Assistant professor of physical sciences

Nevada State University appreciates your interest in employment. To ensure your application process runs smoothly, we ask that you keep in mind the following when completing your application:

The required documents are listed below on the posting. Your application may not be considered if you do not attach the required documents.

Draft applications are saved automatically and can be accessed through your candidate home account. Completed applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment. Once a recruitment has closed, applications will no longer be accepted.

Please note, recruitment will close without notice when a hiring decision has been made.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact the Human Resources department at (702) 992-2320 or apply@nevadastate.edu.

Job Description

Nevada State University invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Physical Sciences within the Department of Physical and Life Sciences (PaLS) beginning fall 2027. The Assistant Professor of Physical Sciences will have a specialization in a field offered within our core curriculum: Geology, Meteorology or Climatology, Environmental Science, or Physics. We hope to find a colleague with interest and potential to participate in interdisciplinary opportunities in curriculum development and research among faculty and students and support the curriculum of our new branch campus.

The primary location for this position is Nevada State University's Henderson campus. Teaching assignments are determined based on departmental and programmatic needs and may include courses at Nevada State University's North Las Vegas campus.

About the School of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business at Nevada State:

With talented faculty and bold academic programs, the School of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business’ (LASB) student-centered ethos cultivates civically-engaged scientists, humanists, business professionals, and artists ready to influence the Southern Nevada region and beyond. Through 6 dynamic Departments - Business; Data, Media, and Design; History, Law, and Society; Humanities; Physical and Life Sciences; and, Psychology and Counseling - LASB educates students through the core curriculum, 21 bachelor’s programs, and 27 minor programs.

About the Department of Physical and Life Sciences at Nevada State:

The selected faculty candidate will join a dynamic and interdisciplinary team, supporting Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Human Health Sciences. We value excellence in teaching and hope to find a colleague with an interest and potential to participate in interdisciplinary opportunities in curriculum development and research among faculty and students.

About the institution:

Nevada State University, a four-year Minority Serving public institution with a statewide mission, is dedicated to excellence in teaching and learning and committed to the advancement of a diverse and largely underserved student population. Designated a Hispanic Serving (HSI) and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institution (AANAPI), Nevada State is a university where teaching and student support are valued above all else.

Nevada State University continues to grow as an institution of higher education. In Fall 2025, the enrollment surpassed 8,400, with 8,287 undergraduate students and 117 graduate students. A majority of our students are first generation, racial/ethnic minorities, parents, and/or returning students, of which 48% are Hispanic, 10% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 10% are Black/African American, and 22% are White.

We celebrate the storied backgrounds of our campus community. We operate with a shared commitment to represent and serve the diverse population of Nevada and to encourage the exchange of ideas that respects and honors the lived experiences of our students, staff, and faculty. We foster a culture of inclusive excellence so our members can live authentically, fully engage, and flourish. In order to strengthen the university and progress its mission, the university dedicates itself to intentional and ongoing reflection to meeting the evolving needs of Nevada State University, the surrounding communities, and the State of Nevada.

We seek applicants who are passionate about working with this promising student population and collaborating with faculty and staff across departments to make a lasting impact in developing our institution and our community.

Primary Responsibilities:

This is a 9-month appointment assigned 24 credits per academic year, which equates to approximately 12 credit hours in the fall semester and 12 credit hours in the spring semester. A 3-credit release is provided each semester for the first year.

• Teach at both North Las Vegas and Henderson campuses.
• Teach lower-level courses in Geology, Environmental Science, Meteorology or Climatology, Physics, or Astronomy with the potential to develop courses (lower- and upper-level) in an area of specialization that may complement other degrees in the department in a mostly in-person format.
• Create a culture of inclusive learning. Faculty at Nevada State put our students’ needs at the forefront of curriculum design and classroom experiences. This includes classroom policies, management, and pedagogical practices that amplify the shared cultural capital of our diverse student body and acknowledge their lived experience. Faculty maintain a learning environment that actively avoids racism, sexism, ableism, and discrimination due to sexual orientation. This is an equally shared responsibility irrespective of the identity of the faculty member.
• Engage in institutional service. This may involve contributing to the development of programmatic goals and shared self-governance on campus in a variety of roles. For example, faculty may serve in faculty senate positions, contribute to curriculum design, advise on policy development, and/or participate in program assessment.
• Engage in professional development activities.
• Engage in scholarly activity within your discipline or in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D.) in any Physical Sciences field at the time of employment.
• Evidence of strong commitment to teaching, mentoring, and working with undergraduates.
• Demonstrated commitment to a diverse, non-traditional, first-generation student population.
• Eligibility to work in the United States without sponsorship (Nevada State does not sponsor employment-related visas).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of instructional effectiveness at the college/university level.
• Commitment to active/experiential learning.
• Experience or interest in developing curriculum at the university level.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity and potential.
• Experience in mentoring Undergraduate Researchers.

Rank, Salary & Benefits:

9-month. Tenure Track. Budgeted salary for this position is commensurate with experience. Nevada State University offers excellent benefits, including 19.25% retirement match, beginning balance of 30 sick leave days, 12 paid holidays, educational benefits, and three health insurance plans that can be supplemented with flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts.

This Posting is Open Until Filled

The posting will remain open until filled, with the first review of applications to begin on Thursday, November 12, 2026. Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply by November 11 for full consideration.

Special Instructions for Internal NSHE Applicants

Nevada State University employees or employees within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE, UNLV, UNR, NSU, CSN, TMCC, WNC, GBC, or DRI) MUST use the “Browse Jobs” process within Workday to find and apply for jobs at Nevada State and other NSHE Institutions. Once you log into Workday, type "Browse Jobs" in the search box which will navigate to the internal job posting site.

If you complete an application outside of the internal application process, your application will be returned and you will have to reapply as an internal applicant which may delay your application.

Exempt Yes

Full-Time Equivalent 100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment(s) viewable to you will be the attachment(s) to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment(s) to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment(s) will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at apply@nevadastate.edu.

Please upload the following documents:

• Detailed CV or resume listing relevant qualifications and experience;
• Letter of interest indicating why you are a good fit for the position and Nevada State University;
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy;
• Names and contact information of three references, at least one of whom can speak to your teaching ability (you will be notified before references are contacted).

The search committee may ask for more materials at later stages in the application process.

Throughout your application materials, we encourage you to highlight your background in fostering an inclusive campus culture and supporting the success of students who are historically underrepresented in higher education.

Applications that do not include the required uploaded documents may not be considered.

Posting Close Date

Note to Applicant Applicants should fully describe their qualifications and experience with specific reference to each of the minimum and preferred qualifications in their cover letter. The search committee will use this information during the initial review of application materials.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

This position may require a criminal background check to be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

Nevada State University does not currently sponsor Visas, all applicants must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.