Pacific University Physics Department

Search for Tenure Track Position in Experimental Physics

 

Position Announcement

The Department of Physics at Pacific University invites applications for a tenure-track position in experimental physics beginning August 2008. We seek an individual with a Ph.D. in Physics or closely related field, a commitment to teaching undergraduates, and an interest in physics pedagogy. Candidates with a research focus in optics or condensed-matter that compliments our existing research programs are highly desirable, however candidates in other areas are also encouraged to apply. A competitive start-up package is available to support research with undergraduates.

About Pacific University

Pacific University is an independent, comprehensive university in Forest Grove, Oregon. The University includes a College of Arts and Sciences (ca. 1300 students), a College of Health Professions (including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Pharmacy, Dental Science and Professional Psychology), a College of Optometry, and a College of Education. The faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are committed to teaching and scholarship involving undergraduates.

With the rest of the University, the College of Arts and Sciences anticipates significant growth over the next five years.

 

The Physics Department at Pacific

The Physics Department consists of four tenure-track faculty and a lab manager/instructor. We graduate approximately 3-5 seniors each year with 70% planning to pursue graduate studies in either physics or engineering. We are committed to being recognized for both our innovative pedagogy and our research with undergraduates (please see our department fact sheet). The number of our majors doing funded research in the summer has been steadily increasing over the past 5 years. We are proud of this trend and we are committed to a continued improvement in the future. Additionally, the teaching we do in the Physics Department at Pacific is guided by the latest results of the physics education research (PER) community and we are involved in a movement in the Natural Science Division and the College of Education at Pacific to create a Center for Math & Science Teaching and Learning on campus.

As the College of Arts and Sciences at Pacific grows, the Physics Department expects to grow as well. We anticipate adding an additional full-time faculty member in two to four years and increasing our support staff person to full time lab manager.  Furthermore, the Natural Science Division and the University plan to build new facilities that will contribute significantly to improved teaching and research opportunities in Physics.

Teaching Expectations

As described above, Pacific University is a small, liberal arts institution that is also distinguished for its professional health programs including a College of Optometry. Several faculty members in the Physics Department hold joint appointments with the College of Arts & Sciences (2/3 of their teaching load) and the College of Optometry (1/3 of their teaching load). The new hire will hold a similar appointment. The successful candidate will be expected to instruct a variety of courses during their career at Pacific including calculus-based and algebra-based introductory physics courses, upper-division physics courses, and physics courses for non-scientists and special-topics courses. This individual will also be expected to instruct Geometric and Physical Optics labs in the College of Optometry. Finally, this individual will be expected to advise physics majors in senior capstone projects. All physics majors complete a senior capstone project, most via a research experience with a faculty member for which the faculty member gets course credit. The annual teaching load for this position is 21 semester credits. Typically, this corresponds to approximately 4-6 contact hours per week in lecture and 4-10 contact hours per week in lab plus credit for research supervision. The average number of contact hours per week per semester would be approximately twelve.

The new hire will get 3 semester credits of course release in the first year in order to jump start their research program and to provide more time for quality teaching.

 

Service Expectations

An additional three credits of a full time load encompasses undergraduate student advising and committee work at the college and university levels. No advising or committee work is required of first-year faculty members. Second year faculty members typically serve on a committee and advise 10-12 students.

 

Research Expectations

The new hire will be expected to establish an active research program that involves undergraduate students in a substantive way. Start-up funding in the range of $40,000 - $64,000 will be provided in order to outfit a dedicated laboratory space and to support summer research by the new faculty member and up to two undergraduate students. The successful candidate will be expected to submit proposals for external funding to maintain his/her research program.

The department strongly supports research by our faculty and students. Student capstone projects often represent the culmination of two or more years of research in the laboratories of our faculty. In addition our students regularly present their work at the fall Murdock College Science Research Conference (http://www.murdock-trust.org/enrichment-programs/science-education.asp) and have had work presented at national conferences such as the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (http://www.cleoconference.org). Previously we have shared supervision of students with interests that bridge our specialties, and are always eager and willing to discuss with colleagues the science we do. Our department has a strong record of student success in graduate school, which we believe is due in part to quality mentoring of students. We will be supportive of the research efforts of the successful candidate, and will encourage qualified and interested students to join this individual’s research project.

