Finding and Securing a Computing Education Postdoc: This is How We Do It

Abstract

Computing education postdoctoral positions are difficult to find; on top of that, postdoc positions are perceived as challenging. In this session, the three current AiiCE postdocs share their experiences with finding, applying to, securing, and working as computing education postdoctoral researchers. Aspiring postdocs and mentors can expect to learn more about what it means to be a computing education postdoc and how mentoring can make or break the experience. Our short presentation will be followed by a Q&A session where all your burning questions are answered.

Registration

Register for this event: https://duke.is/5/5f8y

Speaker Bios

Dr. Yerika Jimenez is an AiiCE Postdoctoral Researcher at Duke University. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Kean University and her Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing at the University of Florida. As a graduate student, Yerika was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and a GEM Fellow.  Her research interests include Computer Science Education, Learning Technologies, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Yerika is also passionate about mentoring marginalized students, particularly first-generation college students.

Dr. Crystal Peoples' research interests include the areas of racial inequality, social networks, higher education, and knowledge creation. Broadly, her research is fundamentally concerned with racialized social networks and how they are used to help create, maintain, and reproduce racial inequalities.  Currently, her research focuses on the extent to which collaboration networks are racially segregated and how this relates to faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure. She also studies how racialized academic networks lead to racialized knowledge production and legitimization. Dr. Peoples received a B.S. in Mathematics from Longwood University in 2012 and an M.S. in Sociology with graduate minors in Mathematics and Statistics from Iowa State University in 2015.

Dr. Brean Prefontaine is an AiiCE postdoctoral researcher at Duke University. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Drexel University and both her Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in physics from Michigan State University. Her graduate research focused on the development of physics and STEM identities within informal physics spaces. Before joining AiiCE, Dr. Prefontaine worked at Horizon Research, Inc. as an external evaluator for STEM education research projects and informal STEM programs.