Presidential Postdoctoral: Preparing Educators for Systems Designed for Human Variability

Over the past decade, the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC) has led a fundamental reimagining of educator preparation, challenging assumptions that have long shaped schools, teaching, and learning. Through innovations in educator workforce redesign, technology-enabled learning systems, research-practice partnerships, and learner-centered educational design, MLFC has helped advance a broader transformation of education systems from those built for the "average" learner to systems designed for the full range of human variability. Today, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, learning sciences, data systems, and workforce innovation create unprecedented opportunities to redesign learning environments and the preparation of educators who serve within them. At the same time, these shifts require a new era of research and development in educator preparation, generating evidence, models, and innovations capable of supporting highly responsive, learner-centered systems at scale. This Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship offers emerging scholars the opportunity to contribute to the discovery, design, and scaling of next-generation educator preparation models that will influence the future of learning and advance education systems designed for human variability.

Essential Functions

• Conduct a focused and sustained program of scholarly research in educator preparation that advances the work of MLFC and the field of educator preparation.
• Collaborate with ASU faculty, staff, and external partners on scholarly initiatives, including grant proposals, publications, and broad dissemination activities.
• Engage with learners through undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring across multiple instructional modalities.
• Contribute to the advancement of educator preparation programs, curriculum innovation, and strategic partnerships that support systems designed for human variability.
• Lead and actively participate in collaborative inquiry, research dissemination, and cross-college innovation initiatives that advance high-quality educator preparation for learner success in responsive education systems.
• Contribute to the development of new knowledge, design principles, and scalable innovations emerging at ASU to help bridge research, practice, and systems transformation.
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with faculty, researchers, practitioners, and community partners to advance the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of educator preparation for the future of learning.

About the PPF Program

The Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship is a prestigious faculty development program. The postdoctoral scholars selected will join a strong cohort of other postdoctoral scholars at ASU. The goal of the program is to support the career development of outstanding Ph.D. recipients with great potential for advancing the ASU Charter into a future tenure-track appointment at ASU.

The Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC) has committed to providing individualized mentorship and career development to ensure each candidate is well prepared to succeed in a future tenure-track appointment. Career development and community building will also occur through programmatic support through the Office of Inclusive Excellence and the ASU Graduate College’s Postdoctoral Affairs Office.

About Arizona State University

ASU is a large, comprehensive, research university and for nearly two decades, has transformed into the “New American University,” one dedicated to the simultaneous pursuit of excellence, broad access to quality education, and meaningful societal impact. By our Charter and Design Aspirations, we center inclusion and success as values that drive the enterprise; adopt inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning as ways to address society’s greatest challenges; and develop innovative partnerships to produce master learners across the lifespan. To learn more about ASU, visit http://www.asu.edu.

Qualifications and Characteristics

Successful candidates will engage in scholarly research and may be asked to perform duties common to academic personnel such as teaching and service.

Minimum qualifications

• Ph.D. or Ed.D. in a related field, completed by the start of the fellowship, and within five years of degree completion.
• Demonstrated scholarship through peer-reviewed publications or a strong research portfolio. Active engagement in educator preparation as evidenced through scholarship, teaching, and/or service.
• Experience in educator preparation, which may include coursework, teaching, research, or professional learning or service.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills as evidenced by a record of varied dissemination approaches (as examples, public media, audiovisual media, strategic partnerships, publications, presentations, briefs).

Desired qualifications

• Evidence of engagement in education-based activities that advance the ASU Charter, Design Aspirations, and Inclusive Excellence, including advancing public value and social impact.
• Emerging research portfolio and dissemination record focused on understanding, designing, and improving systems that support educator preparation or professional learning across varied learning contexts. Areas of emphasis may include research-practice partnerships, technology in educator learning systems, educator preparation policy, organizational learning, continuous improvement, implementation research, a range of research methodologies, or related areas.
• Demonstrated interdisciplinary research experience and/or collaboration across multiple scholarly disciplines and perspectives, with a focus on preparing educators to support learner variability and advance inclusive excellence through scholarship, teaching, or service.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with faculty, educators, and other stakeholders to promote excellence in educator preparation.
• Demonstrated ability to think critically and creatively about educator preparation that moves the field beyond traditional approaches.

This position is located on the Tempe campus in Tempe, Arizona, and requires physical presence at that location.

All postdoctoral fellowship positions are funded for two years on an annual contract basis and include relocation costs in addition to yearly professional development funds to support scholar research, conference attendance, and other professional development activities.

Options for an additional year of funding or a transition to a tenure-track position may be offered, depending on the fellow’s progress, training needs, and department funding capacity. The scholar will complete a document of expectations with their unit to help guide their work and monitor progress for both the scholar and their unit. Transition to faculty tenure-track appointments will require a process of review within the designated tenure home unit.

Priority consideration will be given to applicants whose professional preparedness, experiences, and accomplishments are aligned with the ASU Charter. Applicants who can demonstrate, through prior actions and achievements, intentional and actioned commitment to inclusive excellence within educator preparation or professional learning are ideal candidates for this postdoctoral fellowship program.

Application Information and Inquiries

Applications can be submitted online via apply.interfolio.com/195577. Application materials should include:

• a curriculum vitae;
• a letter of interest describing how you meet the qualifications noted above; and
• contact information for 3 references, including email addresses.

The application deadline is December 1, 2026. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

Inquiries can be directed to Kimberlee Rowe at krowe3@asu.edu.

A background check is required for employment.

ASU is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information on ASU’s policies, please see:

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.