Assistant Professor Physics and Astronomy

Western Washington University with over 15000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school is nationally recognized for its educational programs students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham Washington a coastal community of 90000 overlooking Bellingham Bay the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes Bremerton Everett Port Angeles and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes such as being named one of the top public masters-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success increasing our Washington impact and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship research and creative activity. Westerns greatest strength is the outstanding students faculty staff and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can pursuit of this excellence individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff faculty administration student and external constituents. Further individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic societal environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is comprised of 16 full-time faculty (tenured tenure-track and non-tenure track) 3 full time permanent staff and 100 undergraduate physics majors. Physics B.S. degrees are offered in addition to minor degrees in both physics and astronomy. The department strives to support meaningful research opportunities for its majors including hiring new tenure-track faculty committed to undergraduate research. Members of the department are also active in the development of new educational materials and innovative teaching methods. The common vision shared within the department is to make the WWU Department of Physics and Astronomy the most outstanding undergraduate program of its kind in the nation.

WWU is committed to creating equitable and inclusive learning and working environments for their students faculty and staff. A number of faculty-led initiatives and committees focus on diversity and inclusivity in the classroom and beyond. New faculty are supported by mentoring both within the department and through university-wide initiatives and individual faculty involvement in the Faculty Success Program has recently been supported by our department. Student clubs such as SACNAS Physicists for Inclusion in STEM (PhIS) and Out in Science are also vital to advancing inclusion within the college.

Detailed information is available for the Department of Physics and Astronomy at

Full-time tenure-track assistant professor beginning September 2026. Western Washington University (WWU) invites applications from candidates who will contribute to the departments curriculum at all levels and establish an active and sustainable research program with opportunities to engage WWU undergraduates.

Teach upper and lower division undergraduate courses in WWUs Department of Physics and Astronomy where the standard teaching load is five classes across the three quarters of each academic year. Develop and maintain a research program involving undergraduate students and seek extramural funding in support of research. Participate in student advising committees and departmental activities. Assist in closing existing gaps in student retention and success by fulfilling teaching and mentoring responsibilities in ways that provide equitable and inclusive learning environments for all students.

Required:

• Ph.D. at time of application in physics or a closely related field
• Record of significant scholarly accomplishment in physics or a closely related field
• Potential for establishing an active independent and sustainable research program that engages undergraduates at a regional public primarily undergraduate institution (PUI)
• Demonstrated experience in or potential for effective teaching of the physics undergraduate curriculum at both the upper- and lower-division
• Demonstrated commitment to and potential for cultivating learning environments that are equitable and inclusive of students with diverse identities and backgrounds

Preferred:

• Post-doctoral research experience or equivalent
• Demonstrated commitment to and potential for the use of student-centered teaching approaches
• Experience in or potential for teaching upper division courses in experimental methods quantum mechanics or astrophysics.

Salary

The starting salary range for assistant professor appointment tenure-track is generally between $70000-$75000 with placement within the positions salary range being based on qualifications and professional experience. The entire salary range for the assistant professor position is $70000-$85000 with the upper end of the salary range typically being achieved through collectively bargained salary adjustments. Relocation assistance may be available per University guidelines. Salary and start-up funds are to be determined upon being offered the position.

Bargaining Unit

United Faculty of Western Washington

Application Instructions

A cover letter and curriculum vitae are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.

You will be asked to provide contact information of three references.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. Employment-based visa sponsorship may be considered depending on the candidates current immigration status; however the University is unable to sponsor new H1B petitions or cover associated filing or processing fees at this time.

Required Supplemental Materials

Applications must include (1) a cover letter describing the ways in which the applicants background addresses the required and preferred qualifications (2) a statement of teaching philosophy and relevant experience (3) a statement outlining proposed research plans specifically addressing plans for undergraduate involvement and including a brief overview outlining resources needed to develop and sustain the proposed research program at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) (4) a statement that addresses how your cultural experiential and/or academic background has prepared you to support the success of students with backgrounds or identities that are underrepresented in STEM fields as well as your commitment to these issues and (5) a full curriculum vitae including the names addresses e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of three professional references. Do not send letters of recommendation; they will be requested only for semi-finalists.

Inquiries may be addressed to the search committee chair Dr. Ken Rines at .

Review of applications will begin on February 1 2026 and the position will remain open until filled.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity compliance with applicable laws WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race ethnicity color national origin age citizenship or immigration status pregnancy use of protective leave genetic status sex sexual orientation gender identity gender expression marital status creed religion veteran or military status disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law in its programs or activities including employment admissions and educational programs. See WWUs Policies onProhibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance Title IX and ADA Coordinator Western Washington University Old Main 126 (MS 9021) 516 High Street Bellingham WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay);

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation please contactHuman Resources Disability Services 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The Clery Act). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Westerns campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use crime prevention the reporting of crimes sexual assault and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at . The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires and rehires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.