The Educational, School, and Counseling Department within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Missouri invites applications for a postdoctoral research fellow in Prosocial Education (SEL) and applied quantitative methods starting as soon as spring 2023.

The fellow will work on a project titled Increasing Teachers’ Capacity for Integrating Mathematics, Social-Emotional Learning, and Equity (Math+SEL+E).   It is a Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education (see https://oese.ed.gov/files/2022/09/PR-Award-S423a220084-UT-Arlington.pdf ). The fellow will work with Dr. Christi Bergin, Director of the Prosocial Development & Education Research Lab and Dr. Francis Huang, in the Statistics, Measurement, & Evaluation in Education (SMEE) program.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will gain experience working on a federally-funded, research project within a lab that has $16 million in federal funding for six projects focused on promoting prosocial education and positive classroom climate. The lab includes affiliated faculty, two postdoctoral fellows, four GRAs, and various UGRAs. The fellow will be part of the Statistics, Measurement, Evaluation (SMEE) group under Dr. Huang’s mentorship. The fellow will also have the opportunity to develop an independent line of research related to the study’s activities. The fellow should be committed to seeking and securing external funding, producing original research, publishing their work in highly ranked conference proceedings and journals (as appropriate), and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research.

There will be some travel to partner schools in the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex. You will need to pass school background checks. In addition to salary and benefits, this postdoc will also have funds for conference travel and technology.  It is a 2-year position, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.

Responsibilities:

• Help design prosocial education content
• Lead weekly research team meetings
• Ensure quality control of research
• Collect, organize, and analyze data
• Mentor graduate research assistants
• Co-author research publications and annual reports
• Develop future grant proposals

The University of Missouri is committed to postdoctoral development. Postdoctoral fellows across all disciplines are supported with campus professional development opportunities, research and teaching awards, and small grants programs. Postdoctoral scholars can also further their academic career preparation through the University of Missouri’s Preparing Future Faculty seminar program. For information about postdoctoral fellows at MU, visit: https://gradschool.missouri.edu/postdoctoral-education/

Minimum Qualifications

• An earned doctorate in educational or developmental psychology and program evaluation or related disciplines at the time of appointment.
• Experience in collecting, cleaning, and analyzing quantitative data (using R)

Candidates will be evaluated on:

• Experience in collecting, cleaning, and analyzing quantitative data (using R)
• Experience with program evaluation.
• Experience in prek-12 students’ social and emotional development
• Ability to work effectively with diverse faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students.
• Comfort with technology use.
• K-12 teaching, counseling, or administration experience
• Experience conducting classroom observations
• Proficiency in English
• Prior federal grant experience

To Apply:  

• A letter of application that addresses the candidate’s interest in the work, overall qualifications for the fellowship, and an explanation of how this fellowship will help prepare the candidate’s future career interests and professional goals.
• A CV
• A writing sample
• List of three references

Questions should be directed to:
 Dr. Christi Bergin
 Associate Dean for Research & Innovation

University of Missouri
 109C Hill Hall
 Columbia, MO 65211-2400
 Email: berginc@missouri.edu

This position is eligible for University benefits.  The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts.  For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at http://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits

Diversity Commitment

The University of Missouri is fully committed to achieving  the goal of a diverse and inclusive academic community of faculty, staff and students. We seek individuals who are committed to this goal and our core campus values of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or the recruiting rights of military organizations associated with the Armed Forces or the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America. For more information, call the Director of Employee and Labor Relations at 573-884-2577.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.

EEO IS THE LAW

To read more about Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) please use the following links:

• EEO is the Law English Version
• EEO is the Law Spanish Version
• EEO is the Law Chinese Version

MU Information

 The College of Education is ranked #36 in the nation among public universities overall by U.S. News and World Report. Among programs especially relevant to the proposed study, MizzouEd is ranked #3 in graduate counseling programs and #21 in graduate special education programs. Today, the College has a student population of approximately 1000 undergraduates and 1,600 graduate students. The College is nationally recognized for its distance and online education programs.

This project is a partnership between MU, Ohio University and the University of Texas at Arlington in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, which is designated as both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).

About MU and the Surrounding Community

MU is the oldest state university west of the Mississippi River and the largest of the four institutions in the University of Missouri System. In 1867, MU became one of the first public universities in the nation to establish an academic program specific to teacher preparation. MU has a student body of over 34,000 and is designated as a Carnegie Research University with very high research activity. MU is one of only six universities in the U.S. that is both the flagship and land grant institution housing medicine, veterinary medicine, and law on the same campus. As an AAU member institution since 1908, MU is recognized as one of the top research and educational institutions in the nation. More information is available on the web at: education.missouri.edu

MU is located in Columbia, a metropolitan community of approximately 120,000 that has been rated by Money Magazine , Men’s Journal and MSN.COM as one of the best places to live in the U.S. Columbia ranked 6th on Livability ’s 2019 list of Top 100 Best Places to Live. It has been ranked among the best college towns to live in. Columbia has been recognized as a bike-friendly community. Rails-to-trails conversions allow recreation and commuting to campus in natural spaces across the city. Cost of living is modest. Columbia is immediately surrounded by rural counties, while both Kansas City and St. Louis are within a 90-minute drive offering the shopping and cultural opportunities of major metropolitan areas. Columbia has high-quality public schools and provides many opportunities for art, music, culture, and film including the acclaimed “True/False Film Festival.”