Postdoctoral Scholar - Engineering Education & Outreach
About the role
The Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering at Penn State is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar. The position includes two primary areas of responsibility: engineering education faculty development and educational outreach.
Responsibilities
- Lead a new outreach initiative associated with XPRIZE, a global organization that designs and operates prize competitions to address complex global challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Work closely with the Director of the Engineering Ambassadors program and Leonhard Center staff to coordinate and support program implementation.
- Recruit and support participating schools, serve as the primary liaison between participating schools and the XPRIZE Connect team, coordinate onboarding, communication, and program timelines, ensure effective implementation of the curriculum, and address logistical and operational challenges that arise during program delivery.
- Organize and facilitate local or regional showcase events and competitions, through which student teams may advance to national or international levels of competition.
- Recruit and support participating schools, serve as the primary liaison between participating schools and the XPRIZE Connect team, coordinate onboarding, communication, and program timelines, ensure effective implementation of the curriculum, and address logistical and operational challenges that arise during program delivery.
- Work closely with the Director of the Engineering Ambassadors program and Leonhard Center staff to coordinate and support program implementation.
- Assist in organizing and facilitating local or regional showcase events and competitions, through which student teams may advance to national or international levels of competition.
- Design and conduct research studies in engineering education, collaborate with faculty on the development and evaluation of educational innovations, and contribute to college-wide workshops or programming related to teaching and learning.
Requirements
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong communication, organizational, and collaborative skills, as well as the ability to work independently across multiple projects. The ability to publish and present research findings at national or international conferences is expected.
Qualifications
- A Ph.D. in an appropriate field such as engineering education, educational psychology, higher education, or a related discipline by the start date of the appointment.
- Students with technical engineering degrees who have interest and experience in engineering education are also encouraged to apply.
- Knowledge of current trends in engineering education, STEM outreach, or K–12 engagement is desirable.
Skills
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong communication, organizational, and collaborative skills, as well as the ability to work independently across multiple projects. The ability to publish and present research findings at national or international conferences is expected.
Benefits
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
Pay
The pay range for this position is $40,000 - $50,000 per year.
Schedule
The schedule for this position is full-time.