Research Assistant, "Get the Facts Out"

Position Title
Research Assistant, "Get the Facts Out"
The Opportunity

The Colorado School of Mines seeks a research assistant to work with an NSF grant-funded project called Get the Facts Out: Changing the Conversation around STEM teaching. Get the Facts Out is an innovative partnership led by Mines that includes the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Chemical Society, the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, behavior change researchers, teacher educators, and several colleges and universities which serve as study sites. The grant aims to tackle misperceptions about the teaching profession with the goal of increasing the fraction of physics, chemistry, and math majors that choose to pursue middle and high school teaching as a career.

The research assistant will be part of a very collaborative, reliable, and geographically diverse group that meets weekly. The team works on a range of projects including a large-scale longitudinal research study of student and faculty perceptions of the teaching profession, ongoing development and testing of STEM teacher recruitment resources, and management and support of a national community of faculty who are working to share accurate information about the teaching profession with students. The group is led by Wendy Adams, Associate Professor of Physics at Mines.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will have a variety of responsibilities from analysis of various data sets, conducting focus groups and/or interviews about perceptions of the teaching profession, uploading blog articles, uploading videos to YouTube, conducting teacher recruitment activities such as co-presenting to students and/or faculty about the teaching profession, and collaborating with other research assistants/consultants. Training and support will be provided as needed.

This position is flexible and can be between 20 – 40 hours per week, depending on the successful applicant’s preferences.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must have earned a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred). Candidates must have some experience, or a demonstrated interest, in education research and K-12 teaching. Candidates must have some knowledge of statistics, particularly for use in education or other social sciences. The successful candidate will have excellent communications skills, strong quantitative skills, the ability to work collaboratively, the self-discipline to work independently, and enjoy multi-tasking.

About Mines & Golden, CO

Mines is consistently ranked among the top engineering colleges in the United States and ranks number one as the best public school in the state for best value colleges. Mines is located in the heart of Golden, Colorado, a western suburb of Denver. The campus location offers a small-town ambiance with close proximity to all that the Denver metropolitan area has to offer with an abundance of cultural events, museums, theaters and sporting venues. A sunny, high-altitude climate with outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play. We seek individuals who value a diverse and inclusive community – offering different perspectives, experiences, and cultures that enrich the educational and work experience.
Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veterans status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a diverse student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequity or concerns for safety.

Pay Range

$20-25 per hour with benefits.

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Total Rewards
Mines is proud to provide exceptional benefits that include pay, health & wellness and work/life balance offerings. Our portfolio of benefits includes medical, dental, vision, disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and retirement savings plans. Additionally, Mines employees are eligible for tuition benefits (for employees and dependents), generous paid holidays and leaves and discount programs. For more information, visit Mines benefits .
How to Apply

To apply for the position please include the following materials in your application:

1. Cover letter that addresses the qualifications described above, describes the applicant’s interest in joining the project, and answers the following questions:

1.A) In what ways do your previous academic, research, teaching, and/or outreach experiences inform your interest in recruiting new science and math teachers?

1.B) What background experiences do you have that lead you to feel prepared for and interested in statistical analysis of large-scale data and conducting individual interviews?

1.C) How do your previous experiences prepare you to work cooperatively and productively with colleagues, students, and supervisors from diverse backgrounds?

1.D) In this research position, you will gain significant skills in physics education research as well as skills related to the development and user-testing of recruitment resources. How do you envision those skills will be useful to you later in your career?

2. Résumé with references listed.

Background Investigation Required
Yes

Advertised: Nov 15, 2022 Mountain Standard Time
Applications close: