Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Director of The Science House at North Carolina State


The Science House at NC State University is seeking a new Director.  The complete job listing can be found at  https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/1810/ and a summary is below.  The job will be closed on December 20.


About the Science House:
The Science House is North Carolina State University’s statewide K-12 science and mathematics outreach program. Established in 1991 in NC State’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, The Science House is a national model of university collaboration between science departments and the K-12 community. The Science House annually reaches more than 5,000 teachers and 30,000 students from across North Carolina through teacher training, school-based assistance, curriculum materials, student programs and hands-on science activities. Strategically located in Asheville, Lenoir, Edenton, Fayetteville and Jacksonville, satellite offices serve many of the most resource-poor school systems in North Carolina.

We have a unique opportunity to partner with the Nature Research Center (NRC), a wing of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Museum), to enhance the impact of The Science House and Museum outreach on student learning and teacher in-service development across the state and beyond. The Museum currently has over 650,000 visitors annually and reaches into all 100 counties with education and research programs delivered on site or through distance learning. Through the new multimedia technology in the Nature Research Center, the Museum and The Science House will be able to reach a broader audience. Through joint appointments across the University, NC State and the Museum are forging collaborations that are transformational to both organizations.

Essential Job Duties:
The Science House is North Carolina State University’s statewide K-12 science and mathematics outreach program. The Science House seeks a director who will build a shared vision for high-impact, results-oriented STEM outreach to the K-12 community, who will formalize partnership opportunities that link The Science House outreach with the new virtual and hands-on science technologies of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Museum), and who will serve as a catalyst for addressing the severe crisis that the state and nation face inSTEM education, raising the visibility of the partnership programs. Reporting administratively to the Dean of NC State University’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and programmatically to the Director of the Nature Research Center (a wing of the Museum), the Director of The Science House shall provide vision and leadership for the overall direction, strategic planning, budgetary management, resource development and operating effectiveness of The Science House. In addition, the Director will collaborate with the Museum’s Director of Education and NC State faculty to develop and enhance partnerships with K-12 communities, informal science communities and other stakeholders of The Science House to promote and enhance programs that advance STEM education. The Director will develop strategies with Museum staff and University faculty to link The Science House and Museum to K-12 broader impact initiatives with federal, state and local research grants and will oversee coordination of appropriate assessments to ensure and document the impact of all outreach programs. The Director will oversee all staff of The Science House and, working collaboratively with the Museum staff, will establish shared goals and objectives for The Science House, ensuring high standards, documented outcomes, and programs based on proven educational research.

Qualifications:
Candidates must hold a doctorate in science, mathematics, statistics, engineering or education with preference given to those holding a doctorate in science, mathematics, statistics or engineering. Candidates must have experience with K-12 educational programs and must have demonstrated ability to develop externally funded education partnerships and programs. Exceptional organizational and communications skills are essential as well as the ability to manage staff in a supportive and collegial environment. Experience working within a university or museum environment is preferred.