Lecturer Position - Physics Department

Lecturer Position-Physics Department, Cornell University

 

The Cornell University Department of Physics has 40 active faculty and approximately 170 graduate students and 60 undergraduate majors. We offer a full range of university-level courses in physics, from general education courses for nonscientists to doctoral-level independent research. Approximately 2000 students from across the University take physics courses each semester. 

 

The Department is seeking an experienced instructor to teach Physics 1101/1102, Introductory Physics I and II during the academic years, August 2017 – May 2020.  In the fall semesters of 2017, 2018 and 2019, and Physics 1102, Introductory Physics II, in the spring semesters of 2018, 2019 and 2020.  These two courses are auto-tutorial courses and have an enrollment of approximately 300 students per semester.  The successful candidate will be knowledgeable in effective classroom pedagogies to foster problem solving abilities of students and to encourage them to be independent and efficient learners.  The candidate will also have experience training, managing, and mentoring graduate teaching assistants (TAs) and undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs). The candidate will contribute to the assessment of the courses they teach and of the TA learning support programs. The candidate will be responsive to the ongoing development of alternative teaching techniques that will continue to provide support for emerging student needs.

 

This is a three-year renewable 9-month academic appointment beginning in fall 2017.

 

Responsibilities

Teaching

• Teach Physics 1101 in the fall semesters of 2017, 2018 and 2019, and Physics 1102 in the spring semesters of 2018, 2019 and 2020.  These are both 4 credit courses for non-physics majors,   emphasizing quantitative and conceptual understanding of the topics and tools of introductory physics, without the use of calculus.  The courses offer individualized instruction. There are no scheduled lectures, discussion sections, or laboratories.  Students learn through completing assigned readings, problems, and laboratory exercises and through individualized tutoring. Additionally, videotaped lectures, sample tests, overview sessions, and on-line tutorials are provided. The course format provides flexibility, but is in some ways more demanding than a course with a traditional format. Student success requires discipline and well-developed study habits. Evaluation includes an oral notebook check and a written test for each unit; these must be completed within a flexible set of deadlines. Major topics for physics 1101 include kinematics, forces and dynamics, momentum, energy, fluid mechanics, waves and sound, thermal physics, kinetic theory, and thermodynamics. At the level of College Physics vol. 1, 4th ed., by Giambattista, Richardson, and Richardson.

 

TA and UTA support

• Be familiar with course offerings and content in the introductory physics courses.
• Recruit, interview and hire UTAs as required.
• Coordinate/schedule TA / UTA assignments and shifts.
• Meet regularly with TA / UTAs to discuss effective teaching and facilitation strategies and other topics as needed.
• Evaluate TAs and UTAs.

 

The successful candidate will have:

• An advanced degree in physics or in teaching physics; PhD preferred.
• Two to four years of experience teaching college-level physics.
• Knowledge of effective pedagogies and learning strategies.
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting academic achievement of students.
• Excellent planning, organization, and coordination skills.

 

Application Requirements:

• CV.
• General letter of interest.
• Teaching statement.
• In addition, applicants may be asked to provide names and contact information of three people able to provide information on the applicant’s teaching and her/his ability to work with diverse students.

 

Please apply through Academic Jobs Online at: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/9177.  

To be considered for this position, please direct the materials above to Debra Hatfield dah6@cornell.edu  

 

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage.  We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

 

About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus opening on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

 

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their careers and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave and flexible work options.