Asst. Professor - Physics jobs in Honolulu, HI

Title: Assistant Professor (ML/AI Front-End Instrumentation in Physics)
Position Number: 0088650
Hiring Unit: College of Natural Sciences – Physics and Astronomy
Location: UH Manoa
Date Posted: October 25, 2023
Closing Date: July 31, 2024 – application review begins December 15, 2023
Salary Information: Commensurate with qualifications and experience
Monthly Type: 9 Month
Tenure Track: Tenure
Full Time/Part Time: Full Time
Temporary/Permanent: Permanent
 
The University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) campus is dedicated to becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, a place that is responsive to Native Hawaiians and reflective of Indigenous Hawai‘i where all can learn, grow, connect, and heal from. UHM is also a designated Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center. The UHM Department of Physics and Astronomy (P&A) invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level to begin approximately August 1, 2024. This position is offered in the context of a cluster hire between the Physics & Astronomy (P&A) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) departments to strengthen research areas of mutual interest (refer to Position Number 2023-02119 for the corresponding second position in ECE). Candidates should have a strong research record in the use of ML/AI in front-end hardware in Particle, Nuclear, or Astroparticle Physics experiments. Relevant sub-areas include, but are not limited to ML/AI in FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) used for readout or triggering or ML/AI in front-end ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits).
 
The development of machine learning and artificial intelligence is revolutionizing many areas of science and technology and has already had a great impact on high-energy physics. As articulated in the Snowmass Decadal Survey of Particle Physics, there is a pressing need to create smarter readout and trigger systems to cope with the complexity and volume of experimental data at current and planned experiments and to select rare and unusual data signatures that may signal the breakdown of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. There is also a major gap in the training of physicists in this domain for the future.
 
The successful applicant is expected to develop a thriving, externally funded research program and is expected to work closely with UHM’s ECE department. The applicant is encouraged to collaborate with other researchers in P&A working on the Instrumentation Frontiers of High Energy, Nuclear, and Astroparticle Physics. The applicant is also expected to teach graduate-level and undergraduate-level courses and should be prepared for outreach and service to communities in Hawai‘i and beyond.
 
The Department of Physics and Astronomy has a strong experimental program in high-energy physics (B meson and heavy flavor physics, neutrinos, and detector development), accelerator physics, nanophysics, astrophysics (cosmic rays, neutrinos, dark matter), experimental and theoretical cosmology and a vigorous program in theoretical high-energy physics and information processing and ML. More information about the Department of Physics and Astronomy can be found at http://www.phys.hawaii.edu.
 
The UHM P&A Department is actively and purposely committed to considering a diverse applicant pool in terms of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, and disability. Candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia are also encouraged to apply.
 
The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa is a Carnegie R1 Doctoral University (Highest Research Activity) and is recognized as a Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant, and Sun Grant university. The P&A Department offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics and a B.S. degree in astrophysics. Current enrollment is approximately 100 undergraduate and 40 graduate students with 18 faculty members. Collaboration, funding opportunities, resources, and research exposure may be found through the department’s ongoing research within high energy and astroparticle physics, which are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
 
UHM is engaged in building a culturally diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational environment with a strong emphasis on research and graduate education. UHM is committed to being the leading indigenous-serving university in the country and proudly delivers a unique multicultural global experience in a Hawaiian place of learning, with a long history of adherence to the principles of sustainability and the essence of aloha—truly like nowhere else on Earth.
 
Duties and Responsibilities

• To teach assigned undergraduate and graduate courses, including via various distance delivery modes as required.
• To develop extramurally funded research programs that result in publications in leading scholarly journals.
• To present research work in leading scholarly conferences.
• To serve as chair or member of committees in charge of student candidates for advanced degrees.
• To participate in curriculum development activities including the development of curricular materials and special instructional methods.
• To supervise independent study activities.
• To serve as academic advisor to students.
• To serve on Department, College, and University committees.
• To render service to the professional or lay community that is relevant to the individual's academic specialty.
• Support the recruitment, retention, and graduation of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders, and other underrepresented populations in Physics and Astronomy
• Participate in implementing the Native Hawaiian principles from the UHM Strategic Plan.
• To perform related tasks as assigned. 

• A Ph.D. in Physics or a closely related discipline from a university of recognized standing by the start date of the position.
• Three years of postdoctoral experience or equivalent.
• Demonstrated strong commitment to teaching excellence and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate levels and the ability to teach students from different backgrounds with diverse life experiences and learning styles.
• Demonstrated scholarly achievement, evidenced by a track record of publications.
• Potential to develop externally funded research programs and research collaborations.
• Effective communication skills for meeting and conferring with diverse colleagues, students, and community members.
• Ability to engage successfully in a multicultural and multiethnic environment. 

• Demonstrated experience in obtaining extramural funding from the federal government or industry.
• Scholarly experience in emerging and cross-disciplinary research areas.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Demonstrated ability in establishing interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaborations in teaching and research.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Research focus applicable to or experience with Hawai‘i and/or the Asia/Pacific region.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, retaining, and graduating Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or other underrepresented populations in Physics.
• Experience creating place-based and/or Hawai‘i based curriculum.
• Experience implementing Native Hawaiian, Indigenous, and/or place-based principles into curriculum, programming, and work culture. 

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, genetic information, marital status, breastfeeding, income assignment for child support, arrest and court record (except as permissible under State law), sexual orientation, domestic or sexual violence victim status, national guard absence, or status as a covered veteran.  For more information or inquiries regarding these policies, please refer to the following link: http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/eeo-coordinators/

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

Accommodation Request:  The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly.  Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.  For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/