Postdoc in STEM Education at Texas State University
We are advertising a postdoctoral-level position associated with the NSF IUSE-HSI grant: “Building Capacity: Creating Faculty-Student Communities for Culturally Relevant Institutional Change” (NSF #1928696, PI Heather Galloway, Co-PIs Eleanor Close, Alice Olmstead, Cynthia Luxford, and Li Feng). The position will primarily focus on research and will involve synergistic programmatic activities.
During this five-year project, we aim to engage faculty and students across Texas State University's College of Science and Engineering in workshops, departmental self-assessments, redesign of lower-division gateway courses, and project-level decision making. Participating STEM departments are receiving intellectual, material, and logistical supports to empower faculty-student teams in developing sustainable communities of practice focused on culturally relevant instruction. The project also involves three research strands that focus on communities of practice among faculty and students, STEM student trajectories at Texas State, and student graduation rates and STEM workforce outcomes for Texas State and other Hispanic Serving Institutions. We are currently in year 3 of the project. More information is available on our website https://www.cose.txstate.edu/
This position will be primarily focused on collecting and analyzing various kinds of student data before, during, and after course redesigns. The selected candidate will be expected to engage in research activities such as: conducting and synthesizing the results of focus groups with STEM students; gathering and analyzing institutional student data; working with STEM faculty to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative student data using research-based assessments; amending materials for institutional review board approval; and disseminating results through publications and presentations. Exact activities will vary depending on the stage of the project. The selected candidate will be expected to co-mentor undergraduate research students as appropriate. The selected candidate will also be expected to help faculty and students interpret data, and to contribute to the implementation of workshops and summer institutes. Co-PI Luxford will be the primary advisor for this position.
Minimum qualifications are:
· PhD in a STEM and/or Education field
Preferred qualifications are:
· Knowledge of discipline-based education research
· Commitment to and experience with counteracting systemic inequities in STEM
· Experience designing and conducting quantitative research studies, including statistical analysis and programming (e.g., Stata, R)
· Experience designing and conducting qualitative research studies, including data collection, analysis, and management
· Motivation and ability to engage with diverse students, junior researchers, and STEM faculty.
Candidates who identify with underrepresented minority groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
The salary for this position is between $50,000-$55,000 per year. Review of applications will begin on February 14 and continue until the position is filled. Preferred start dates are as soon as possible but preferably before July 31. Initial appointments will be for one year, renewable as funding remains available (2-3 years). Relocation to San Marcos is preferred when travel is no longer unsafe / restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interested candidates should submit a 1-3 page cover letter and a CV to STEMEdPostdocs@txstate.edu. The cover letter should explain the candidate’s interest in the position and why they are a good fit for it, based on alignment with the required qualifications and any other desirable qualifications (e.g., past experience relevant to the job responsibilities). The cover letter should also specify a preferred start date and, if the candidate has not yet received their PhD, when they expect to receive it. The CV should include a list of professional experiences, publications, and contact information for three professional references. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to submit a writing sample in response to a job related prompt and three letters of recommendation.
ADDITIONAL JOB INFORMATION
Texas State University is a large, diverse Hispanic Serving Institution in Central Texas, between Austin and San Antonio. The College of Science and Engineering includes seven STEM departments and a growing number of discipline-based education research faculty. Selected candidates will have regular opportunities to interact with faculty, students, and other postdocs who are engaged in education research (see, in particular, http://txstper.wp.txstate.edu and http://luxford.wp.txstate.edu/
Please contact Cynthia Luxford (cluxford@txstate.edu) if you have questions about the position. Please email STEMEdPostdocs@txstate.edu to apply and if you have general questions about the application process.
