Assistant/Associate Research Professor in STEM Education

Assistant/Associate Research Professor in STEM Education

The Assistant/Associate Research Professor in STEM Education will focus on reducing DFW rates in STEM entry classes by working with faculty, staff, and students to research and implement pedagogical changes that improve the success of our students in gateway math and science courses, while also maintaining the quality of the curriculum. We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated individual who shares our commitment to teaching, research, and service. The successful candidate will contribute to our efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for students, foster robust, collaborative research, and engage in service activities supporting institutional goals.

This position is a joint hire with the Eberly College of Science and will be housed at Penn State Harrisburg. While the primary location will be at Penn State Harrisburg, it is expected that the individual travel to the University Park Campus up to 3 times per month

Responsibilities: The primary responsibilities of the Assistant/Associate Research Professor in STEM Education include the following:

• STEM Education Improvement: Create professional development opportunities for faculty in the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology and in Teacher Education in the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at Penn State Harrisburg, and with the Eberly College of Science Grove Center for Excellence in Science Education. It is expected that the professional development will incorporate evidence-based strategies with the ultimate goal of improving success rates in gateway math and science courses. The successful candidate will analyze interventions to identify, deploy, and evaluate effective measures and opportunities for piloting/expanding new efforts. Implement cross-campus collaboration and intra-college collaborations to support student success in math and chemistry, and help develop and lead a STEM faculty academy at Penn State Harrisburg, in collaboration with the Center for Teaching Excellence, and in partnership with the Grove Center's Evidence Based Teaching Academy.
  
• Teaching: The candidate will have the opportunity to teach up to 6 credit hours per year.
  
• Research/Scholarship: Support and lead grants in STEM education, with a focus on learning in gateway math and science courses. Develop faculty teams from both Penn State Harrisburg and the Eberly College of Science to collaborate and research best practices in pedagogy, including classroom activities, educational delivery methods, learning assessments, etc., with a goal of increasing success rates and building a diverse pipeline of successful students in STEM careers. Evaluate current and new pedagogical faculty efforts, and in the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Grove Center, to benchmark these changes against existing course success and completion rates and against the literature.
  
• Service: Faculty are expected to serve on committees at the department, school, and college level so that the mission of the college and university are advanced. Faculty are also expected to actively promote and advance the school's steadfast commitment to education and improving the diversity of voices in STEM to their professional and the regional community of south-central Pennsylvania.
  

Qualifications: To be considered for the Assistant/Associate Research Professor in STEM Education, candidates should possess the following qualifications:

• Education: Candidates must have a doctoral degree in a relevant field. Candidates must possess one STEM degree, with preference given to a degree in mathematics or chemistry, and one degree in education or a closely related field.
  
• Expertise: The successful candidate will have a background in STEM education research. Preference will be given to candidates who have a documented history of implemented projects and publications in the field of STEM pedagogy.
  
• DEIB Commitment: SSET faculty are committed to diversifying the voices in the STEM professions. To that end, the successful candidate will be expected to incorporate teaching methods that promote learning among diverse populations and will create a learning environment that genuinely supports, respects, and addresses the diverse needs of student populations at Penn State Harrisburg in their classes while assisting their colleagues in the implementation of practices that support diverse learners. The successful candidate will collaborate with the Center for Teaching Excellence with instructional designers that will also assist faculty in developing course materials that promote learning for all students.
  

Experience: Preference will be given to candidates who have prior teaching experience and prior experience in developing and implementing classroom strategies that reduce the DFW rate and in helping other faculty implement similar practices in their classroom. Preference also will be given to candidates whose teaching experience is in the gateway math and science courses for STEM.

About Penn State/The College/ The School:

Penn State Harrisburg is a campus of The Pennsylvania State University, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's land -grant institution, serving more than 85,000 students. Penn State Harrisburg, the Capital College, enrolls 4,600 students in residential instruction and an additional 1,000 students in programs delivered online via the University's World Campus. Penn State Harrisburg offers two associate, 35 baccalaureate, 25 Master's, and three doctoral degrees. The college also offers the first two years of study leading to more than 275 baccalaureate majors available throughout Penn State. Additionally, the campus participates in nine online degree offerings (six graduate and three undergraduate) through Penn State World Campus, and offers accelerated undergraduate/graduate programs, joint degrees in collaboration with Penn State Dickinson Law and the Penn State College of Medicine, and continuing education opportunities.

The School of Science, Engineering, and Technology (SSET) is the largest school at Penn State Harrisburg. The School offers undergraduate degrees in computer science, engineering (civil, mechanical, and electrical), mathematical sciences, biology, and integrated sciences, as well as degrees in engineering technology in the areas of electrical, mechanical, and structural design and construction engineering technology. We also offer residential master's degrees in computer science, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering and an online master's professional degree in electrical engineering. In Fall 2023, the School launched a PhD program in Engineering Systems. The successful candidate will be joining approximately 85 full-time faculty and 12 full-time staff. SSET is committed to the University's and College's goals of increasing the diversity of voices in STEM. Faculty and staff are members of various professionally oriented organizations and actively serve on education committees focusing on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in their fields. The School has a DEIB committee and student chapters of organizations such as the Society for Women Engineers, National Society for Black Engineers, and Women in Technology, in addition to discipline-specific clubs.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and nature, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

For more information about Penn State Harrisburg, please visit the college's website at harrisburg.psu.edu.


Apply online at https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-Harrisburg/Assistant-Associate-Research-Professor-in-STEM-Education_REQ_0000058733-1

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to http://www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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