FDSS Track 2: Building a Space Physics Program at the University of Texas at Arlington

The Faculty Development in geoSpace Science (FDSS) opportunity aims to integrate geospace science--to include solar and space physics and space weather research--into natural sciences, engineering or related departments at U.S. institutions of higher education and stimulate the development of undergraduate or graduate programs or curricula capable of training the next generation of leaders in geospace science. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)proposes to create an FDSS tenure-track position related to Aeronomy, Magnetospheric Physics, and Space Weather Research. The FDSS hire will collaborate with the UTA Center of Space Physics and Data Sciences and the broader geospace community. They will help develop a new graduate course, offer an undergraduate space science course on a regular basis, create a new space physics track for a B.S. degree in physics, and generate more research opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate STEM students. They will leverage campus resources such as a full-dome planetarium to create outreach and public education projects. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.