Assistant Professor of Physics and Planetarium Director

Applicants sought for a tenure track, academic-year Assistant Professor position starting August 2026. The successful candidate will serve as the Director of the Downing Planetarium, which has a 74-seat star theater and a Minolta MS-10 star projector. The planetarium and the adjacent Downing Planetarium Museum typically have over 15,000 visitors per year, mostly school field trips, public shows, and private shows. Candidates with previous planetarium experience and a track record in one or more of the following areas are strongly preferred: citizen-science astronomy research coordination, professional-amateur astronomy research collaboration, astronomy public outreach, and science popularization. We are seeking candidates dedicated to teaching physics and astronomy at all levels, engaging students in high-quality research, and contributing to our efforts to recruit and retain new majors. Fresno State also has a Campus Observatory with a 16-inch telescope. An option, contingent on funding, may be involvement in Sierra Remote Observatories, a dark site 66 km from campus with 1.1” average seeing. An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in astronomy, astrophysics, physics, planetary science, or a closely related field from an accredited (or equivalent) institution is required. A strong background in instrumentation is required, since the successful candidate will be expected to maintain the planetarium, run the shows, and install new shows. Ability to demonstrate a commitment to working effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds is required. All positions at Fresno State are subject to funding availability. Moving expenses, start-up funds, and a reduced teaching load for the first two years may be available. The Department of Physics at California State University, Fresno, also known as Fresno State, offers the BS and MS degrees in physics, and presently has 9 tenured/tenure-track and 10 non-tenured faculty members, 58 undergraduates, 97 medical physics students, and 13 graduate students. Review of applications will begin on December 15, 2025, and will continue as needed until the position is filled. For the official job announcement, see https://careers.fresnostate.edu/en-us/job/551819/physics-assistant-professor