Postdoctoral Scholar - Engineering Education & Outreach

Penn State University • University Park, IL

21h

About The Position

The Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering at Penn State is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar. The Leonhard Center is an endowed center that partners with engineering faculty and programs to design, implement, and evaluate research-based innovations in undergraduate and graduate engineering education. The Center also provides workshops, faculty development programming, and college-wide initiatives that support the strategic goals of the College of Engineering. The Leonhard Center prides itself on its collaborative, creative, and positive workplace culture and welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds. The postdoctoral scholar will lead a portfolio of projects aligned with Center priorities and the scholar’s interests, goals, and expertise. The position includes two primary areas of responsibility: engineering education faculty development and educational outreach. Approximately half of the postdoctoral appointment will focus on leading 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. Through this initiative, Penn State will partner with regional high schools to implement an XPRIZE-developed curriculum that engages students in innovation-driven problem solving. The postdoctoral scholar will work closely with the Director of the Engineering Ambassadors program and Leonhard Center staff to coordinate and support program implementation. The remaining portion of the appointment will focus on engineering education research and faculty development initiatives within the Leonhard Center. Projects may include designing and conducting research studies in engineering education, collaborating with faculty on the development and evaluation of educational innovations, and contributing to college-wide workshops or programming related to teaching and learning. The position provides opportunities to develop expertise in both engineering education research and large-scale educational program implementation. The exact responsibilities of this portion of the position will be dependent upon the interests of the scholar and the needs of the Leonhard Center. 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.

Requirements

• 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
• Strong communication, organizational, and collaborative skills
• Ability to work independently across multiple projects
• Ability to publish and present research findings at national or international conferences

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of current trends in engineering education, STEM outreach, or K–12 engagement

Responsibilities

• Work with high school administrators and educators to 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
• Address logistical and operational challenges that arise during program delivery
• 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
• Designing and conducting research studies in engineering education
• Collaborating with faculty on the development and evaluation of educational innovations
• Contributing to college-wide workshops or programming related to teaching and learning

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. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees