Postdoc at Florida International University

Editor's note: This is a reposting from March 2012; applications are still being accepted for the position.

The Physics Education Research Group and the College of Engineering and Computing at Florida International University seek a Postdoctoral Researcher for their Office of Naval Research project. The successful candidate will be part of a thriving, multidisciplinary research group, and will oversee two primary project activities: (1) the development and implementation of scaled-up Modeling Instruction classes (2) the implementation of a learning assistant program with mentoring support in the College of Engineering. The ideal candidate will be flexible, reliable, and organized, with excellent oral and written communication skills. The candidate must be able to work independently and collaboratively and to participate cooperatively in a close-knit research team.

Specific duties include:
• Provide coordination to the project by organizing project activities and meetings, overseeing project reports, and overseeing budgets.
• Coordinate project assessments that target classroom impact, faculty professional development, and institutional change.
• Coordinate internal and external outreach efforts, including overseeing dissemination materials, supervising media press releases, collecting public relations materials, and organizing web-based materials.



FIU is a minority-serving urban public research institution in Miami, Florida. Approximately 80% of the institution’s 46,000 students are undergraduates, of which 64% are Hispanic, 13% are Black, and 56% are women. The project will support introductory physics and engineering students. FIU provides a unique opportunity to develop models for working with historically underrepresented populations. This is multi-year grant-funded, time-limited appointment expected to last two years, with the possibility of an extension for the third year.
With a student body of 46,000 students, Florida International University is one of the 25 largest public universities in the nation. FIU has a nationally and internationally recognized full-time faculty, known for outstanding teaching and cutting-edge research. FIU graduates over 9,200 students annually and ranks first in the nation in awarding bachelor's and master's degrees to Hispanic students. FIU is ranked as a Research University in the High Research Activity category of the Carnegie Foundation’s prestigious classification system.
The College of Engineering and Computing has an enrollment of close to 4,800 students, of which 700 are master’s students and over 200 study in doctoral programs. Each year, the College graduates about 900 students with BS/BA, MS, or PhD degrees. Last year, the College ranked first in awarding BS degrees in Engineering as well as in Computer Science to Hispanics in the continental United States and ranked 14th for awarding BS degrees to African Americans. The college also ranked 8th nationally (1st in the state) for the percentage of doctoral degrees awarded to women.

The most qualified candidates will have completed a doctoral degree in science, science education, or a related field. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Professor Laird Kramer (305-348-6073 / Laird.Kramer@fiu.edu). Applicants should apply directly to Laird Kramer, Department of Physics, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199, by electronically submitting a letter of application, curriculum vitae, summary of research accomplishments, and a statement of teaching philosophy. Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.