Lauren Mason – Page 21

Research Director- Full Professor, STEM Learning Center

The University of Arizona STEM Learning Center (SLC) announces a search to commence in Fall 2021 for the position of Research Director- Full Professor with Tenure. The SLC is a university-wide center that promotes access to high-quality experiences, resources, and expertise in the STEM fields. The SLC serves as a centralized hub for connecting resources, people, and best practices to inspire and sustain interest in STEM and STEM pathways. In the vision of the SLC, every person has equitable access to STEM experiences that are inclusive and relevant. We aim to investigate and eliminate barriers that limit access to STEM and STEM pathways for diverse populations.

With this position, we seek an individual who can promote the educational aspects of STEM research on campus and broaden participation in STEM learning experiences across the community. The Research Director will nurture innovative projects that have the potential to improve outcomes for underrepresented groups in STEM. This person will serve as an ambassador of education to STEM researchers and a mentor to STEM researchers in outreach to educational programs.

This position will be a joint appointment in the SLC (49%) and the College of Education (51%) at the full professor level. The University of Arizona is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) which strives to increase the enrollment of underrepresented populations in STEM and in expanding their educational opportunities. This position will continue to strengthen our dedication as an HSI to creating educational equity and opportunities.

Applications will be reviewed starting February 22, 2021 and will be accepted until the position is filled.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordinate and promote research in STEM fields that identifies and helps to eliminate barriers to participation in STEM learning experiences and pathways

Pursue grant opportunities to support individual and/or collaborative research that broadens participation in STEM fields
Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in the appointed department with the College of Education
Participate in service and community engagement efforts in the department, College of Education, and University of Arizona

Qualifications:

PhD
Published research in STEM, STEM-education, higher education, or other area related to pathways in STEM
Research record commensurate with full professor status
Experience promoting educational equity in a variety of settings
Experience bridging STEM research and STEM education research
Experience obtaining grant funding for large research projects
Experience administrating STEM education programs
Familiarity with current trends and issues in STEM education and STEM pathways

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with the culture and context of the Southwest Border Region
Research record related to audiences underrepresented in STEM

Contact Information:

Sara Chavarria, Search Committee Chair (spchavar@arizona.edu)

For additional information, visit www.stem.arizona.edu or contact Kimberly Sierra-Cajas, SLC Director, kjsc@email.arizona.edu

To apply, submit the following materials to [Talentreq4081]:

Cover Letter
Current Curriculum Vitae
Diversity statement – Diversity statements should describe how candidates’ research, teaching, and service promote and contribute to our shared goals of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in education.
Name and contact information of THREE References (phone and email)

Please upload your documents as one file under the “Additional Documents” slot within your application.

Family legacies that grew from FLC

The Sells-Wheeler Family By Natalia Sells

My name is Natalia Sells (Business Management, ‘18) and I am a second-generation Fort Lewis College alumna. My parents, Earlisa Sells (Student-Constructed Major, ‘06) and Leon Wheeler (Psychology, ‘06 and Student-Constructed Major, ‘07), started at FLC in 2004 when I was 10 years old.

Since we lived in Shiprock, New Mexico, my father commuted to Durango for his lecture classes every other day. Often, he would sleep in the family truck to save on gas and money. Sometimes he would take my siblings and me to the College, where he would reserve a corner window study hall room on the second floor of the Education Business Hall. I remember reading my book and looking out the window at the students changing classes. My younger sister, then three years old, sometimes sat with Dad in his lecture classes…

Congrats to Laura Waller for Receiving the 2021 Optical Society (OSA) Adolph Lomb Medal

Founded in 1916, OSA is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts.

Laura is being honored specifically for important contributions to the advancement of computational microscopy and its applications.

Adolph Lomb was OSA’s treasurer from its founding until his death in 1932. In recognition of his devotion to OSA and the advancement of optics, the Adolph Lomb Medal, established in 1940, is presented to a person who has made a noteworthy contribution to optics at an early career stage.

She joins an esteemed group of past recipients recognized for their outstanding contributions to the field of optics and photonics.

Congrats to Heather Lewandowski for Receiving the Boulder Faculty Excellence Award for AY 2020-2021

The BFA Excellence Awards specifically recognize outstanding work and a concerted effort to make advances in the academy. This award recognizes the importance of teaching and mentoring students as significant components of faculty duties. Congratulations, Heather!

