Assistant Professor in Physical Oceanography

Assistant Professor in Physical Oceanography

Brief Summary of Work for this Position
The Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington seeks an outstanding faculty member for an Assistant Professor, nine-month, tenure-track position in the area of physical oceanography beginning August 2021.

Candidate will be engaged in teaching, research, and service commensurate with the expectations of the university’s Carnegie classification as a High Research Active University (R2). Specifically, the chosen candidate will be expected to excel in teaching basic physics at the introductory level and advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in areas of physical oceanography of interest to them; and to engage students in research at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Additionally, expectations for this position include maintaining a strong externally-funded research program and providing service to the department, university and ocean science community.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Doctoral degree in oceanography, or a closely related field in hand at the time of employment.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Research focused on any aspect of physics as applied to the marine environment.

Primary Function of Organizational Unit
The Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography is an academic unit within the College of Arts and Sciences. The Department provides quality programs leading to B.S. and B.A. degrees in Physics, Coastal Engineering, or 3+2 Physics/Electrical Engineering. The Center for Marine Sciences offers a Masters of Marine Science program and there is a pending PhD program in Applied Coastal and Ocean Science. A strong commitment also exists to provide research opportunities for student participation in the scholarly activity of its faculty. The department currently has faculty with research interests in coastal engineering, nearshore and continental shelf hydrodynamics, biophysical numerical modelling of coastal systems, remote sensing of sea surface salinity, coupled human-environmental processes, and pattern formation in natural systems.

The Department supports the College’s mission by providing service courses in the natural sciences that acquaint beginning students with the laws of nature and develop their abilities to reason and think critically.

College/School Information
The College of Arts and Sciences is UNCW’s largest academic unit, employing 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty members and awarding approximately two-thirds of the university’s academic credits. Ours is a comprehensive arts & sciences college comprising the arts, the humanities, the mathematical and natural sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences.

The College’s twenty-five units offer a variety of undergraduate majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Music, and the Bachelor of Science. The College also offers a full complement of minors, including interdisciplinary minors such as Africana studies, Asian studies, Forensic studies, Latin America studies, Middle East & Islamic studies, Native-American studies, and Women’s and Gender studies, among others. 

Applied learning is a hallmark of the student experience in the College of Arts and Sciences. Each of the College’s departments requires an applied learning experience as a part of the curriculum for its undergraduate majors. Examples include faculty-directed research, internships, service learning, and capstone courses and projects, all of which challenge students to integrate various strands of knowledge and to apply that knowledge to broader, real-world or real disciplinary situations. Through applied learning, students in the College gain direct hands-on experience with the skills of their major fields as an essential part of their preparation for life and career.

In addition to its undergraduate major and minor programs, the College is chiefly responsible for the curriculum that comprises the UNCW’s University Studies Program, through which all UNCW undergraduates gain a foundation in the liberal arts and develop the transferable skills essential for life in the twenty-first century. The College strives in its undergraduate programs and in its University Study offerings to nurture creative thinking, intellectual curiosity, diversity and inclusion, and academic integrity in students while providing them with a solid foundation of knowledge in their chosen fields. Upon completion of their undergraduate studies, College of Arts and Sciences students will have the necessary preparation for rewarding careers, advanced study, effective citizenship, and meaningful lives.

Graduate degrees awarded in the College of Arts and Sciences include the Master of Arts, the Master of Fine Arts, the Master of Public Administration, the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy (Marine Biology and Psychology). In addition, the nationally awarded Graduate Liberal Studies program offers a personalized curriculum of interdisciplinary study leading to the Master of Arts. Post-baccalaureate certificates in Applied Statistics, Environmental Studies, Forensic Science, Conflict Management and Resolution, Gender Studies and Hispanic Studies are available. Graduate programs in the College are designed to develop intellectual competence and to prepare the student for careers in business, industry, government, teaching or for further study at the doctoral level.

University Information
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

Please apply online at https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/19856

Special Notes to Applicants
Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate(s) selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm EST on March 15, 2021, the position closing date. To apply, please complete the online application process available at https://jobs.uncw.edu/ and attach the following materials as an Adobe PDF document including:

1. Cover Letter
2. Curriculum Vita
3. Teaching Philosophy (one to two page description of teaching plans)
4. Research Summary (one to two page description of research)
5. Statement of Diversity and Inclusion – addressing how issues of diversity shape your working practices, past and planned.

Please note that a minimum of three professional references are required for all applications. References will be requested during the screening process. Please direct questions concerning the search to Frederick Bingham, Chair, Assistant Professor in Physical Oceanography Search Committee, at binghamf@uncw.edu  For questions regarding the online application process, contact Ms. Nina Brown at brownn@uncw.edu

EEO Statement
At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.