Tenure Track Position in Physics Pedagogy
Located in downtown Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada and on the territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples, the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science at Ryerson University invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Physics Pedagogy. The appointment shall be effective 1 July 2021, subject to final budgetary approval.
This position is an integral part of the Faculty of Science Strategic Plan to create a world-class group in Science Education Research, beginning with a cluster of four positions, one in each of Computer Science, Chemistry/Biology, Mathematics and Physics departments. In addition to being part of the new cluster in Science Education, the successful applicant will join the present strong core of physicists in the Department of Physics with research interests in Medical Physics and Complex Systems. With this position, the Department is expanding into Physics Education Research (PER). As such, we invite applicants with expertise in Physics Education Research who have demonstrated exceptional levels of excellence in teaching Science courses as well as the development of novel undergraduate laboratories and curricula based on present day PER research.
The successful candidate will: contribute to our undergraduate and graduate programs through teaching [physics and/or astronomy courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels], mentor and supervise undergraduate and graduate students; contribute to the development of curricula and course design; develop a strong and innovative research program in Physics Education Research that is externally funded and that produces cutting-edge, high quality results; and engage in the life of the Department, Faculty and University through service activities while maintaining an inclusive, equitable, and collegial work environment across all activities.
Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in physics or a closely related field. In addition, the successful candidate must present evidence of:
- strong emerging scholarly research and/or creative activity that is current, innovative and impactful as evidenced by, but not limited to, peer-reviewed publications, working papers, public policy contributions, presentations at academic conferences, community and professional work, grants, research related awards and other writing or creative production that contributes to the visibility and prominence of the discipline;
- practical experience in research, applications and development of material related to physics education research;
- meaningful engagement of undergraduate and graduate students in their proposed research;
- demonstrated potential for teaching excellence at all levels of the undergraduate curriculum, as evidenced by a teaching dossier that includes a teaching philosophy statement, experience with course and curriculum review and/or development, examples of best practices in pedagogy, including familiarity with a variety of contemporary, research-based teaching practices techniques, and emerging technologies for instruction, effective use of classroom technology and any experience with experiential learning, sample syllabi, strong teaching evaluations, teaching awards, and other relevant achievements in teaching;
- strong communication and expository skills and a demonstrated ability to supervise undergraduate students;
- enthusiasm about teaching physics and/or astronomy classes at the undergraduate and/or graduate level, including general education courses and physics majors’ courses;
- endorsements/recommendations by recognized referees;
- experience and interest in upper-division PER and/or educational technologies – as they apply to online/remote teaching and learning as well as the development of online (virtual) undergraduate laboratories;
- commitment to our values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as it pertains to service, teaching, and scholarly research or creative activities, including a demonstrated ability to make learning accessible and inclusive for a diverse student population; and
- an ability to contribute to the life of the Department, Faculty and the University through collegial service.
