New faculty positions in multiple science and engineering disciplines, including astronomy, emphasizing computational analysis and data mining.
Penn State is embarking on a transformative cluster hiring initiative in cyberscience – computation- and data-enabled science and engineering – to lead through cyber-enabled innovation in interdisciplinary research. This cross-college endeavor will coordinate multiple faculty appointments to develop new functional capabilities centered on data, models and simulation for deeper insights into the critical problems in Science and Engineering.
We seek outstanding faculty who can work across disciplines and in a team to advance algorithms, software and theory to exploit "Big Data" and “Big Simulations” for scientific discovery and engineering design in a variety of disciplines.
The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (potentially in partnership with other Departments including Statistics, Physics, or Geosciences) seeks candidates who are leaders in astronomical data mining and/or large astronomical simulations. Data mining includes utilization of large databases produced by current and future multiwavelength astronomical surveys such as SDSS, HETDEX, Pan-STARRS, DES, LSST, GOODS, COSMOS, WISE, Euclid, AMON, and LIGO to make breakthrough scientific discoveries utilizing powerful cyberscience techniques. Simulation work includes modeling, for example, of the cosmological evolution of galaxies/quasars/large-scale structures, early universe phenomena, the properties of exoplanets, star-formation processes, stellar explosions, or accretion and jet phenomena.
More information about the Cyberscience Cluster Hire for all disciplines. Appointments are possible at all levels from Assistant and Associate Professors through Full Professors and Endowed Chairs. For more information about the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, see www.astro.psu.edu. Questions regarding the Department and its connections to this initiative may be directed to Department Head Donald P. Schneider ( dps@astro.psu.edu ).
Deadline to Apply for Job:
December 1, 2012
Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.
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Some people are very good at working with databases and developing algorithms to enable interesting questions to be addressed. Some people are very good at using tools created by other people to address interesting questions. Few people are members of both groups.
Does the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics attach greater weight to one of these categories than the other?
Good question: the department of astro is interested in both categories. An important point though, is that as a "cluster" hire, there will be multiple faculty with related interests and expertise hired, including possible interdisciplinary and cross-departmental hires. Which makes the possibility of both categories being considered much higher.
Caveat funding etc.