Postdoctoral Researcher in Eco-Evolutionary Pedagogy

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Academic Level:
Graduate Students (PhD)
Postdoc & Early Career
Faculty & Administrators

Description:
As part of a collaborative, NSF-funded research and training program in the genomic ecology of coastal organisms and genome-phenome relationships in the wild, the University of Maine, in collaboration with Cornell University, seeks to hire a postdoctoral researcher who is interested in designing undergraduate curricular materials and performing biology education research. The postdoc will organize and lead a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) consisting of genetics, evolution, and organismal biology instructors who teach in a diversity of undergraduate, state land-grant, and R1 research universities. The FLC will assess student thinking at multiple institutions; explore the assessment data; collaborate to design lessons that address difficult concepts in genetics, ecology, and evolution; and iteratively measure the success of these lessons in classrooms of FLC participants. The lessons will be published in peer-reviewed journals and opportunities exist to develop independent lines of research related to this work. If interested, there is also the opportunity to be the primary instructor for an undergraduate course. This work will be conducted in the labs of Dr. Brian Olsen (UMaine) and Dr. Michelle Smith (Cornell), in collaboration with a diverse team of investigators and students from UMaine and the University of New Hampshire who are studying adaptation in tidal marsh birds.

The successful candidate must have a strong background in evolutionary ecology and/or genetics. Preference will be given to those with and demonstrated quantitative skills and experience in pedagogical research, teaching, and team formation and management. Consistent with our program scope and to advance an integrated understanding of adaptation in nature, we are especially interested in candidates who show promise to engage intellectually in teaching across diverse biological scales. The postdoc will be expected to travel among participating institutions in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York, and to participate in broader programmatic activities, including mentoring of junior researchers. In turn, the postdoc will receive extensive mentoring, career development training, and professional opportunities, in alignment with a personal career development plan.

Terms of employment: Salary of $48,000, health insurance, and other benefits. The position is for an initial 2-year period with the opportunity for a third year. Applicants must have completed all Ph.D. degree requirements prior to the start of the appointment.

Application: Submit names and contact information for three references, a cover letter, a CV, and a 2-page statement of your research experience and teaching interests. The letter should address how this position would advance your career goals and describe your experiences with and vision for collaborative science. To apply, email the requested materials to Brian Olsen (brian.olsen@maine.edu).


Application Deadline: 10/22/2019
Note: Most programs maintain a similar program cycle (including similar application deadlines) year after year. Click here to understand dates and deadlines on PathwaysToScience.org.

Program Dates: 12/1/2019 - 12/31/2022

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This program is funded by:
National Science Foundation (NSF)
U.S. Dept. of the Interior


Page last updated 10/7/2019
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