Assistant Professor of Physics (Whitman College)

Located in the vibrant community of Walla Walla, WA, Whitman College is home to roughly 1,500 students from the local region and across the globe. With our exceptional students, accomplished faculty and staff, and engaged alumni, Whitman College continues to build its national reputation for academic excellence as one of the top undergraduate liberal arts colleges in the country.

The Department of Physics is now seeking applicants with expertise in physics for a tenure-track position beginning in August 2027 at the rank of assistant professor. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in physics or a closely-related field at the start of this position.

Whitman’s Physics Department graduates an average of 15 majors per year, including interdisciplinary physics-astronomy, physics-geology, physics-environmental studies, and physics-mathematics majors. Our majors are intellectually-engaged, passionate learners who often pursue graduate degrees in physics or find employment in the tech industry, consulting, teaching, and/or the energy and sustainability sectors. The department values pedagogical innovation, disciplinary and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and consensus-based decision making.

We are seeking candidates who are motivated to share their passion for physics and work closely with our undergraduate students in both the classroom and as research mentors. In addition, we want individuals who are prepared to innovate our curriculum in the areas of computational methods and data science. Applicants from all fields of physics specialization are invited to apply. The successful candidate will, over time, teach courses in our major-track, including general physics, upper-level coursework, and special-topics courses. The standard annual teaching load is five courses. The department regularly rotates class teaching assignments to encourage faculty collaboration, promote growth as instructors, and to avoid siloing faculty into specific classes.

The College further provides a generous pre-tenure sabbatical program and professional development support for both research and teaching. As such, the successful candidate will have a demonstrated potential to sustain an active scholarly research agenda and participation in faculty responsibilities including mentorship and grant writing.

Whitman College is committed to fostering an inclusive learning community that values diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives. Whitman College also offers a competitive benefits package designed to attract qualified candidates and retain talented employees. Full-time employees enjoy Medical/Dental/Vision Insurances, basic life/accidental death/dismemberment/long term disability insurances, 403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan with a matching contribution after meeting eligibility requirements, and the opportunity for Tuition Remission for Dependent Children after eligibility requirements. New faculty receive a relocation stipend for moving expenses based on relocation distance.

For more information about Whitman College and the Walla Walla area, see here and here.

Applicants must hold a PhD in Physics, biophysics, or a closely related field and have demonstrated experience working as a researcher and educator.

Whitman College recognizes the value of those who can offer historically underrepresented perspectives and encourage applications from those whose background, knowledge, and insights from lived experience can add to the college’s working and learning environment. Whitman College is an EEO employer. The college shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.