Joint Chemistry Education Postdoctoral Research Associate Position with Drs. Suazette Mooring (Georgia State University) and Jack Barbera (Portland State University)
This position is a full-time, 24-month position, with an initial one-year appointment and re-appointment contingent on satisfactory performance. The researcher can be in residence at either Georgia State or Portland State, remote opportunities will be considered.
Description of Position Responsibilities
The associate will join an ongoing NSF funded project – Measuring Chemistry-Specific Mindset Beliefs of Students in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses. To date, the project has developed a chemistry-specific measure of mindset and conducted validity and reliability studies with general and organic chemistry student populations at a single institution.
The primary responsibilities of the research associate under this NSF grant are to expand the generalizability of the measure and its support by conducting multi-institution data collections. Data from these administrations will be investigated for measurement invariance across a number of comparison groups. In addition, the mindset data will be modeled in relation to self-efficacy and goal orientation to explore their connections to student achievement. The research associate may also propose the collection of additional data and analyses in order to investigate relations of interest beyond the scope of the current initiative. All work will be performed under the mentorship and supervision of both PIs.
Start Date
Applications are welcomed immediately with review beginning May 15th and continuing until the position is filled. The targeted start date is July 15th but can be negotiated.
Candidate Requirements
The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Chemistry Education Research or in a field with strong STEM education research experience. In addition, they will have demonstrated experience in conducting quantitative research studies. Experience in structural equation modeling is required and the ability to run analyses in R is preferred, but not required. Training in these areas may be possible. Excellent organizational skills, especially the ability to coordinate and manage multiple simultaneous data collections, are necessary. Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential, which will enable them to lead the publication and presentation of project outcomes.
Application Information
Applicants should send a cover letter describing professional skills, abilities, and goals, curriculum vitae, and a list of the names and email addresses of 3 references. Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2022, and will continue until position is filled.
Inquiries about position may be sent to either PI. Email application materials to both PIs.
Additional information about each PI’s research group can be found on their group webpages.
Dr. Suazette Mooring (smooring@gsu.edu), https://chemedatgsu.webs.com
Dr. Jack Barbera (jbarbera@pdx.edu), https://www.pdx.edu/chemistry/barbera-lab