The Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI or The Institute) at the University of Notre Dame invites applications for an Associate or Full Professor in STEM education (or one of its disciplinary derivatives) to serve as a senior faculty member of the IEI and provide strategic leadership as the director of the Notre Dame Center for STEM Education. We seek an accomplished scholar and collaborative academic leader with a strong record of research, external funding, mentorship, and professional service. Candidates should be committed to advancing rigorous and impactful educational research and creating bridges between research and our existing strong programmatic work that improves educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.
The faculty role is a full-time, 9-month appointment with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027. The concurrent secondary appointment as director of the Notre Dame Center for STEM Education is a 12-month appointment also beginning July 1, 2027.
The successful candidate will maintain a nationally recognized research agenda focused on STEM education while also providing strategic vision and leadership for the Center for STEM Education. The Institute seeks a scholar whose work demonstrates methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and meaningful educational impact.
The faculty member will be expected to sustain an active research program that advances understanding related to areas like STEM learning, teaching, educational systems, or educator development. The successful candidate should demonstrate a commitment to bridging research and practice and developing partnerships that improve educational opportunities for students and educators.
In addition to maintaining an active scholarly agenda, the faculty member will provide leadership for the Center for STEM Education by supporting strategic planning, fostering a vibrant intellectual community among faculty, staff, students, and research partners, and collaborating with existing program directors to advance the mission and impact of its two anchor programs: ND PACT and the Notre Dame STEM Teaching Fellows.
The position will also include mentoring responsibilites, particularly in supporting junior faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff in the areas such as research design, publication development, grant writing and professional growth. The successful candidate will contribute to building a collaborative and ambitious culture of scholarship across the Institute.
The Center was founded on the belief that research and participation in STEM education is not a neutral pursuit, but rather a means for promoting the innate dignity of the human person and fostering the common good. Members of the Center work at the intersection of inquiry and practice, in which rigorous research informs our professional formation efforts with educators and in which our deep engagement with teachers’ classrooms and school communities equips our researchers to explore relevant issues that advance the broader field while reflecting Notre Dame’s broader commitment to advancing human flourishing and the common good. Thus, this position is designed for a scholar whose work bridges educational research, practice, and institutional leadership and who can contribute meaningfully to the intellectual and strategic growth of the Center and the IEI.
The faculty member will teach courses at the undergraduate level (as part of our Education, Schooling, and Society minor/supplementary major) and/or graduate levels (e.g. with the ACE Teaching Fellows program) within the Institute for Educational Initiatives. Teaching responsibilities may include courses related to STEM education, educational research methodologies, learning sciences, improvement science, educational innovation, or other areas aligned with the faculty member’s expertise and the needs of Institute programs.
The successful candidate will also mentor undergraduate and graduate students through research opportunities, capstone projects, theses, and collaborative field-based work. Given the Institute’s broad portfolio of degree-granting and professional formation programs, the faculty member may contribute to multiple programs across the IEI.
Applications should include: 1) a cover letter indicating the candidate’s interest in this position at the University of Notre Dame; 2) a curriculum vitae; 3) teaching evaluations (if available); 4) Additional documentation, including letters of recommendation, may also be requested
The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.
To support relocating families, Notre Dame’s Dual Career Assistance Program helps spouses and partners pursue local career opportunities.
This appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Applicants will be asked to identify all felony convictions and/or pending felony charges. Felony convictions do not automatically bar an individual from employment. Each case will be examined separately to determine the appropriateness of employment in the particular position. Failure to be forthcoming or dishonesty with respect to felony disclosures can result in the disqualification of a candidate. The full procedure can be viewed at https://facultyhandbook.nd.edu/?id=link-73597.
