

• Outer atmosphere of the Sun,
• Solar wind,
• The heliosphere,
• Interstellar medium,
• Gamma-ray bursts,
• Cosmic rays.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Reviewing of applicants will begin, 1/18/2019.

JOB DESCRIPTION/REQUIREMENTS: The Department of Space Science is seeking an outstanding scientist and teacher to fill a tenure-track assistant professor position in the field of low-temperature plasma (LTP) science, broadly defined. This is the first of three positions that will be filled in this general area over the next three years, all of which are expected to support and complement a recently awarded National Science Foundation Established Program in Support of Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grant in low-temperature plasma physics. Within the general field of LTP science, areas of particular interest to the Department include solar physics, interplanetary and heliospheric physics, magnetospheric physics, physics of the very local interstellar medium, dusty and/or complex plasma, gas discharge physics, and plasma interactions with soft and/or hard matter. The ideal candidate will complement existing strengths within the Department while expanding significantly research capabilities and competencies. We are seeking someone who uses any of theory, modeling, or observations to address one or more of the areas of interest. The successful candidate will teach graduate-level courses primarily, will develop at least two new advanced graduate level courses reflecting their research expertise, and will mentor graduate students pursuing MSc and PhD degrees and undergraduate students in summer programs. It is expected that the successful candidate will have a PhD or equivalent degree in a field appropriate to the job description above and will pursue independent research funding.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applicants must submit a complete CV, a list of publications, a list of awarded research grants, a research statement, a teaching statement, and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to the SPA Faculty Search Committee 2018, Department of Space Science, Cramer Research Hall, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35899 or by email to [email protected] with the header Faculty Search Committee 2018. Applications will remain open until position is filled.

Inquiries regarding the position or the procedure for application can be directed to Prof. Gary P Zank and Ms. Veronica Belser, respectively. 

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer of minorities/ females/ veterans/ disabled.

Please refer to log number: 19/20-536