Saint Vincent College Looking for Rita McGinley Chair in Early Learning at Fred Rogers Institute at Latrobe, PA  Full Time

Planned under Fred’s guidance and established in 2003 at Saint Vincent College near his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the Fred Rogers Institute is the single most authoritative resource for studying Fred Rogers’ legacy. Saint Vincent College, founded in 1846, is a private, Catholic, Benedictine, college of liberal arts and sciences. The College’s mission is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education for men and women to enable them to integrate their professional aims with the broader purposes of human life. College enrollment averages 1,650 undergraduate and graduate students majoring in over 50 programs. The unique character of Saint Vincent College, infused with its core values of community and hospitality, and the academic support services it provides, supports the holistic development of students.

Expectations: The Rita McGinley Chair for Early Learning (McGinley Chair) will be an integral part of the Saint Vincent College faculty and the Fred Rogers Institute, contributing to teaching, research, and outreach for the Fred Rogers Institute. It is expected that the McGinley Chair will contribute to the development of new certification and intensive study programs related to early learning and leadership, support Institute leadership in attracting external funding from nationally competitive programs, and prepare the findings for publication during the 2–4-year term of the appointment. The McGinley Chair will teach one course per academic term, which could include, upper-level selections such as seminars or courses represented in the children’s studies minor and contribute to the development of certification programs available for continuing education credits through the Fred Rogers Institute and Saint Vincent College. The McGinley Chair will offer one public lecture per academic year related to ongoing research and scholarship.

In addition to a competitive salary and benefit package, the Fred Rogers Institute will offer a discretionary research allocation and the opportunity to identify and support fellows and post-doctoral scholars to contribute to the development of certification programs. The McGinley Chair is expected to regularly study within the Fred Rogers Archive, sustain an on-campus presence during the term of appointment, and remain in consistent communication with the leadership of the Fred Rogers Institute. All qualified applicants are encouraged, including, and not limited to, rising academic talents with postdoctoral research experience, and established academics who may view the position as a capstone for their professional careers.

Qualifications: The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate in developmental psychology, communication, educational psychology, education policy, or another field advancing scholarship and research related to early childhood development. Applicants are required to have a research agenda that is compatible with the mission and the academic programs of Saint Vincent College and aligns with the work of the Fred Rogers Institute.  We are particularly interested in candidates who can utilize the resources of the Fred Rogers Archive to address fundamental gaps in knowledge and practice related to policy concerns across early childhood settings, with careful consideration of developmental and cultural differences.

Qualified candidates will have experience in development of continuing education programs and demonstrate a record as principal investigator or as co-principal investigator of research grants from leading private and/or public funders including foundations and/or government agencies.

All positions require the incumbent to be able to fully embrace the unique mission and identity of the College as a Catholic, Benedictine liberal arts and sciences institution.  Saint Vincent College is committed to diversity and encourages applicants from all qualified candidates.  Saint Vincent College is committed to building a diversified and competent population of faculty and staff, and encourages applications from women and minorities. Saint Vincent is an equal opportunity employer.
PLEASE NOTE: Background checks will be performed on all new faculty, staff and adjunct positions. Employment is conditional upon satisfactory background checks and clearances.

To apply: Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, explanation of program development experience, description of research agenda, evidence of teaching effectiveness at the undergraduate level, and names of three references by March 15, 2023. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.