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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Assistant Professor of Social Work

The University of Northern Iowa’s Department of Social Work invites applications for a full-time tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, pending budget approval. The successful candidate’s responsibilities include teaching three course sections per semester; participating in service to the University and community; scholarship production; and student advisement.

The Department of Social Work offers BA and MSW programs. The MSW trauma-informed practice curriculum highlights the physiological impact of trauma, methods of establishing safety, trauma-informed assessment, evidence-based interventions, and steps to recovery. Candidates with an interest in trauma-informed practices are especially encouraged to apply.

UNI has a bold vision that we will be a diverse and inclusive campus community that provides an engaged education empowering students to lead locally and globally. We seek faculty across disciplines, departments, and colleges to work together to build our national prominence in any of four distinct by interrelated areas of our vision and strategic plan: engaged learning, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and community engagement. Successful candidates with background and interest in these areas will form clusters to advance our work, joining current faculty conducting teaching, scholarship, and service in these areas.

The successful candidate must possess a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program plus a doctorate in social work or a related area required. ABDs will be considered with evidence of degree completion by start of appointment. Ability to teach research methods at the undergraduate and graduate levels also required. Preference will be given to candidates with previous teaching experience; ability to teach online; and areas of distinction in teaching, scholarship or community engagement including grant writing, marketing, or trauma.

Applications received by February 19, 2018, will receive full consideration. To apply, visit http://jobs.uni.edu/. Inquiries may be sent to Cindy Juby, search chair, at Cindy.Juby@uni.edu or 319-273-6249. Pre-employment background checks required.

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Writing in the Social Sciences

Position Details

Wesleyan University’s Shapiro Center for Writing, along with the Center for Pedagogical Innovation, invites applications for an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Writing in the Social Sciences beginning July 1, 2018. We seek a scholar in any field of inquiry in the social sciences who has, or will have, completed the PhD between June 2014 and June 2018. The purpose of this fellowship is to support students who are working to develop their abilities as writers in the social sciences, especially in Economics, Government, Psychology, and/or Sociology.

The teaching load is 2/1: the fellow will teach two first-year or pre-major seminar courses in the fall and one somewhat larger course in the spring. These courses will emphasize scholarship in one or more disciplines in the social sciences, and will stress the development of skill in academic writing.

In addition, in the spring semester, the fellow will organize a pedagogy workshop that will have three goals: 1) to offer training in new pedagogical tools and strategies, 2) to emphasize inclusive pedagogy techniques, and 3) to address student competencies in Writing, Expressing, and Communicating. Faculty and staff from the Center for Pedagogical Innovation, as well as student assistants, will help the fellow coordinate and carry out the workshop, which is intended to be a two- to three-hour session in a pedagogical area that is familiar to the fellow.

The fellow will also be expected to work with the Director of Academic Writing to develop services to support student writing in the social sciences.

This position will offer research and/or travel funds and is renewable for a second year contingent upon performance.

Minimum Qualifications 

We seek a scholar in any field of inquiry in the social sciences who has, or will have, completed the PhD between June 2014 and June 2018.

Instructions to Applications

You will be asked to upload electronic versions of the items we require, which are (1) a cover letter of application, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) any representative publications, documentation of teaching experience, (4) including teaching statement, (4) course syllabi and (6) student evaluations. As part of the teaching statement (or cover letter), we invite you to describe your cultural competencies and experiences engaging a diverse student body.

You will also be asked to provide the email addresses of three referees from whom we may obtain confidential letters of recommendation (please double-check the accuracy of the email addresses of the referees you name to insure that you have the most up-to-date email addresses for each one).

After you have submitted all of the required documents, you will see a confirmation number. At that point, each of the three referees whose email address you have provided will receive an automatically-generated email requesting that he or she submit a letter of reference for you.

Additional Information

Applications received by March 1, 2018 will receive full consideration.

Please contact Lisa Sacks (lsacks@wesleyan.edu) if you have questions about the application process.

Note for Interfolio users:
We gladly accept letters of recommendation from Interfolio. From your Interfolio account, please use the “web delivery” method to upload your letters directly to our online application.

For further instructions, look here: http://help.interfolio.com/entries/24062742-Uploading-Letters-to-an-Online-Application-System.

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Kent State University at Stark invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Sociology, beginning Fall Semester 2018. The Sociology Department offers Bachelor Degree programs in both Sociology and Criminology and Justice Studies. In sociology, the undergraduate curriculum includes concentrations in medical sociology, family and the life course, general sociology, social inequalities, cultural sociology, social psychology and social problems, deviance, and crime. In criminology and justice studies, the undergraduate curriculum includes concentrations in corrections, criminology and deviance, law and society, policing, victimology, and justice and human relations. We seek a teacher-scholar whose teaching and research can contribute to both the sociology and criminology programs. Preference will be given to applicants who can also teach sociological theory, medical sociology, and/or juvenile delinquency.

