Assistant Professor in Earth Sciences - Geophysics

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number FAC - VA - 27018

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Dr. Andrew Laskowski

Associate Professor and Search Committee Chair

406-994-3376

[email protected]

Classification Title

Working Title Assistant Professor in Earth Sciences - Geophysics

Brief Position Overview

The Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Geophysics. Applicants from all areas of geophysics are welcome; we are especially interested in candidates who apply geophysical methods to solid Earth problems and who integrate advanced computational approaches.

Faculty Tenure Track Yes

Faculty Rank Assistant Professor

Position Number 4A3276

Department Earth Sciences

Division College of Letters & Science

Appointment Type Faculty

Contract Term Academic Year

Semester

If other, specify From date

If other, specify End date

Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE 1.0

Benefits Eligible Eligible

Salary Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Contract Type MUS

If other, please specify

Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

The Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Geophysics, with an anticipated start date of August 2027. We seek a geophysicist whose research applies geophysical methods to solid Earth problems.

The successful candidate will develop an externally funded research program that complements and expands departmental strengths in tectonics, sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology, volcanology and magmatic systems, energy resources and critical minerals, Earth surface processes, and geospatial science. We welcome applicants from all areas of geophysics, including but not limited to seismology, potential fields, electromagnetism, geodynamics, geophysical engineering, environmental geophysics, geodesy, and near-surface geophysics.

Research may address seismicity and seismic hazards, tectonics, volcanology, near-surface, applied, and exploration geophysics, and/or energy resources and critical minerals. We are particularly interested in candidates who integrate field research with advanced computational methods, including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The position expands departmental capacity in geophysics and computational Earth Sciences and strengthens geophysics training across the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Montana’s geologic setting—from the Yellowstone volcanic system to mineral resources and seismic hazards—offers abundant opportunities for field-based and computationally intensive research in a department with exceptional access to the Northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone region.

The successful candidate will have access to MSU’s Tempest high-performance computing cluster and opportunities to collaborate across Montana State University and with statewide and national partners, including the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, ongoing airborne geophysical mapping initiatives, and MSU’s participation in the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

We seek a colleague who will contribute actively to a highly collegial, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and student-focused department and demonstrate a commitment to mentoring and supporting students from all backgrounds.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Carry a full teaching load under the Department of Earth Sciences workload plan, currently a 2/1 split between semesters (3 courses per academic year).

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in geophysics and related Earth Sciences subjects. Expected contributions include large introductory Earth Sciences courses (e.g., Introduction to Earth Sciences) as well as upper-division and graduate courses such as Geophysics, Field Methods, Computational Data Analysis / Computational Geophysics, and/or courses in the candidate’s area of expertise.

• Develop and/or revise curricula that incorporate geophysical methods, computational data analysis, and, where appropriate, advanced computational approaches.

• Advise undergraduate majors (academic advising and undergraduate research mentoring) consistent with departmental advising expectations.

• Recruit, supervise, and mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students in Earth Sciences.

• Develop and maintain a robust, independent, externally funded research program in geophysics.

• Publish research in peer-reviewed journals and other appropriate scholarly venues.

• Seek and obtain external research funding appropriate to the candidate’s career stage.

• Collaborate with departmental faculty and with campus, state, national, and/or international partners, including opportunities spanning tectonics and seismicity, volcanology and magmatic systems, and energy resources and critical minerals.

• Participate in departmental, college, university, and professional service.

• Serve on department, college, and university committees as appropriate.

• Contribute to a collegial, student-focused departmental community.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Ph.D. in Geophysics, Earth Sciences, or a closely related field by the start date.

• Demonstrated potential to teach effective lower-division, upper-division, and graduate courses in geophysics and related Earth Sciences topics, including large introductory courses, as evidenced by teaching experience, a teaching statement, and/or evaluations or equivalent documentation.

• Demonstrated research experience in geophysics or a closely related field, as evidenced by a record of peer-reviewed publications appropriate to the candidate’s career stage.

