Assistant/Associate Professor

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian State University invites applications for a position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level to begin August 2026. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, or a related field. Please note this position is based on enrollment and subject to available funding.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian State University seeks a candidate to fill a tenure-track position with a focus on astronomy. Candidates must have a strong commitment to excellence in education and are expected to develop a research program that, in addition to involving undergraduate and M.S. students, can attract and maintain external funding. Preference will be given to candidates whose research and/or outreach activities include facilities available at the department’s Dark Sky Observatory . Responsibilities will include teaching astronomy and physics courses, advancing astronomical research, and service activities, including advising. Some start-up funds will be available to the successful candidate.

The University’s Dark Sky Observatory hosts 32- and 18-inch telescopes with imaging and spectrographic capabilities as well three robotic photometric telescopes (6-, 14- and 17-inch). On the 32-inch telescope, the GM spectrograph is automated for stellar targets (and other objects moving at the sidereal rate) and astronomers can expect roughly six nights per month (72 nights per year) on the 32-inch for imaging and or spectroscopy. The Jo and Don Cline Visitor Center at DSO is used for public outreach. The department also houses an instructional observatory on campus with a 16-inch telescope capable of imaging and spectroscopy and the “GoTo” Astronomy Facility, a state-of-the-art astronomical laboratory with 15 Celestron CPC1100 telescopes used in our two-semester introductory astronomy course sequence.

The department offers a B.A. in Physics, a B.S. in Physics with a concentration in Applied Physics, and a B.S. in Physics with a concentration in Secondary Education. Additionally, the department’s M.S. program in Engineering Physics is a national leader in instrumentation and automation. The faculty includes 13.5 tenure-track and 11 full-time non-tenure-track members. Both undergraduate and graduate programs are consistently ranked among the largest in the country by the AIP when compared to other Masters granting institutions: enrollment exceeds 180 undergraduate majors (with more than 40 in the astronomy concentration) and 20-25 master’s students.

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors. Additional information about the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the University, and the surrounding area can be found at www.appstate.edu and www.physics.appstate.edu and at the above-listed department website.