Physics Assistant Professor

CSU Careers • Fresno, CA

5h • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Physics in the College of Science and Mathematics at California State University, Fresno, seeks applicants for a tenure-track, academic-year position at the rank of Assistant Professor starting in 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. California State University, Fresno, is committed to the success of all of our students with a focus on inclusion and providing high quality experiential learning experiences. Fresno State has been recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI); an Asian American/Native American/Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI); and has been designated to the Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Requirements

• An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in astronomy, astrophysics, physics, planetary science, or a closely related field from an accredited (or equivalent) institution.
• Successful teaching experience (including teaching assistantships) at the college level.
• Demonstrated success with research and scholarly activities, including recent peer-reviewed publications in high-quality journals and/or conference proceedings.
• A strong background in instrumentation as the successful candidate will be expected to maintain the planetarium, run the shows, and install new shows.

Nice To Haves

• Planetarium experience
• Track record in citizen-science astronomy research coordination, professional-amateur astronomy research collaboration, astronomy public outreach, and science popularization.
• Experience with grant writing and administration.
• Interest in interdisciplinary collaborations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Director of the Downing Planetarium
• Maintain the planetarium
• Run planetarium shows
• Install new planetarium shows
• Teaching physics and astronomy at all levels
• Engaging students in high-quality research
• Contributing to our efforts to recruit and retain new majors

Benefits

• As a member of the 23-campus CSU System, we offer an extremely competitive benefits package see the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.
• Moving expenses, start up funds, and a reduced teaching load for the first two years may be available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees