Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and strongly encourages women and members of underrepresented groups to apply.

Position Summary:

The Department of Physics at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) invites applications for a post baccalaureate research assistant in plasma physics and materials science. The successful candidate will help conduct experiments on nanoparticle synthesis in plasma discharges and perform materials characterization using scanning electron microscopy and other surface science diagnostics. TCNJ is a primarily undergraduate institution, and the research assistant will work closely with highly motivated undergraduate research students. The position is offered for up to 2 years, pending successful performance during year 1.

TCNJ has a strong commitment to inclusive excellence in our community and to supporting a healthy work-life balance for our faculty of teacher-scholars. TCNJ has been recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education on its honor roll of “Great Colleges to Work For.”

Main Responsibilities:

• Help plan and conduct experiments on plasma synthesis of nanoparticles in ionic liquids
• Assist with materials characterization using SEM/TEM
• Learn research protocols, organize data, and deliver presentations based on experimental results
• Contribute to the writing of research articles
• Work collaboratively with undergraduate research students who participate on this project

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related field.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Excellent organizational and communication abilities.

Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in order to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with advanced microscopy methods such as SEM/TEM.
• Experience with materials characterization and chemical analysis techniques.
• Experience with plasma sources.
• Previous experience in a research or laboratory setting.
• Knowledge of laboratory safety and best practices.
• Ability to troubleshoot and optimize experimental setups.

Employer Qualifications:

• Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and reference checks.
• Residency Requirement: In accordance with the New Jersey First Act P.L. 2011 c.70, effective September 1, 2011, new public employees in certain positions (faculty exempt) are required to obtain New Jersey residency within one (1) year of employment. Applicants must meet the requirements listed.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled, but applications should be received by February 1, 2025 to receive full consideration.

About the Physics Department

The Physics Department is housed in a recently renovated STEM complex that offers state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities and instrumentation, including new research-grade SEM and AFM facilities, a new high-performance scientific computing cluster, a new 0.7 m telescope, and a 48-seat planetarium. The Physics Department currently has eleven full-time, tenure-line faculty members (36% of whom are women), and approximately 80 majors. TCNJ's Department of Physics is consistently ranked by the American Institute of Physics and the Physics Teacher Education Coalition as a national leader in the graduation of both physics majors and of high school physics teachers. In 2019, the Physics Department hosted the American Physical Society’s Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) for the Mid-Atlantic states ( https://cuwip.tcnj.edu/ ). Collaborative research with talented undergraduates frequently results in peer-reviewed, published scientific works. The Physics Department is part of the School of Science, along with the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Mathematics and Statistics. For more information about the department, visit: http://physics.tcnj.edu/ .

About TCNJ

Founded in 1855, TCNJ is a selective, public primarily undergraduate institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. TCNJ emphasizes the residential experience for our 7,000 full-time undergraduate students, 30% of whom are self-described as members of groups traditionally underrepresented in academe and STEM. Students benefit from a 13-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 21 students, which has led to TCNJ attaining a first-year to sophomore retention rate of 93% and a graduation rate of 86%. TCNJ has also received national recognition for the adoption and promotion of the teacher-scholar model for our faculty and deep engagement of our undergraduates in research.

TCNJ was awarded the inaugural “Campus-wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishment” from the Council on Undergraduate Research in 2016. In part because of TCNJ’s intentional and comprehensive integration of research into our undergraduate curricula and institutional culture, an increasing number of TCNJ graduates have pursued and completed doctoral degrees over the past ten years. TCNJ was awarded, in 2006, a Phi Beta Kappa chapter—an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ’s seven schools—Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Science. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College’s campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty. For more information, visit www.tcnj.edu .

Employee Benefits:

As a member of The College of New Jersey Community, you will be a part of an exciting and rewarding public university career. Eligible full-time employees will be able to take advantage of a generous benefits package that includes health, welfare, and retirement benefits, including:

• Comprehensive benefit plans covering medical, dental and prescription plans
• Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program
• Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program
• Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, group life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee affinity groups
• New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (Pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets, etc.)
• Access to extensive learning opportunities

To view a comprehensive list of benefits available to employees, visit our Health Benefits Plans and Programs page to learn more!

Application Instructions:

Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry, materials science, or a related field by the start date. To apply, submit:

(1) a cover letter explaining your specific interest in the position,

(2) a resume,

(3) copies of all undergraduate transcripts,

(4) names of 2 references.