Faculty Development in Space Physics at the University of Minnesota

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Space scientists are becoming ever more valuable to our society as we rely more heavily upon technical systems sensitive to conditions in the space environment, such as global positioning systems and high-speed communications networks. Communications, navigation, and energy production and distribution are significantly affected by Space Weather, and the climatology of the near-Earth space environment. The ability to forecast disturbances which may impact these technologies hinges upon detailed knowledge and understanding of the connected Sun-Earth system, comprising the disciplines of solar physics, heliospheric physics, magnetospheric physics and aeronomy. This project is funded under the Faculty Development in Space Sciences program, the aim of which is to ensure the health and vitality of solar and space physics on university teaching faculties. Through the creation of new tenure-track faculty positions within the intellectual disciplines that comprise the space sciences, research topics in solar and space physics will be integrated into basic physics, astronomy, electrical engineering, geoscience, meteorology, computer science, and applied mathematics programs, and lead to the development of space physics graduate programs capable of training the next generation of leaders in this field. This project will support a new tenure-track faculty position in the School of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Minnesota, with the purpose of expanding the breadth and depth of the research and teaching expertise within the Space Physics group. Building on a long history of innovation and excellence in space physics research and education, the new hire targets an experimental space scientist to continue and further strengthen the group?s unique and highly successful national standing in this area. Synergies enabled by the opening of a new Physics and Nanotechnology building, the expertise of the space physics technical staff in design and building of space-based instrumentation, and an experienced machine shop provide a distinct advantage to the new faculty member in taking on a leadership role in new programs involving spacecraft, CubeSats, suborbital rockets, or balloons. The addition of a new junior faculty member in space sciences will allow for more regular offerings of space physics courses and the development of one or more new classes, designed to meet the needs of space physics and astrophysics graduate students, physics majors, astrophysics majors and aerospace engineering students. In addition to enhancing the training of young researchers entering the field at this institution, this will also greatly aid the successful, high quality recruitment of the same. The additional hire will further strengthen and grow existing partnerships with several departments and institutes and will also be encouraged to pursue new partnerships broadly with the space sciences community. The School of Physics and Astronomy has a long history of successful outreach programs, designed to interest and excite children (and educators) about physics, to educate the public about interesting research or directly involve them in research, and to involve high school teachers and undergraduates in research. All faculty members are expected to participate and contribute to these programs and the new faculty member will also be encouraged to develop new activities for relevant programs. Funds are included in the budget for this. Utilizing several established and successful departmental and institution wide programs the project will work to ensure a strong focus on increasing diversity in the recruiting both of students into the program and of the new faculty member.