The following is a partial list of equipment available for research in the department:

  • Continuum Nd:YAG pumped optical parametric oscillator
  • Haake circulating cooler
  • Taylor-Couette apparatus
  • Tektronix 1GHz, 5GS/s digital phosphor oscilloscope
  • Stanford Research lock-in amplifier
  • B&W Tek InGaAs fiber spectrometer
  • Infinitube in-line video microscope with Mitutoyo long-working distance objectives
  • Coherent BeamView Analyzer with LaserCam II silicon ccd camera and Hamamatsu C2741 lead sulfide vidicon camera
  • Laser Probe Rm-6600 universal radiometer with silicon and InGaAs energy sensors
  • Newport 4’ X 10’ optical table
  • Coherent FieldMate power meter with high energy sensor
  • Thorlabs LTC100 laser diode current driver/temperature controller/mount system
  • Meadowlark liquid crystal variable retarder
  • Abbe refractometer
  • High precision xyz translation stages, fiber optic cleaver, and various optical components
  • National Instruments A/D cards and GPIB cards
  • Function generators, oscilloscopes, mulitmeters, and other electronic test equipment
  • Machine shop including lathe, end-mill, drill press, band saw, and variety of tools
  • Laminar Flow Hood
  • Meade 10” telescope

Recent External Grants to Department Members

James J. Butler

  • Co-PI with Stephen Hall in Physics Department at Pacific: “Adaptation and implementation of innovative, technology-based pedagogies in optometry,” Berglund Fellowship, awarded in 2007: $10,100
  • Principal Investigator, “Investigation of the nonlinear optical properties of capillary waveguides and waveguide arrays at infrared wavelengths,” Research Corporation, awarded in November 2005: $39,984
  • Co-PI with Kevin Johnson in Chemistry Department at Pacific, “Acquisition of spectroscopic and computational instruments for undergraduate education and research in nonlinear optical materials,” National Science Foundation, awarded in September 2005: $138,471
  • Summer Faculty Fellow (plus internship funds for undergraduate student), Office of Naval Research-American Society for Engineering Education Summer Faculty Research Program, summers 2005 & 2006: $39,000
  • Principal Investigator, “Investigation of Novel IR Limiters,” Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)/approved by United States Naval Academy (USNA), summer 2004: $22,037
  • Co-author of Advanced Research Initiative, “Optically Active Photonic Crystal and Holey Fibers,” NRL, $1M
  • Principal Investigator, “Optical Properties of Single-Mode, Nonlinear Waveguide Arrays,” NRL/USNA, summer 2003: $16,433
  • Principal Investigator, “Optical Limiting Within Nonlinear Multimode Waveguides,” NRL/USNA, summer 2002: $14,652

Stephen C. Hall

  • Co-PI with James Butler in Physics Department at Pacific: “Adaptation and implementation of innovative, technology-based pedagogies in optometry,” Berglund Fellowship, awarded in 2007: $10,100
  • Principal investigator, “Investigation of possible intermediate phase transition in the crystal growth of highly supercooled fragile glass formers,” funded by Research Corporation, awarded in June 2006: $43,303

Juliet Brosing

  • Grants from Intel and local industry to restart a highly successful summer science camp for 7th and 8th grade girls for summer of 2008. (The camp was previously taught from 1989 to 2000, with Dr. Brosing acting as director for the last 6 years.)

Application Contents:

CV, a statement of teaching philosophy, a description of proposed research, and three letters of recommendation.

Send Applications to:

Dr. James J. Butler
Physics Department Chair
Pacific University
2043 College Way
Forest Grove, OR 97116

Review of applications will begin 30 November 2007

email contact: jjbutler@pacificu.edu

Pacific University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks diversity among its faculty.