Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Engineering Physics

Northern Kentucky University•Highland Heights, KY

62d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Physics, Geology, and Engineering Technology (PGET) at Northern Kentucky University invites applications for a tenure-track position in engineering physics to begin August 2026. The PGET department is housed within the College of Arts & Sciences and has 11 tenured/tenure-track faculty members and four full-time teaching faculty who serve nearly 250 students that are majoring in at least one of its programs. The engineering physics program was launched in 2019 and has grown to 30 majors who are currently taught by faculty from the physics and the engineering technology programs. This new tenure line will be the first position dedicated to serving the engineering physics program. A readiness review has been submitted to ABET with the goal of achieving accreditation for the engineering physics program in 2027. The entire department, including the engineering physics program, will be housed in the newly renovated Herrmann Science Center and its expansion, which are due to be completed in spring 2027. Our new colleague is expected to be effective in all three areas of professional responsibilities at NKU: teaching, research, and service. This includes leading engaging introductory physics courses, teaching upper-division courses in the engineering physics curriculum with a student-centered focus, and enriching student experiences through involvement in co-curricular activities. Undergraduate research opportunities are highly valued within the department, and our new colleague will be expected to provide research experiences to undergraduate students by involving them in scholarship and mentoring senior capstone projects. Our new colleague also will be expected to develop and cultivate relationships with employers in support of student professional development. Tenure-track faculty members also engage in service activities at all levels of the university. Any research expertise or specialization within engineering physics will be considered as long as it will lead to a productive research program at NKU, involve students, and engage the northern Kentucky community and greater Cincinnati region more broadly. Our new colleague will have opportunities to engage in K-12 outreach, to participate in student recruitment, and to help shape the engineering physics program. This is an on-campus position. NKU is a comprehensive regional university of approximately 15,000 students located seven miles from downtown Cincinnati, OH in an area offering an outstanding quality of life. It is near a variety of natural areas and is a nationally recognized metropolitan university committed to active engagement with the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region of nearly two million people. It serves traditional students who enroll directly after high school, post-traditional students, and working adults. NKU has a large population of students who commute, and only 20 percent of NKU students are full-time, undergraduates who live on campus. The university has been recognized as one of America's most military-friendly and disability-friendly schools.

Requirements

Doctorate in engineering physics, a doctorate in applied physics, or a combination of graduate degrees such as one in physics and one in engineering where one of them is at the doctorate level
Commitment to teaching excellence at the undergraduate level and qualified to teach in the engineering physics program
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain a productive research program in engineering physics that can involve undergraduate students
Excellence in written and oral communication

Nice To Haves

Effective teaching experience in introductory and advanced engineering physics courses
Demonstrated understanding of and compassion towards the needs of the student population served by NKU
Proven record of peer-reviewed, scholarly research in engineering physics
Active advocate for the fields of physics, engineering, and engineering physics
Demonstrated involvement in student organizations
Experience with ABET accreditation activities
Track record of industry engagement
Prior involvement in K-12 outreach

Responsibilities

Teach introductory physics courses, some of which are in the general education curriculum
Teach advanced upper-level courses in the engineering physics major, including development of courses in the hire's area of expertise if they are not already part of the curriculum
Establish a productive research program that involves NKU's undergraduate students
Mentor engineering physics capstone projects
Disseminate results from research at conferences and in suitable journals
Serve as a career mentor for students, including helping them find research and professional experiences at other institutions
Establish or grow professional connections in industry, government, and academia
Contribute to curriculum oversight, assessment, and continuous program improvement which are required for ABET accreditation
Participate in service activities at various organizational levels of the university, within the profession, and in the community

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