Assistant Teaching Professor - Physics & Astronomy

IMDiversity; Bowling Green (OH); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Bowling Green State University invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor in Physics & Astronomy within the Honors College and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, with a start date of August 2026. This is a 9-month, renewable appointment.

The primary responsibilities include teaching first-year honors critical thinking courses (HNRS 2500) and survey College Physics for non-majors (PHYS 2010 & 2020), with lectures, recitations, and possibly labs; typical load is 12 credit hours

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Physics or a closely related discipline.
• Experience as an instructor of record or teaching assistant.
• Commitment to active learning pedagogies.

Responsibilities

• Teach critical thinking courses for first-year Honors College students (HNRS 2500).
• Survey College Physics courses for non-majors (PHYS 2010 & 2020) with lecture and recitation sections (and possible labs).
• Mentor teaching assistants who instruct weekly labs and provide department, college, and university service.

Skills

Teaching experience

Active learning pedagogy

Critical thinking instruction

Education

Master's degree in Physics or related

PhD in Physics or related (preferred)

Job description

Assistant Teaching Professor - Physics & Astronomy

Salary

Depends on Qualifications

Location

Main Campus (BG), OH

Job Type

Full-Time Faculty

Job Number

BGSU01130

Division

A&S Dean

Department

Physics & Astronomy - Faculty

Summary

The Honors College and Department of Physics and Astronomy invite applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor position with a start date of August 2026. This is a 9-month, renewable appointment.

Information about Program and College

The Bowling Green State University Honors College supports BGSU’s mission by fostering a community of scholars. Honors College members sharpen their critical thinking skills, allowing them to attain comfort with ambiguity, inspire innovation, and explore personal values to cultivate a culture of inclusion, respect, and curiosity. Through an emphasis on personal and intellectual development, members are challenged to identify their values and broaden their worldview and enjoy a lifelong commitment to create public good through engaged citizenship. With its foundation in critical thinking, the Honors curriculum promotes collaborative work, creativity, and interdisciplinary studies that culminate in a research-based Honors capstone project. Honors students work with faculty and staff mentors who encourage their involvement within the Honors College as they prepare to become leaders in their professions and communities and can expect to participate in leadership and professional development opportunities which lead to self-authorship. The

Honors College has two full-time teaching faculty and draws on faculty expertise across all colleges at BGSU. Details about the College are available at: https://www.bgsu.edu/honors-college.html

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is located within the College of Arts and Sciences. The vision for our College, aligned with the university’s strategic plan, is to ensure that our students graduate career-ready to meet the world’s challenges, and that our faculty research and creative activity contribute to the public good. We achieve this through robust collaboration across departmental boundaries, with particular attention given to increasing experiential learning for our undergraduate and graduate students and connecting our scholarly and creative work to the needs of our region. We are especially interested in recruiting candidates who can contribute excellence in teaching, scholarly/creative work, and/or service toward achieving excellence throughout the university and to the greater community. The College is committed to faculty success, providing resources and support within the Dean’s Office and through collaboration with Arts and Sciences departments and schools, leadership teams in other colleges, and university-serving partners such as the Center for Faculty Excellence. Through these connections, we have developed a comprehensive, cohort-based mentorship program to support the professional growth and advancement of faculty across all disciplines and ranks. We value and practice shared governance and are committed to maintaining a vibrant and supportive working environment. Learn more at: https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences.html

The Department of Physics and Astronomy currently has twelve faculty, including teaching and research faculty, with a 2-1 balance between physicists and astronomers. We offer BS and MS programs in Physics, and minor programs in Physics and in Astronomy. We teach introductory courses in Physics taken by students in a variety of majors across campus. Details about the Department are available at http://www.bgsu.edu/physics

As a Public University for the Public Good, Bowling Green State University is a comprehensive, high research university located in northwestern Ohio committed to driving economic and cultural vitality in the region and beyond. Through innovative teaching, research and creative activities, BGSU fosters a collaborative and inclusive learning community where inspired ideas, knowledge and achievements support the region, state and nation. More than 760 talented and passionate faculty members teach across more than 200 undergraduate majors and programs, 17 doctoral programs, and 57 master’s programs. A focus on promoting research, scholarship, and creative activities has resulted in a significant increase in extramural funding over the past several years.

Guided by Forward, BGSU’s strategic plan, the University is focused on redefining student success. For the fifth year in a row, The Wall Street Journal ranks BGSU as the No. 1 public university in the Midwest that students would choose again. BGSU also holds the Wall Street Journal distinction of being the No. 1 public university in Ohio for the student experience.

Essential Functions

The primary responsibilities of this position are to teach critical thinking courses required for first-year Honors College students (primarily HNRS 2500: Critical Thinking about STEM) and survey College Physics courses for non-majors (PHYS 2010 & 2020), including lecture and recitation sections, and perhaps lab sections; the option exists to develop laboratory activities and to mentor teaching assistants who instruct weekly labs; and to provide service at the department, college, and university levels. The typical teaching load will be 12 credit hours (four courses) per semester of in-person instruction.

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters degree in Physics or a closely related discipline (e.g. Astronomy, Engineering, etc.).
• Experience as an instructor of record or teaching assistant.
• Commitment to active learning pedagogies

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in Physics, or a closely related discipline (e.g. Astronomy, Engineering, etc.). ABD will be considered if the requirements for the degree are completed by August 2026.
• Established background of teaching at the college level as an instructor of record.
• Demonstrated experience implementing active learning pedagogies.

Bowling Green State University is an equal opportunity employer. The University is committed to maintaining an employment and educational environment that is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected class: age (40 years of age or older), ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity and expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, marital status, military status, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.