Assistant Professor

Employment Opportunities

Assistant Professor

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Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date indicated in the posting. For positions listed as Open Until Filled, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

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Posting Details

Request to Recruit

Position Title	Assistant Professor
Tenure Status	Tenure Track
Provide Rank	Assistant Professor
Position Number	010391
VISA Sponsorship?	VISA sponsorship is available for this position. All candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S.
Department	Physics & Astronomy - 250700
Working Location (City, State)	Boone, NC

Position Summary Information

Minimum Qualifications	Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Materials Engineering, or a related field.
Areas of Interest and Preferred Qualifications (No Minimum Level Required)	Candidates with research experience in nanoscience, advanced materials, and nanoscale imaging and characterization are encouraged to apply.
License/Certification Required
Description of the Department or Unit	The department offers a B.A. and a B.S. in Physics with multiple concentrations, including a B.S. in Physics with a concentration in Secondary Education. Additionally, the department’s M.S. program in Engineering Physics is a national leader in instrumentation and automation. The faculty includes 16 TT and 12 full-time NTT members. Both undergraduate and graduate programs are consistently ranked among the largest in the country by the AIP when compared to other Masters granting institutions: enrollment exceeds 170 undergraduate majors and 20+ graduate students. Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System; it enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio, and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate programs.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities	Candidates must have a strong commitment to excellence in undergraduate education and are expected to teach in and make significant contributions to the M.S. program in Engineering Physics, including the concentration in Nanoscience for Advanced Materials. Candidates with research experience in nanoscience, advanced materials, and nanoscale imaging and characterization are encouraged to apply. Candidates are expected to develop a research program that, in addition to involving undergraduate and M.S. students, can attract external funding, develop collaborations with departmental faculty, and utilize facilities and equipment within the department. Candidates with an interest in developing industry and/or agency connections are encouraged to apply. Start-up funds and laboratory space will be available to the successful candidate.
Type of Position	Full Time Position
Appointment Type	1.0
Number Of Months Per Year	9
Physical Demands of Position	To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Posting Details Information

Proposed Date of Hire	08/01/2027
Suggested Salary Range	Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.
ABD Consideration:	ABD with reduction in rank and salary (see desc. below)
ABD Description	ABD with reduction in rank and salary: ABD will be considered for this position. Evidence of successful defense of the dissertation must be received by July 31 for a fall hire or November 30 for a spring hire. If confirmation of defense is not provided by the deadline, the candidate will receive a new one-year fixed-term contract and be hired at the rank of Instructor. The candidate’s salary will also be reduced to a lower rate commensurate with other full-time instructors in the same department. However, if degree verification is provided before the end of the one-year fixed-term contract, the candidate will be returned to the rank of assistant professor with commensurate compensation beginning July 1 of the following academic year. No ABD consideration: Only candidates with an earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution will be considered for the position. Since ABD will not meet the minimum requirements, ABD will not be considered.
Special Instructions to Applicants	To apply please submit the following application materials: (1) a cover letter delineating your interests and qualifications, (2) a description of your research program that includes how you will implement it at Appalachian State, and how you will involve and mentor undergraduate and M.S. students, (3) a description of your teaching philosophy that includes how you will contribute to introductory or advanced undergraduate courses, and to Master’s level courses in our programs, (4) a curriculum vitae that clearly highlights work relevant to this position, (5) a list of three references, and (6) an artificial intelligence (AI) disclosure statement that clearly states if and how AI was used in the development of the application materials.
UNC System Code (Section 610(2)) Special Faculty Hires	The continued employment of a special faculty member during the term appointment may be made expressly contingent on items such as the continued availability of funding from any source, on enrollment levels, or any other contingency established by the institution.
Posting Date	09/23/2026
Closing Date
Open Until Filled	Yes
Evaluation of Applications Begins	11/16/2026
Search Chair Name	Chris Thaxton
Search Chair Email	[email protected]
Quick Link	https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/56129
Posting Number	FA00608P

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Cover Letter / Letter of Interest
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. List of References with Contact Information
4. Miscellaneous (Explanation in Applicant Instructions)
5. Statement of Teaching Philosophy
6. Statement of Research Interests

Optional Documents