Qualifications: A PhD in Sociology (or foreign degree equivalent) with evidence of scholarship and teaching excellence required. ABDs will be considered if degree requirements are completed by August 15, 2018. The full-time, tenure-track faculty on the Kent State University Regional Campuses teach 12 credit hours per semester and are actively engaged in pedagogical innovation. A tenure-track appointment carries with it the expectation of teaching excellence, developing a high quality research record, professional development, and campus and community service. The department of sociology at Kent State University at Stark is experiencing substantial growth and the new faculty member will be expected to help guide future undergraduate initiatives.

Application Process: All applicants are required to complete an online application, submit a letter of application, current curriculum vitae and three letters of reference. In addition, applicants must submit via USPS an official transcript to: Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720, Attn: Dean’s Office.

Call for Applications: U.S. Policy Communication Training Program

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is now accepting applications for its 2018-2019 U.S. Policy Communication Training Program.

Program Description

The U.S. Policy Communication Training Program builds on PRB’s 40-year legacy of training researchers to bridge the gap between research findings and the policy development process. While research often has profound practical implications, it must be communicated effectively to a variety of nontechnical audiences to influence policy and programmatic change. The U.S. Policy Communication Training Program prepares researchers to influence policy and practice through effective communication.

Through the U.S. Policy Communication Training Program, participants will:

  • Understand the process by which research informs the policy environment.
  • Learn various ways to communicate findings to U.S. and international policy audiences.
  • Improve their ability to communicate in written and verbal formats.

Core training sessions cover the research to policy gap, communication strategies to link research to policy, writing for policy and nontechnical audiences, and effective content for and delivery of presentations.

This program is made possible by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Who Should Apply?

The training is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents (Green Card holders) pursuing doctoral programs at reputable U.S. academic institutions and who are between their 3rd and 5th year of studies. Priority is given to applicants who are current or previous trainees of NICHD-supported population centers in the United States.

Research Requirements

Applicants may be in any field of study, but their research focus must be related to demography, reproductive health, or population health.

  • Demographic topics include population dynamics, distribution, growth, and decline; migration; fertility, nuptiality, and family demography; mortality and morbidity; or the causes and consequences of demographic change.
  • Reproductive health studies of interest are limited to behavioral and social science research.
  • Population health areas include human health, productivity, and development at the population level. The populations of concern may be U.S. or non-U.S. populations.

Application Information

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. The final deadline for applying is 11:59 PM ET on Feb. 16, 2018. The training program awards will be announced in April 2017.

Applicants must submit the following to PRB:

  • A completed application form.
  • An up-to-date resume with a full list of educational and other professional activities.
  • Two letters of reference sent directly from the person writing the reference.

To apply, please complete the online application and submit all required information and documents. Letters of reference must be emailed directly to USPolicyTraining@prb.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you have questions or need assistance completing the application, please contact Laura Bloom at USPolicyTraining@prb.org.

Call for Abstracts: 7th International Oxford Symposium on Population, Migration, and Climate Change

The Oxford Symposium is a special interest meeting of London Symposia, an organization devoted to scholarly research, writing, and discourse. This interdisciplinary conference is an opportunity for scientists and policy makers to present papers and engage in discussion relevant to sustainability, human welfare, and progress.

This interdisciplinary conference seeks to bring to the table academics and professionals from the realms of environmental studies, economics, education,  the built environment, sociology, political science, gender equity, ethics and other related fields, to present papers and engage in discourse relevant to global environmental issues and the effects on human welfare and progress.

You are invited to present a paper on an aspect of research, or you may wish to attend as an observer. If you wish to present a paper, you will be requested to submit a brief abstract for review by the Programme Committee.

Abstract Submission and Registration is now open for ALL 2018 Symposia. The deadline for abstract submissions for the Spring Session is March 5, 2018. 

Abstracts for the proposed papers are approved by the Programme Committee of the Symposium. All abstracts are reviewed on a rolling basis and responses are sent within a week. The Committee evaluates the papers using four general criteria.

  1. The paper must advance knowledge as to theory and/or practice.
  2. The research supporting the paper must be well documented.
  3. The content of the paper must evidence research competence.
  4. The paper must be well written, clear and stylistically correct.

You can submit an abstract at the link below.

