The Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida, Orlando Campus, is seeking a postdoc in Chemistry Education Research. The post-doctoral fellow will work with Dr. Erin Saitta in a diverse CER group to create learning environments that expand the participation and success of university STEM students. Much of this work involves investigating the impact of professional development through faculty action research and Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) training.
Job description: The candidate will begin immediately by assisting on existing projects as well as collaborating on emerging research. Duties may include designing simulator modules, leading faculty or GTA professional development, conducting classroom observations and interviews, collecting student learning data, engaging in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, preparing manuscripts for STEM education journals, presenting at conferences, and supporting graduate and undergraduate researchers.
The start date: August 2022
Salary: $50,000 for a 12-month appointment with potential renewal for a second year.
Required minimum qualifications: Applicants must have a PhD in chemistry, Chemistry Education, Science Education, or related field by July 31st 2022 as well as experience conducting STEM education research; familiarity with discipline-based education research methodologies; a demonstrated ability to collaborate with others and work independently.
Preferred qualifications: Preferred candidates will have an interest in professional development and/or experience working with populations who are underserved in STEM as well as evidence of strong writing skills. Scholars with an interest in graduate student anxiety, universal design for learning, training through simulations, or faculty action research will find this position particularly enriching. The Saitta lab welcomes students from all ethnic, linguistic, and racial backgrounds as well as people in the lgbtq+ community and people with disabilities.
To apply: Submit the following to erin.saitta@ucf.edu. For full consideration, please submit materials by Friday July 1st. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.
1. Cover letter addressing: Why you are interested in this position, Why you are a good fit for this position, Your preferred start date, When you received or expect to receive your PhD, Your research interests, How this position is consistent with your academic trajectory.
2. CV, including: List of publications, Education and research experience, Contact information for three references.
Please contact Erin Saitta at erin.saitta@ucf.edu for questions.
Additional Information: The University of Central Florida is currently the second largest school in the United States by student enrollment. UCF is located in sunny Orlando, Florida. The Saitta research group includes three graduate students and multiple undergraduate students; more details are available at https://sciences.ucf.edu/chemistry/saittalab/. The chemistry department includes two tenure-track faculty members in CER as well as multiple chemistry education research lecturers. Additional faculty in several STEM departments also engage in education research. The successful candidate will participate in personalized professional mentoring as part of UCF's Preeminent Postdoctoral Program. Professional development activities may include training on and participation in grant writing, training in mentoring and scaffolded mentoring of students, participation in the UCF STEM Education Reading Group.
Erin Saitta, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
University of Central Florida
She/her/hers