The year 2020 has been a very challenging year for graduate students on the job market. In the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities had hiring freezes. The academic job market has been extremely competitive. Four former members of The Research Laboratory for Digital Learning successfully secured professor positions in 2020. They share their experiences and offer advice about how to prepare yourself for academic jobs.
Vanessa Vongkullksn is now an Assistant Professor of Educational Assessment Evaluation and Research in the Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education at University of Nevada Las Vegas. Vanessa was a postdoctoral researcher in our lab from 2016-2020. Her research focused on motivation and engagement, technology-based environment, and information literacy development.
“I am very thankful for the professional development opportunities and the support I’ve received from the Research Laboratory for Digital Learning. While this year has been challenging, having support from this group of like-minded scholars has helped motivate me to continue producing high-quality and meaningful educational research. This experience has taught me the importance of teamwork and finding a support system to get you through moments of adversity. As a team, we can get through anything.”
Zhiru Sun is now an Assistant Professor of Design and Communication at University of Southern Denmark. She is an OSU alumna who completed her doctoral work in 2015. Her research focuses on the impact of self-regulation and motivation on students’ learning in online and flipped learning environments. She has strong data analytical and visualization skills.
“As the first doctoral graduate of the Research Laboratory for Digital Learning, I feel honored to be part of the growth journey of the lab. I am always thankful for the time when I closely collaborated with talented researchers in the lab and the opportunity to work on interdisciplinary studies. This year has been especially challenging to many of us, but I believe a strong research interest and a supportive team can help us navigate through the difficult time.”
Sheng-Lun Cheng is now an Assistant Professor of Instructional Systems Design and Technology in the Department of Library Science and Technology in College of Education at Sam Houston State University. He is an OSU alumnus who completed his doctoral work in 2019. His research focuses on teachers’ technology integration and self-regulation in online learning.
“Having the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Kui Xie and colleagues at The Research Laboratory for Digital Learning is crucial for preparing me to be a successful faculty member in academia. Being involved in translational research has been motivating me to continue my work to enhance students’ well-being and success in technology-enhanced learning environments. One strategy to stand out during phone and campus interviews is to research the college, department, and program beforehand and know all the faculty members’ profiles inside out. So, it comes naturally for you to make connections between your work and their work in conversation. You want to leave the impression that you are genuinely interested in working here and what you colleagues are doing. Although job interviews are mostly about presenting the best of you, it is also about your interviewers and future colleagues. Structuring your conversation to allow your colleagues to talk about themselves will make them feel excited about you.”
Joni Tornwall is now an Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing and Co-Director of the Academy for Teaching Innovation, Excellence, and Scholarship in College of Nursing at The Ohio State University. She is an OSU alumna who completed her doctoral work in 2019. Her research focuses on peer review in nursing and learning technology integration in nursing education and practice.
“Guidelines for appointment, promotion, and tenure are published on many university websites. Identify your ideal academic position and institution, and begin aiming to meet the criteria for (at least) assistant professor from Day 1 of your PhD program. Most institutions categorize their performance criteria under headings of teaching, research, and service. Beyond the obligatory push to conduct research and publish your findings during your PhD program, look for opportunities to publish papers you write—with careful editing, of course—in didactic classes early in your program (e.g., a literature review or position paper). Don’t just attend conferences; get involved on committees and task forces for disciplinary conferences when you can. This adds substance to your service record. Teach every time you have a chance. Seek out mentors who will allow you to co-teach with them, or offer to present a guest lecture on your area of expertise. These tips will help you build out your CV to compete with other highly qualified candidates and land that plum position you really want!”
In this unpredictable environment, having our lab members secure professional positions in the academic community is a testament for the resiliency and fighting spirit of our team. Our RLDL family looks forward to hearing great things to come from these four emergent scholars.