My former teacher, who had done her PhD in a top-10 university in the UK in 2009, is an assistant professor in my former school. On the day when I visited my former school, I saw her at the school canteen unexpectedly. I smiled and nodded to her before I said "Good afternoon, Professor Aiko." We were talking for a few minutes before she went back to her office. When I was sitting on a subway train on my way home, however, I was wondering if it was impolite for me to call her that. Can I call an assistant professor a professor, and say "Hello Prof. Nickname"?
Answer
Yes you can.
The "Assistant Professor" still teaches. The word Assistant is there to denote the rank within the academic system. Some have taught longer and are more accomplished and are rewarded accordingly.
Actually, calling the person "Assistant Professor Jones" would be very awkward and cumbersome. It should be avoided.
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