Assistant Professor in Physics

Company Description:

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Carnegie R1, Opportunity, and Community-Engaged university at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico border region that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education, and economy of the community we serve. UTEP enrolls more than 26,000 students, 84% of whom are Hispanic and half of whom are the first in their families to attend college. UTEP offers 169 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

The city's location on the Rio Grande in the Southwest where two countries and three states meet makes it an ideal venue for academic programs and research studies on topics of national interest, including bilingual education/language acquisition, health and health disparities, international relations, international trade, migration, and environmental sustainability and infrastructure. The University enjoys strategic partnerships with two Department of Energy national laboratories in the region, multiple national laboratories beyond the region, and sits on the edge of White Sands Missile Range, making engineering and scientific research both a priority and an opportunity.

Along with its designation among the top 5% of universities in America for research, UTEP is also nationally recognized as an Opportunity University by the Carnegie Classification for its positive impact on economic mobility for students after graduation. In 2024, Forbes found that UTEP students graduate with the lowest average debt of any college or university in Texas.

Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, El Paso is set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert in one of the largest binational communities in the world. The city's active arts and culture community features the state's longest-running symphony orchestra, a nationally recognized chamber music festival, a vibrant street art and mural scene, art galleries, museums, and a full schedule of seasonal events and festivals. In 2024, El Paso opened La Nube, a unique hybrid institution that merges the educational aspects of a science center with the interactive experiences of a children's museum. UTEP adds to the arts and entertainment scene with concerts and live events at the city's largest indoor and outdoor venues; theater, music and dance productions; contemporary and student art galleries; and a natural history museum and desert gardens. El Paso residents can also easily travel to the sister city of Ciudad Jurez, Mexico, to enjoy great food, markets and cultural events.

El Paso/Jurez is the fifth largest manufacturing region in North America and the center of commerce, education and health services for the region. A family-oriented community, the cost of living in El Paso is very reasonable for a large metropolitan area with the average home value of $224,000 in 2025. In 2026, U.S. News and World report named El Paso the best big city to live in the nation. Texas has no state income tax and, when it comes to public safety, El Paso is consistently ranked among the safest large cities in the United States.

El Paso is also an ideal location for people who love the outdoors. It is home to one of the nation's largest urban parks - Franklin Mountains State Park - and many options for year-round hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing at Hueco Tanks State Park and nearby White Sands, Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns national parks.

For sports fans, the UTEP Miners offer exciting Division I college athletics at several campus venues including Sun Bowl Stadium - where one of the oldest football bowl games takes place annually - and the Don Haskins Center arena. Southwest University Park, located a mile away in lively downtown El Paso, is home to the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A baseball affiliate of the San Diego Padres, and the El Paso Locomotive FC, a professional soccer team founded in 2019.

The Department of Physics at UTEP has rapidly growing research programs in experimental, computational, and theoretical physics. The research areas of the physics faculty include chemical and material physics, quantum physics, atmospheric physics, spectroscopy, astrophysics, and biophysics. The department has access to state-of-the-art experimental facilities for optical, microscopic, magnetic, and structural materials characterizations, as well as outstanding computational capabilities. Current faculty members specializing in astrophysics work on cosmic-ray transport, computational astrochemistry, and the star and planet formation process.

The region surrounding El Paso has a favorable combination of clear nights and dark skies and is consequently home to several of the nation's top observing facilities, with McDonald Observatory, Apache Point, and the VLA all located within 4 hours drive from the campus.

Job Description:

The Department of Physics at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is seeking applications for a tenure track position in observational astronomy. The position is open to all areas of observational astronomy, with preference towards research in interstellar medium, dust evolution, and the star and planet formation process. The successful candidate should be able to establish and maintain an independent research program at UTEP that complements existing research in the Department, involve undergraduate and graduate students in research, teach core physics and astronomy courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, perform service to the Department, College, and University, and engage in outreach activities. The new hire will be a core faculty member of the Physics Graduate Program.

Requirements:

Candidates must have a PhD in physics, astronomy, or a related field; a strong record of research accomplishments; strong verbal and written communication skills; and demonstrated or clear potential for effective teaching of core physics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Candidates with postdoctoral experience will be given preference.

Additional Information:

In keeping with its access, excellence, and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee's or prospective employee's right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. Inquiries-including the filing of a Formal Complaint or reporting an incident-about the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, who can be reached by phone at (915) 747-8358, by email at titleix@utep.edu, or by mail at 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, Kelly Hall, Room 312.

For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at eoaa@utep.edu.

To the extent that this position involves research, work, or access to critical infrastructure as referenced in Executive Order GA-48, being hired for and continuing to be employed in this position requires the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure.

Application Instructions: