Assistant / Associate Professor in Physics of Living Systems

The Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS) at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) invites applications for a tenure-track position in Physics at the rank of assistant or associate professor. We seek candidates whose research uses experimental approaches to advance our understanding of living systems, ranging anywhere from the scale of biological molecules to whole organisms and ecosystems, including molecular and cellular biophysics, biomechanics, ecophysics, and closely related fields.

The position will begin on July 1, 2025. The successful candidate is expected to have completed a PhD and postdoctoral training by the start date for this position. Candidates should also have experience teaching and/or mentoring undergraduate students.

KDIS will offer an innovative and transformational undergraduate science program organized around three challenges: Health (Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health), Brain (Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences), and our Planet (Climate, Energy, and the Environment). The KDIS faculty will have a key role in developing and implementing a program that will serve as an incubator for new approaches and foster a culture of inclusion, creativity, and continuous improvement. The department will be housed in the Robert Day Sciences Center opening in Summer 2025.

The candidate must demonstrate potential for establishing an active research program that involves undergraduate students, as evidenced by a track record of high-quality scholarship and a research statement that outlines a clear plan for their research effort at CMC. The candidate must also demonstrate potential for excellence in teaching through a thoughtful teaching statement and supporting evidence from prior teaching experiences.

The teaching load at CMC is two courses per semester. The candidate will help develop and teach a two-semester foundational physics curriculum that will be taken by all Integrated Sciences majors and will include integration with the foundational curriculum in biology, chemistry, and computation. Additional teaching may include a natural science general education course taken by all CMC students and/or upper-division electives in the candidate’s area of expertise in support of the department’s three themes.

Given the College’s commitment to cultivating an inclusive educational environment, we seek candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to teaching, mentoring, and inspiring students representing a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds, political opinions, genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, and religions. Moreover, as part of its commitment to The Open Academy, the College values freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue. Applications should include a cover letter; curriculum vitae; research statement; teaching statement; evidence of teaching effectiveness; and links to recent publications from their CV. Given the Department’s commitment to supporting students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, to promoting equity, and to fostering a culture of inclusion, applicants should discuss how they can contribute to these core values in their teaching, research, and/or an optional additional statement regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, citing specific prior experiences where applicable.

Complete applications, including letters of recommendation, will be reviewed beginning October 15, 2024. Review of complete applications will continue until the position is filled. Preliminary interviews will be conducted by video meeting. Claremont McKenna College is a highly selective undergraduate institution ranked among the top liberal arts colleges nationally. It is part of The Claremont Colleges, which also includes Pomona College, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute. The Claremont Colleges consortium constitutes an academic community of more than 9,000 students. Claremont is located 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Claremont McKenna College is an equal opportunity employer. In a continuing effort to enrich its academic environment and provide equal educational and employment opportunities, the College actively encourages applications from members of historically under-represented groups in higher education.

Please contact Dr. Lars Schmitz at lschmitz@cmc.edu with questions regarding the search.

Application Materials Required:

Further Info:
https://www.cmc.edu/kravis-department-of-integrated-sciences