Labor Research Grants for UW Graduate Students

The Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies currently seeks applications from University of Washington graduates students for grants of $2,500-$5,000 for research about work, workers, and their organizations. The purpose of these grants is to provide funding for research expenses.

Deadline to apply: Monday, February 12, 2018

Who is Eligible?

  • Any graduate student who is currently active and will be active the upcoming academic year (2018-2019)
  • Graduate students at all branches of the University of Washington (Seattle, Bothell, or Tacoma)

Applicants must demonstrate the significance of their proposed research to the interdisciplinary field of labor studies. Research may focus on any dimension of labor in the United States or abroad, including but not limited to class relations, the social conditions of work, the labor process, working-class culture or politics, work and gender, work and race/ethnicity, the relationship between labor and the state, unions, or comparative international labor relations.

Applicants will be notified with grant decisions no later than the start of spring quarter on March 26, 2018. Funds will be available immediately.

For application details, visit the Bridges Center website at http://depts.washington.edu/pcls/resources-grants-individual.html .

Past grants may be viewed here: http://depts.washington.edu/pcls/research-laborresearch.html

Questions? Contact the Center at hbcls@uw.edu or 206-543-7946.

The Challenge of Household Air Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa: Pathways to Scaling-up Clean(er) Cooking

Pamela Jagger, Department of Public Policy, UNC Chapel Hill

Co-Sponsor(s):

Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance

This week, CSDE and the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance are bringing Pamela Jagger to UW to discuss approaches to promoting clean cooking in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally between 3 and 4 billion people are affected by household air pollution (HAP) from cooking and heating with solid fuels (e.g., firewood and charcoal) and traditional stoves, with women and children in developing countries disproportionately burdened. Over 4.3 million deaths annually are attributed to HAP, the leading environmental health risk factor for morbidity and mortality. In addition to global health burden, cooking with solid fuels contributes to global and regional climate change, environmental degradation, and constrains human well-being. The pathway to transitioning households in sub-Saharan Africa to clean cooking is complex and often severely hindered by missing markets for clean fuels (e.g., electricity and liquid petroleum gas) and improved cooking technologies. As a result, donors, governments, and private sector firms are experimenting with a range of biomass centered policies and programs to promote clean(er) household energy systems. This presentation will review the scope and scale of the challenge of HAP in sub-Saharan Africa, consider what biomass based clean(er) cooking systems can deliver for health, climate, environment, and human welfare, and present findings on adoption and impacts from a clean cooking impact evaluation study in Rwanda. We will also discuss our ongoing impact evaluation of a novel cleaner cooking program which leverages the targeting mechanism of the Government of Malawi social cash transfer program to improve energy access for ultra-poor households.

Adrian Raftery Offers a Simpler Approach to Performing Probabilistic Population Projections

Affiliate Adrian Raftery, Professor of Statistics and Sociology, and colleagues recently published an article in Population Studies that addresses the United Nations’ methods for performing probabilistic population projections. In the article, the authors offer a simpler approach to probabilistic population projections for nations with generalized HIV/AIDS epidemics, one which also happens to align better with projection methods the UN employs for other nations. In an out-of-sample cross-validation experiment, the authors’ proposed approach provided projections that were akin to but simpler than the Spectrum/Estimation and Projection Package (EPP) model the UN currently uses. The full article is accessible below.

Scott Allard Discusses Increasing Income Inequality in the U.S.

Affiliate Scott Allard, Professor at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, wrote a recent opinion piece for The Hill that addresses our nation’s rising income inequality. According to Allard, conclusions from recent findings about trends for wealth inequality and wage growth “resemble language more commonly used to describe sea level rise and climate change: The forces of inequality are becoming stronger with more intense and extreme consequences.” Allard goes on to describe the similarities between income inequality and climate change—in the context of policy making—issues which affects millions of Americans on a daily basis, are vast in scale, have complex roots, and for which “current federal policy provides no relief.” The full article is accessible below.

Study by Rachel Heath Cited in Article on Impacts of Ready-Made Garment Industry in Bangladesh

Affiliate Rachel Heath, Assistant Professor of Economics and CSDE Seminar Coordinator, was cited in a Dhaka Tribune article highlighting the positive socio-economic impacts of the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh. The RMG industry has not only created jobs, reduced poverty, and enabled the nation to achieve its target GDP growth, but has also empowered women by providing them with employment opportunities and enabling them to build better lives for their children, particularly girls. The article points to a study by Heath and a colleague at Yale University, which demonstrated that there has been a 27% increase in the number of girls attending school in Bangladesh compared to before the RMG industry emerged. The article is accessible below.