Postdoctoral Scholar - Higher Education Race and the Economy (HERE) Lab

Position overview

Position title: Postdoctoral Scholar

Salary range: See Table 23 for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $60,000 - $ 71,952.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: July 1, 2023

Position duration: 24 months

Application Window

Open date: May 12, 2023

Next review date: Monday, Jun 12, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Sunday, Dec 31, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Higher Education Race and the Economy (HERE) Lab in the Department of Sociology (https: // sociology.ucmerced.edu/) at the University of California, Merced is seeking a qualified Postdoctoral Fellow to collaborate on projects funded by Arnold Ventures. The projects are focused on: 1) predation of marginalized students in the online delivery of higher education (considering longer-term outcomes of attending online), and 2) race, graduate school debt, and educational, repayment, and employment outcomes. Qualified candidates with a Ph.D. in Sociology, Education, or other related fields are invited to apply. We are specifically seeking Fellows who have extensive quantitative training, an understanding of race and racism, and the ability to think organizationally about educational inequalities.

The Higher Education Race and the Economy (HERE) Lab is led by Associate Professor Charlie Eaton and Professor and Chair Laura Hamilton, who are involved in multiple research projects broadly focused on the unequal racial and class distribution of resources and risk in higher education. The successful candidate will be expected to work in collaboration with the principal investigators, other HERE Lab postdoctoral fellows, and the HERE Lab Policy and Communications Director to: (1) link relevant postsecondary and socioeconomic datasets, (2) conduct computational analyses, (3) author and issue briefs, papers, and code to disseminate results, and (4) consult and engage with relevant policy actors. The fellow will be encouraged to also develop their own research agenda and will enjoy professional development and incorporation into departmental life at UC-Merced. This is a full-time, 24-month academic positions with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2023.

Why the University of California, Merced? Idyllically situated between San Francisco, Monterey, and Yosemite National Park, UC Merced opened September 2005 as the tenth campus of the University of California and the first American research university of the 21st century. The beautiful campus is first in the nation for sustainable research and campus infrastructure. UC Merced boasts a diverse faculty who are committed to social justice and who work to empower underrepresented students. UC Merced has been recognized as first in the nation for student outcomes and seventh for social mobility and has earned the prestigious Carnegie Classification for commitment to community engagement.

For more information, please contact Laura Hamilton at (lham[email protected]) or Charlie Eaton at ([email protected]).

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy: https: // policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/SARS-CoV-2Covid-19. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Appendix F, Section II.C. of the policy for applicable deadlines. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements

Department : https: // sociology.ucmerced.edu/

HERE Lab : https: // highereddatahub.org/about

Qualifications

Basic qualifications

• Ph.D. in Sociology, Education, or other related fields. • An ability to work in Stata. • Strong methodological and data analysis skills. • A demonstrated the ability to conduct independent and collaborative scientific research.

Preferred qualifications

• Fluency in R or Python. • Prior research on race and/or racial disparities in the US context. • Training in organizational and/or economic sociology. • Familiarity with national postsecondary education datasets. • Willingness to mentor and supervise graduate research assistants. • Experience working on team-based quantitative research.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

Cover Letter - Include a brief description of your relevant experience, training, and career goals.

Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

Statement of Research - Two pages, single-spaced (1-inch margins)

Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion. Please review the UC Merced Diversity Statement Guidelines and UC's Commitment to Diversity

Writing sample #1 - Publications, dissertation chapters, or policy briefs

Writing sample #2 - Publications, dissertation chapters, or policy briefs

Reference requirements

3 required (contact information only)

List of 3 professional references with contact information including mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address (reference letters will be automatically requested upon application submission)

Apply link: https: // aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/JPF01587

Help contact: [email protected]

Campus Information

The University of California is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and invites applications from all qualified applicants, including women, minorities, veterans, and individual with disabilities, who will enrich the teaching, research and public service missions of the university. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy (https: // policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction).

The University of California, Merced, is the newest of the University of California system's 10 campuses. With over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students (https: // www. ucmerced.edu/fast-facts), UC Merced provides outstanding educational opportunities to highly qualified students from the heart of California, the nation, and abroad. The campus has special connections to nearby Yosemite National Park; is on the cutting edge of sustainability in construction and design; and supports the economic development of Central California. The Merced 2020 Project doubled the physical capacity of the campus, and enhanced academic distinction, student success, and research excellence (https: // merced2020.ucmerced.edu/).

UC Merced is a smoke & tobacco free campus (https: // smokefree.ucmerced.edu/).

Job location

Merced, CA