Assistant Professor in Physics

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. The Department of Physics invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor with a specialization in Extragalactic Astrophysics, broadly defined, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027. We welcome candidates using observational, theoretical, computational, and/or data-intensive approaches. 

The successful candidate will be expected to teach courses in astronomy and physics at the undergraduate and graduate levels, engage in scholarly activities, and participate in departmental, college, and university service.  We are seeking candidates whose research will complement existing faculty expertise in observational stellar astrophysics, theoretical cosmology and string theory, and high energy physics. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong potential to develop a vibrant, externally-supported research program and a commitment to mentoring within our community of culturally diverse students. 

The Department of Physics has established research programs in condensed matter physics, photonics, soft materials and biophysics, statistical physics, nuclear and particle physics, string theory, astrophysics, and atomic and molecular physics.  The department offers a B.S. in Astrophysics and a B.A. in Astronomy, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Physics, providing opportunities to mentor undergraduate and graduate researchers and to teach and develop advanced courses in astronomy and astrophysics. Faculty have access to university high-performance computing and research-computing support, together with opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration through Lehigh’s Physics and Data Science programs and the Institute for Data, Intelligent Systems, and Computation. Lehigh also provides proposal-development and sponsored-program support, including services for early-career faculty, as well as competitive internal seed funding for new and collaborative research.

Founded in 1865, Lehigh University has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. Recognized among the nation's highly ranked research universities, Lehigh offers a rigorous academic community for over 7,500 students. Lehigh University has some 5,800 undergraduates, 1,800 graduate students, and nearly 600 full-time faculty members. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, PA, a vibrant and historic area. Over 840,000 people live in the Lehigh Valley, which is in close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia.

Qualifications

Candidates must have earned a Ph.D. in Astrophysics or a closely related field by the date of employment.  The candidate must also demonstrate a record of publishing in top journals and experience teaching or mentoring in a university setting.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled.  For full consideration, applications should be received by December 1, 2026. Applicants should submit their materials at  https://apply.interfolio.com/193844. Candidates should submit the following materials:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Research statement that describes past scholarly contributions and future research directions
• Teaching statement that describes instructional philosophy and courses that the candidate would want to teach or develop
• A statement on Contributions to Lehigh’s Principles of Our Equitable Community that describes how your experiences, knowledge, and skills prepare you to effectively contribute to a learning and research community that holds these principles at its core (the Lehigh ADVANCE Center’s guide for understanding and preparing such statements is available here)
• Names and affiliations of three references (letters will be requested later in the process)

Any inquiries regarding this search should be directed to Prof. M. Virginia McSwain, Chair of the search committee, at mcswain@lehigh.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Lehigh University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or familial status, national origin (including shared ancestry), pregnancy or related conditions, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Lehigh University is committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse academic community and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to this mission. Lehigh University provides competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including domestic partner benefits, and supports faculty members’ work/life balance.