Postdoctoral Fellow Human-Centered Computing

Please note that references provided at the time of application for staff positions will not be contacted until the applicant has been offered the position.

Description:

This position is for a mentored researcher to help lead academic research creating digital mementos to support family storytelling and collective remembering. Aligning with Berea’s mission to provide quality undergraduate education, many of these research activities will be conducted in close collaboration with undergraduate student research assistants. The postdoctoral fellow will assist faculty in training and supervising student researchers.

Your Key Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Working with supervisor, this postdoctoral fellow will design and deploy technologies for family remembering and intergenerational storytelling in the community.
• Work with research students and mentor to design research studies involving both replication and novel design of tangible and embedded interactive devices.
• Work with community members to build relationships seeking to implement and designed technologies.
• Work closely with undergraduate researchers and faculty to carry out research activities and promote accomplishments via peer-review publications, conference publications, and other public activities (lectures, workshops, etc.)
• Assist in teaching one class in Computer Science each year.
• Participate in faculty development programming.
• In support of Berea College’s great commitments this position requires student supervision. The fourth great commitment is to promote learning and serving in community through the student labor program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work, mental and manual, and taking pride in work well done. The Supervision would include scheduling, assigning and approving work performed. Developing students about common workplace acumen and giving them tangible work experience is an expected outcome. To learn more about the student labor program and requirements on this position see: Labor Program Goals

What You'll Bring:

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• PhD or terminal degree focusing on HCI, interactive digital media, industrial design, or related fields with an demonstrated interest in the intersection of computing with social sciences, arts, or humanities.

• Interdisciplinary interests and experience in computing and design
• Demonstrated ability to mentor students
• Interactive system design and/or research experience

• n/a

• n/a

• Ability to navigate campus/public buildings and grounds
• Ability to travel by and/or operate a vehicle.

• Academic office environment with interruptions and noise due to frequent visitors, students, staff and faculty.

• n/a

Supplemental Information

Berea College invites applications for Postdoctoral Fellow in Human-centered Computing. Candidates from across disciplines are welcome to apply. Ideal candidates have completed a PhD or terminal degree focusing in HCI, interactive digital media, industrial design, or related fields with an demonstrated interest in the intersection of computing with social sciences, arts, or humanities.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work with Dr. Jasmine Jones in the Computer Science Department to design and deploy technologies for family remembering and intergenerational storytelling in the community. Fellows will lead design research studies involving both replication and novel design of tangible and embedded interactive devices. This will include working with community members and building relationships with community organizations. The Fellow will work closely with undergraduate researchers and faculty to carry out research activities and promote accomplishments via peer-review publications, conference publications, and other public activities (lectures, workshops, etc). Fellows are also encouraged to develop their teaching and mentoring skills by participating in faculty development opportunities offered by the college.

The duration of this position is 1 year (12 months), renewable for an additional year, with the expectation that a Fellow will stay a total of 2 years. All Fellows receive full benefits and are encouraged to participate in faculty development offered by the college. The expected salary is $55,000, with cost of living adjustment for additional years.

Interdisciplinary candidates establishing themselves as independent researchers, aspiring innovative teachers, and community-engaged scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. To apply, please submit a CV, professional cover letter describing your academic experience and scholarly interests (no more than 2 pages), academic transcript, and the names of three references. Candidates may optionally include a 1-2 page research background statement to augment information in their CV and provide additional information connecting their prior work to the postdoc fellow activities.

Please direct questions and inquiries to Dr. Jasmine Jones, jonesj2@berea.edu.

Founded in 1855, Berea College is nationally recognized as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. Berea has a longstanding commitment to interracial education and is one of the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an emphasis on service to Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls more than 1,500 students from 46 states and U.S. territories and more than 70 countries. Berea College admits students who are unable to afford tuition and provides all of them with a no-tuition promise, valued at more than $204,000. Berea’s students excel in the College’s supportive yet demanding academic environment, and most are the first in their families to attend college. As one of only nine federally recognized Work Colleges, all Berea students are expected to work 10-12 hours weekly in various positions across campus. Berea College is listed #20 in overall ranking in the U.S. by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse college rankings, 2023. The Washington Monthly ranks Berea College #2 Best Liberal Arts College and #1 in Social Mobility, 2023. Money Magazine ranks Berea #20 Best Overall College and #10 for Best in the South, 2023. Berea College is also the only institution in Kentucky to receive the 5-Star Rating from Money Magazine, 2023.

Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 16,000) lies forty miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at www.berea.edu.

Berea College, in light of its mission in the tradition of impartial love and social equality, welcomes all people of the earth to learn and work here.

Berea College is always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team.


Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Our Benefits:
Berea College offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees and their families including health care, dental, vision, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability and an Employee Assistance Program. The benefit package also includes access to the Child Development Laboratory for children of College Staff, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, Seabury Center Membership, Staff Development Funds and Tuition Reimbursement.

Eligible staff employees also receive paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave.

Part-time employees who work an average of 24 hours per week over the course of a year, receive benefits on a pro-rated basis.