Research assistantship available for Ph.D. student to study college faculty
We have an opportunity for an appropriate Ph.D. student to work on a
multi-year NSF-Funded project that seeks to investigate college
instructor attitudes towards and use of research-based instructional
strategies in the teaching of introductory physics. The appropriate
student would work with the PI (Dr. Charles Henderson, Western
Michigan University) and co-PI (Dr. Melissa Dancy, University of
North Carolina at Charlotte). The project will employ both
qualitative and quantitative methods with a sample of approximately
1600 physics faculty nationwide. Opportunities to participate in
other synergistic projects are also available. Examples of other projects: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~chenders/Projects.htm http://homepages.wmich.edu/%7Echenders/Projects.htm
It is expected that the student would also be working towards a Ph.D.
in Physics Education Research from the WMU Mallinson Institute for
Science Education. The Mallinson Institute is an interdisciplinary
research institute in the WMU college of Arts and Sciences. Nine
faculty researchers from a variety of sciences have joint
appointments between a science department and the Mallinson
Institute. There are currently 17 full-time graduate students with
backgrounds in a variety of sciences.
Graduates of the program have been very successful on the job market.
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Charles
Henderson, (269) 387-4951.
Doctoral Fellowship Opportunity
Western Michigan University has been selected by the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to lead in development of research and
researchers focusing on improvement in classroom assessment
practices. Three research centers at Western Michigan University
(Mallinson Institute for Science Education, Center for Study of
Mathematics Curriculum, and The Evaluation Center) have joined
together to conduct this NSF fellowship grant. This grant provides
support for 5 doctoral students each supported at approximately
$40,000 per year for up to 5 years to study and conduct research on
this topic. We invite your application.
Selection Criteria:
Candidates for this program should be willing to commit to full
time study and research at Western Michigan. Candidates must be
approved for entry into an approved doctoral program (e.g., science
or math education, or evaluation). Doctoral work must include both a
STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) and
assessment/evaluation focus. Candidates selected for these
fellowships will be required to meet application criteria their
selected doctoral program prior to being fully approved for this
fellowship. The candidate’s letter of application for this
fellowship should indicate which doctoral program the candidate
plans to enter and provide proper assurances that their credential
meet the criteria for entry into the designated program.
Additionally, each applicant must provide a written statement of
interest indicating how this degree and a focus on STEM and
classroom assessment fit into their professional plans.
Priority will be given to individuals who can begin work as early
as January 2008.
Contact: Arlen R. Gullickson
The Evaluation Center
1903 West Michigan
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5237
