Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Center for Advancing STEM Leadership (CASL)

September 22, 2018

Original Posting

CASL, generously funded by the National Science Foundation, has as its mission to become the nation’s premier intellectual and scholarship-generating resource on the kind of leadership that has contributed to the legacy of HBCUs in broadening the participation of African Americans in STEM. An important goal of CASL is to position HBCUs at the center of STEM education reform through robust outreach and knowledge transfer agendas that honor the rich legacy of broadening participation success at these institutions. Ultimately, CASL aims to use both traditional and innovative communication outlets to inform all of American higher education in ways that will not only advance and accelerate the broadening participation imperative for our nation, but also empower the academic leaders who are charged to do so. CASL is a collaboration among the University of the Virgin Islands, North Carolina A&T State University, Fielding Graduate University and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. For further information about the Center, visit our website: www.advancingstemleadership.net/   

The Science Communications Fellow will receive professional and career mentorship, as well as opportunities for further developing his/her/their expertise in conceptualizing, drafting, editing, and managing communications related to the work of CASL. The Fellow will work interdependently with AAC&U’s Office of Communications in preparing various documents including, but not limited to white papers, brochures, presentation slide decks, viewbooks, media releases, and social media communications. As opportunities arise, the Fellow will contribute to scholarly scientific publications including, but not limited to manuscripts, technical abstracts, white papers, national reports, and posters. The Fellow will interact closely with other functional groups of CASL and ensure full integration of CASL’s investigative findings into mainstream media outlets, online platforms, and national STEM reform discourse.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

  • Proactively contribute to conceptualizing, developing, writing, editing, and finalizing scientific publications, briefing materials, educational/training materials, and other external-facing documents
  • Participate in raising national awareness about issues relevant to the work of CASL (e.g., leadership studies, broadening participation, undergraduate STEM reform)
  • Provide technical support to CASL through: consultation on data visualization designs, strategic planning for branding and promoting CASL activities, generation of charts and graphs for presentation and dissemination, and organization of CASL-wide promotional items and materials
  • Generate content for virtual and print communications and correspondences related to broad dissemination of CASL findings
  • Facilitate document review timelines, meetings, and discussions as appropriate
  • Perform quality control of and copy editing for refereed and non-refereed documents
  • Maintain a digital habitat for CASL leaders, scholars, fellows, and other stakeholders
  • Participate in CASL team meetings, as appropriate.
  • Provide high level logistical and implementation support for CASL
  • Participate as a member of the larger staff of the Office of Undergraduate STEM Education at AAC&U
  • Act as a liaison and maintain communication and correspondence with multiple stakeholder communities, including AAC&U staff
  • Other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

  • Earned doctoral degree in leadership studies, social science, higher education, or related discipline
  • Demonstrated knowledge of scholarship related to the challenges of achieving broadening participation in STEM higher education
  • Superior communication skills, written and oral, and an ability to articulate a compelling message to multidisciplinary audiences
  • Experience in scientific writing that relates to broadening participation in STEM is strongly preferred
  • Demonstrated evidence of commitment to inclusive excellence in STEM
  • Strong organizational and project management skills, including budget management skills
  • Excellent time- and project-management skills, attention to detail, and ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously
  • Ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a dynamic, interdisciplinary team environment and on short timelines
  • Highly proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), project management software, and data sharing platforms
  • Strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence

Appointment and Salary

This position has a two-year term, with the possibility of renewal of a second two-year term. Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience.

Application Instructions

Application materials should be forwarded to jobs@aacu.org. Deadline for applications is November 15, 2018. Required materials to be submitted include: 1) a cover letter outlining qualifications, skills, and commitment to broadening participation; 2) most recent CV; and 3) contact information for three references.

AAC&U believes that a broadly diverse staff is critical to achieving excellence as a national higher education association. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with the full range of fair employment practices and non-discrimination laws.