[Cugapost] Physics and Astronomy Department Head position at JMU

[Lorelei Chopard]

Department Head - Department of Physics and Astronomy - 0407767

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at James Madison University 
invites applications for the position of Department Head to begin July 
1, 2017 at the rank of Full Professor to lead a dynamic department that 
is dedicated to undergraduate teaching and research.

The department has 21 full-time faculty members and approximately 100 
students in their multi-track baccalaureate-only program. The 
department's faculty are research active and have established a strong 
record of grant-funded research with undergraduates. The department is 
also a PhysTEC-supported site and dedicated to producing physics 
teachers. In addition to these core activities, the department hosts a 
variety of public science outreach activities, including programming 
through a state-of-the-art 70-seat planetarium that attracts over 25,000 
participants annually.

The department maintains state-of-the-art research facilities including 
a new accelerator laboratory housing a 15 MeV Linac, a 140 KeV X-ray 
machine and standard particle detection instrumentation. The department 
has two atomic force microscopes, an SEM outfitted with electron-beam 
lithography capabilities, and a rheometer. It has shared access to a 
clean room with photolithography and thin film deposition equipment. The 
department has two 14" telescopes with supporting CCDs and a 
spectrograph. Additional information is available online about James 
Madison University<http://www.jmu.edu/> and about the 
department<http://csma31.csm.jmu.edu/physics/>.

JMU is a comprehensive public university with over 19,000 undergraduate 
and 1,800 graduate students. For 19 consecutive years, JMU has been 
ranked as a top public, masters-level university in the South. Located 
in Harrisonburg, Virginia, JMU is approximately 130 miles southwest of 
Washington, D.C. in the scenic Shenandoah Valley. Nestled between the 
Appalachians and Shenandoah National Park, Harrisonburg is known for its 
livability, diversity, local food, arts and natural surroundings. 
Harrisonburg is a diverse community, with over 50 languages represented 
in excellent K-12 public schools, an annual international festival and a 
wide variety of restaurants and shops.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead the department and 
build upon its strengths in astrophysics, materials science, nuclear and 
particle physics, and soft condensed matter and nonlinear dynamics. 
Candidates must be eligible for the rank of Full Professor and have a 
Ph.D. in Physics or a closely related field. The successful candidate is 
expected to maintain a productive scholarly research program. Startup is 
negotiable. A commitment to excellence in teaching is essential and this 
individual will be expected to teach courses across the physics 
curriculum. The successful candidate will possess excellent 
communication skills, management and leadership skills, and the 
demonstrated ability to build and foster effective working 
relationships. The department is very interested in candidates who have 
a demonstrated commitment towards building an equitable and diverse 
scholarly environment.

To apply go to Joblink<http://JobLink.jmu.edu>, reference posting number 
0407767, complete the faculty profile and attach a curriculum vitae, 
cover letter, statement of research interests and/or teaching 
philosophy, and a statement of leadership that addresses your ability to 
work with faculty, staff and administration, shape the department 
vision, aid in achieving departmental goals and foster innovative 
teaching as Other Document #1. Please also address your vision in 
maintaining JMU's position as one of the top ten undergraduate-only 
physics departments in the country in this document. Finally, please 
attach a list of 4 professional references as Other Document #2. For 
questions regarding the position, please contact Dr. Stephen A. Leslie, 
(lesliesa at jmu.edu), Search Committee Chair. James Madison University is 
an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and supporting a 
diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all 
forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate 
discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, 
gender identity, genetic information, national origin, parental status, 
political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or 
veteran status. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should 
contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.