Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Position in Astronomy

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level to begin in August 2025. We seek candidates who will advance our understanding of the cosmos while also furthering artificial-intelligence and machine-learning techniques. The position is part of a cluster faculty hire between the Departments of Astronomy and Physics on exploring the Universe with artificial intelligence. We welcome applications from candidates in all fields of astronomy and we are open to observers, theorists, and instrumentalists. The search will be at a junior tenure-track level, but outstanding candidates at more senior ranks may be considered.

Information on departmental and McDonald Observatory resources and research programs can be found at: https://www.as.utexas.edu.

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  Computational resources include the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC: https://www.tacc.utexas.edu), which designs and operates some of the world's most powerful computing resources, including the newly instantiated 600 GPU cluster Vista, and is known for its leadership in high performance computing, visualization, big data analytics, and machine learning.

  
  
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  UT Austin is a major founding partner in the consortium for the next-generation 25-m Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT: http://www.gmto.org).

  
  
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  UT Austin faculty members have access to McDonald Observatory, which hosts the upgraded 10-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope with the VIRUS wide-field integral field spectrograph and the Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) precision-RV spectrograph. McDonald also hosts the HJST 2.7-m telescope with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) and 2.1-m and 0.8-m telescopes. Through its role as a node host, UT also has access to the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) network. Finally, the UT Astronomy Program provides vibrant collaborative opportunities on large astronomical surveys, including the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) and numerous JWST surveys.

  
  
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  UT Austin supports a broad range of interdisciplinary AI initiatives, including Good Systems, the Center for Generative AI, the NSF AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML), and the newly established NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI).

  
  
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  UT Austin hosts multiple established Centers across a range of topics in astrophysics, including the Center for Planetary Systems Habitability (CPSH), Cosmic Frontiers Center (CFC), Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Physics (WCAPP), and the Weinberg Institute of Theoretical Physics.

  
  
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  Our Astronomy program benefits from the strong support of over 200 members of the McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

  
  

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, Planetary Science or Statistics/Data Science. The primary selection criteria will be excellence and leadership in astrophysics and artificial intelligence/machine learning research, as well as a commitment to excellence in teaching and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students. We particularly seek candidates who will lead transformational science with next-generation observational and computational facilities, and creatively utilize the resources of the Astronomy Department and McDonald Observatory. Applicants are encouraged to highlight throughout their application their relevant experiences and skillsets in supporting academic success of all students (e.g., their specific approaches for teaching, mentoring, research and /or scholarly work).

Application materials must be submitted electronically at apply.interfolio.com/156445. Submissions should include: a cover letter, a description of research accomplishments and current and future research plans (limited to 5 pages total), a statement of teaching experience, goals, and philosophy (limited to 2 pages), a Curriculum Vitae, and a list of publications. Candidates are also required to request three letters of recommendation using the application website, which will email your references with instructions to directly upload their letters of recommendation.

Complete applications received by December 1, 2024 will be assured of full consideration.

For further information about the position, please contact the search committee at astro_search2024@utlists.utexas.edu or the Department Chair, Professor Karl Gebhardt (chair@astro.as.utexas.edu).

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.