The Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky invites applications for a tenure-eligible, Regular Title Series Assistant Professor of Elementary STEM Education with an emphasis in Science Education. This is a 9-month appointment, effective August 16, 2027.
We seek a colleague with a promising research agenda focused on elementary science teaching and learning, elementary science teacher education, and/or related areas of STEM education. The successful candidate will contribute to elementary teacher preparation, and to undergraduate and graduate programs in science and STEM education, while developing an active program of research, scholarship, and external funding.
Responsibilities will be divided among research, teaching, and service, with faculty in this position typically expected to teach a 2-2 course load. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to integrate their teaching and service with research that aligns with the department, college, and university’s mission.
Responsibilities include the following:
- Teach two courses each semester (fall and spring) such as:
- SEM 328 – Teaching Science in the Elementary School
- SEM 448 – Applications of Teaching Middle Level Science
- SEM 604 – History of STEM Education
- SEM 613 – Effective Use of Technology for Modeling-based Inquiry in STEM Ed.
- SEM 708 – Engineering in STEM Education
- Collaborate with school partners;
- Conduct a line of research relevant to the department and university’s mission (e.g., peer reviewed publications, grant proposals, presentations);
- Seek extramural funding;
- Serve on masters and doctoral committees; and
- Provide service to the department, college, university, and profession.
The Distribution of Effort (DOE) for this position is approximately:
- 50% Instruction (12 credit hours each academic year)
- 30% Research
- 20% Service
Interested applicants should submit an application at www.uky.edu/ukjobs and include the following materials:
- Detailed Cover Letter – Note academic credentials and professional experience related to the responsibilities for this position.
- Curriculum Vita – Please include contact information for 3 professional references.
- Research & Teaching Statement – (Upload a single document under “Specific Request 1”.)
- Teaching Evaluations and/or other evidence of excellence in teaching (upload under “Specific Request 2”).
- Writing Sample – Provide one writing sample or scholarly publication representative of your research (upload under “Writing Sample”).
Review of applications will begin October 1, 2026.
Questions regarding the position or application materials may be directed to search committee co-chairs Dr. Cindy Jong (cindy.Jong@uky.edu) and Dr. Sahar Alameh (sahar@uky.edu).
For institutional information, visit the following websites:
University of Kentucky – http://www.uky.edu
College of Education – http://education.uky.edu/
Department of Teaching and Learning – https://education.uky.edu/academics/departments/dtl
Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with many rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits.