Cryo-EM Specialization Postdoc

Yale Statistics and Data Science is looking for a postdoc in one of the most exciting computational imaging areas around, cryo-electron microscopy! If you’re interested check it out:

We are looking for postdocs with experience in cryo-EM and in developing scalable research software who are interested in developing algorithms that explore new perspectives on signal processing, Bayesian inference, variational inference and deep learning in cryo-EM (theory and applications).
The successful applicant will lead the development of a new research software platform and the exploration of new ideas. The successful applicant is invited to participate in managing the One World Cryo-EM seminars if they wish.
Relevant experience may include: Collaborative open source software development. Developing software for large scale cryo-EM problems. Collaborating with cryo-EM labs. Experience in signal processing (electrical engineering, applied mathematics). Experience with molecular dynamics, large scale MCMC, variational inference, or deep learning. Experience with JAX or lower layers of PyTorch or Tensorflow.
Apply at: https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/list/16889.

Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, who are also fellows in JILA, recognized for work in cutting-edge lasers

Two scientists who pioneered technologies for generating coherent X-rays, which helped propel research in dynamic processes in atoms, molecules and materials, have been named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, the academy announced today. Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, physics professors at the University of Colorado Boulder, direct a laboratory in JILA, a joint institute of CU Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They are among 175 inventors to be named 2020 National Academy of Inventors. Murnane and Kapteyn are co-inventors on 17 U.S. patents and have published more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles. They are co-founders of KM Labs, a startup company that produces high-power, high-performance table-top laser systems.

Congrats to Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn for Being Named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

Congrats to Yuka Esashi for Receiving the 2021 Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship

Yuka Esashi has been announced as the 2021 recipient of the $10,000 Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Mentor Graphics, a Siemens Business, for her potential contributions to the field related to advanced lithography. Esashi is pursuing her PhD in physics at the University of Colorado Boulder in the Kapteyn-Murnane group. She is co-lead of a research team that is addressing much-needed advances in metrology techniques for the semiconductor industry, where techniques with high resolution, fidelity and sensitivity are needed. With her team, Esashi has developed phase-sensitive EUV imaging reflectometry, a novel technique which combines computational imaging with EUV reflectometry to measure depth-dependent chemical composition of semiconductor samples in a spatially-resolved and non-destructive manner. In her current research, she is planning on applying this technique to a wider range of next-generation structures and materials. Esashi received her BA in Physics from Reed College in 2017, and her MS in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2019.

Postdoctoral Opportunity – Integrated Photonics

We are currently seeking talented and motivated postdoctoral candidates to join our group at the University of Maryland, working at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences on integrated photonic devices. Our laboratory offers state-of-the-art research facilities, including access to nanofabrication facilities at LPS and through the Maryland Nanocenter, optical waveguide measurement, and high-speed photonic characterization tools. The successful applicant will participate in existing projects and contribute to advancing our research program by investigating novel concepts and devices and proposing new ideas.

Essential skills and experience sought:

PhD awarded (or expected) in Applied Physics, Engineering, Physics, or related field
Excellent communication skills (in writing and speaking)
Basic cleanroom fabrication experience (lithography, dry etching, thermal processing, etc.)
Experience with measurement automation and data acquisition

Desirable skills include:

Nanofabrication and nanocharacterization experience (electron-beam lithography, AFM, etc.)
Hands-on experience conducting optical device measurements including integrated photonic systems
Numerical simulation of integrated photonic systems (FDTD, FEM)
Experience performing measurements in a cryostat

The University of Maryland and the Laboratory for Physical Sciences are located in the Washington DC Metropolitan area, which is not only a great place to live, but our proximity to many nearby collaborators, universities, government laboratories, and sponsors makes it an ideal place for a young scientist to launch a career. The University also offers good benefits and competitive salary.

Starting date: The position is available immediately, and interested applicants are encouraged to apply early for best consideration. The position will remain open until filled. Target starting of than May 1, 2021.

To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, along with the names and contact information of three potential references to photonicspostdoc@umd.edu

Native American Heritage Month at UCI: Franklin Dollar

Native American Heritage Month at Physical Sciences: This month, you’ll be hearing about Native Americans at the School of Physical Sciences, and how they make the School what it is.

I’m Franklin Dollar, a member of the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians and an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UCI. I study ultrafast laser matter interactions, and how we can convert laser energy into beams of particles and X-rays for next-generation microscopes. I also try to understand how physics education can be improved, from mentorship, to curriculum, to environment.

PS: What advice do you have for Native American students who are considering a career in STEM?

The most important thing you learn with a degree like physics is how to solve problems in the real world. This is useful in nearly any career, and can provide the flexibility to try out different career paths. So though you may not know what you want to do today, as you work and learn you will be able to find your own path.

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About Lauren Mason

Essential skills and experience sought:

Desirable skills include: