POSTDOCTORAL POSTION IN CHEMICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH AND LARGE LECTURE TEACHING

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY


Position Description

0.6 FTE chemical education research and 0.4 FTE large lecture teaching. 11-month appointment beginning 10 August 2015 and ending 8 July 2016. Possibility of renewal for an additional year contingent on performance and the availability of continued funding.

Salary: $35,000/11 months plus the full University of Montana benefits package, which includes health insurance (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and AD&D coverage), sick/annual leave, and retirement. Reasonable moving expenses reimbursed per State of Montana guidelines.


Qualifications

Ph.D. degree in Chemical Education or a closely related field.

Preferred: Teaching experience, preferably in a large lecture course, and expertise in cognitive science.


Position Expectations

·     Collaborate with the UM chemical education research and development group, led by Prof. Mark Cracolice, to develop and submit high-quality grant proposals to fund University of Montana projects in research and curriculum development.
·     Collaborate with the chemical education research and development group to conduct chemical education research with a focus on understanding and improving the scientific reasoning skills and intelligence of students via design of chemistry course curricula.
·     Collaborate to produce manuscripts describing research results to be published in peer-reviewed journals.
·     Assist with mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the UM chemical education research and development group.
·     Collaborate with efforts to produce scientific-reasoning-based high school chemistry curricula and assist with efforts in the professional development of state high school science teachers.
·     Teach with high quality and enthusiasm and coordinate the first-semester general, organic, and biological chemistry course (the general chemistry portion) in the Fall 2015 semester to approximately 700 students. Repeat teaching and coordination of the same course in Spring 2016 to approximately 250 students.


Application

Review of applications will begin March 30, 2015 and will continue until the position is filled. Individuals applying for this position must complete the Ph.D. degree by the start date. Send applications to Prof. Mark Cracolice at the email address below as a single pdf file containing (1) a cover letter describing your areas of expertise and professional interests and how they align with the position expectations, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a document that describes your completed and in-progress research project(s) and ideas for future research, (4) a teaching philosophy statement, and (5) contact details for three people who are willing to provide a professional letter of reference. One referee must be your primary doctoral adviser. If the Ph.D. degree is in progress, the letter from your adviser must include a statement about your expected degree completion date.


Contact

Prof. Mark Cracolice, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812. Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. Phone: (406)243-4475.