• Demonstrated potential to develop a competitive, externally funded research program.

• Demonstrated potential for excellence in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Evidence of effective teaching of undergraduate and/or graduate courses, including large lower-division classes and/or use of computational methods or emergent learning platforms in instruction.

• Demonstrated integration of advanced computational methods (e.g., artificial intelligence, machine learning, inversion, signal processing, or related techniques) into geophysical research.

• Research that complements and expands existing departmental strengths (e.g., tectonics and seismicity, sedimentology and stratigraphy, volcanology and magmatic systems, near-surface/applied/exploration geophysics, energy resources and critical minerals).

• Evidence of capacity to develop a teaching and research agenda appropriate to Montana State University’s land-grant mission, including problems of regional or state relevance such as seismic and volcanic hazards, energy and mineral resources, and/or related Earth-system applications.

The Successful Candidate Will

• Be a dynamic teacher and scholar.

• Have the ability to inspire and mentor students.

• Have excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Be committed to supporting, promoting, and building a whole community, which includes people of all backgrounds, through research, teaching, service, or lived experience.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

Nine-month academic year faculty appointment based on the Bozeman campus. Occasional travel for field research, professional meetings, and collaboration is expected.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Physical Demands

Field-based research and/or teaching may be part of this position and may require work outdoors in variable mountain weather, travel to field sites, and occasional physically demanding activity.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

The Program

The Geology concentration in the Department of Earth Sciences offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. training across the solid Earth, including tectonics, petrology and volcanology, sedimentation and stratigraphy, energy and mineral resources, paleontology, and field-based geologic mapping. This hire restores a long-vacant geophysics specialization and will expand geophysical methods, computational data analysis, and related coursework in the undergraduate and graduate curricula. Students and faculty have access to field settings across the northern Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone region; to MSU’s Tempest high-performance computing cluster (University Information Technology Research Cyberinfrastructure); and to collaborative opportunities with statewide partners such as the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, including ongoing airborne geophysical mapping initiatives.

The Department

Since 1959, the Department of Earth Sciences has engaged scholarship on the complex Earth system: the interactions among the solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, climate, biosphere, and humanity. We offer strength across Earth System Science, with special attention to our mountain setting in Bozeman, Montana. The department awards degrees at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. levels and includes geologists, geographers, and snow scientists. At the start of AY 2025–26, departmental faculty led approximately $16.3 million in active research grants; faculty have received NSF CAREER awards, Fulbright awards, and other national distinctions. Earth Sciences students study Earth processes, resources, history, and human–environment interactions in southwest Montana and worldwide. Additional information is available at https://www.montana.edu/earthsciences/.

The College

The College of Letters and Science ( CLS ), the largest center for learning, teaching and research at Montana State University, offers students an excellent liberal arts and sciences education in nearly 50 majors, 25 minors and over 25 graduate degrees within the four areas of the humanities, social sciences, natural and physical sciences, and mathematical sciences.

Building on the great strength of our traditional disciplines, the college provides exciting opportunities for faculty and students at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary inquiry. CLS is dedicated to supporting student success, discovering and disseminating new knowledge, and providing an atmosphere in which discovery and learning are integrated and valued. CLS is at the confluence of intellectual tradition, discovery, and innovation.

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies 1

Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search.

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on October 29, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

As part of your application, please upload the following required documents:

• Curriculum Vitae

• Cover Letter addressing the Required and Preferred Qualifications

• Research Statement (maximum 3 pages)

• Teaching Statement (maximum 3 pages)

Letters of Recommendation and Reference Calls: All applicants will be required to provide the names of a minimum of three references during the application process. Following the initial interview stage, references for candidates moving forward to final interviews will be contacted by email to request a letter of recommendation (due within one week of email notification; please notify your references in advance). References may also be contacted by phone as part of the final reference check process.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.