Post-Doctoral Research Associate
School of Physics and Astronomy
Rochester Institute of Technology
We are seeking a post-doctoral research associate to contribute to a 3-year NSF-funded project titled "Transfer of math, physics, and communication skills into the entry-level photonics workforce", NSF DGE-1432578. The post-doc will be part of a project team that includes Prof. Benjamin Zwickl (RIT Physics), Prof. Kelly Martin (RIT Communication), and multiple undergraduate and graduate students. The project seeks to answer two major questions about the Rochester-region optics, photonics, and imaging sector: (1) How do different groups (hiring managers, supervisors, and entry-level employees) perceive a skills gap between attaining a degree (AS, BS, MS) and the skills needed for the workplace (inclusive of academia and industry)? (2) What are the ways that entry-level employees in the workplace use physics, optics, mathematics, and communication skills? See http://www.rit.edu/cos/smerc/OpticsWorkforceSummary.pdf for more information about the project.
The postdoctoral researcher will work with the project team to interview study participants; conduct on-site workplace observations; analyze the majority of the qualitative data on workplace usage of mathematics and optics/physics content knowledge; conduct validation interviews for the surveys of math, communication, and physics/optics usage in the workplace; and communicate results to others in higher education and physics education research (PER) through published papers and conference presentations. The postdoc will be affiliated with the Science and Mathematics Education Research Collaborative http://www.rit.edu/cos/smerc/, and will have additional mentoring opportunities through RIT's Center for Advancing Science/Mathematics Teaching, Learning, & Evaluation (CASTLE) http://www.rit.edu/cos/castle/ .
The candidate must have a PhD in one of the following fields: Physics, Education, Physics Education Research, or related field.
Applications will receive full consideration if received by Dec. 12, 2014. The position will remain open until filled. Applicants must submit a Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter explaining their interests in PER and STEM workforce issues, and 2 letters of recommendation. Apply online at http://careers.rit.edu/ Use code 1380BR to locate the position announcement.
Rochester Institute of Technology is a privately endowed, coeducational university with an enrollment of approximately 18,000 students. The School of Physics and Astronomy consists of 36 faculty, 4 postdocs and 135 majors.
Questions regarding the position may be directed to Prof. Benjamin Zwickl, School of Physics and Astronomy, benjamin.m.zwickl@rit.edu.
