Assistant Professor

Working/Functional Title Assistant Professor in Early/Elementary Literacy Position Summary - Michigan State University actively promotes a dynamic research and learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry. - The Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University (MSU), a national leader in teacher preparation and research on teaching, teacher learning, curriculum, policy, and international education, seeks a tenure-system scholar in Early/Elementary Literacy. - The successful candidate will join a vibrant intellectual community with longstanding strengths in literacy education and opportunities to contribute to innovative research, teaching, and teacher preparation focused on literacy learning and instruction in early childhood and elementary settings. - The Department of Teacher Education offers a rich environment for developing a sustained and nationally significant program of literacy scholarship. - We welcome candidates whose research advances understanding of areas such as early and elementary literacy development and instruction, language and literacy, literacy teacher education, literacy assessment, culturally and linguistically diverse learners, family and community engagement in literacy, and related areas of inquiry. - The successful candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with faculty and students across literacy education and other areas of teacher education and to engage in interdisciplinary work throughout the College of Education and the broader university. - The department has a longstanding national reputation for excellence in teacher education. Its elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs have been ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report and include robust urban and global education experiences that provide opportunities for examining literacy teaching and learning across diverse cultural, linguistic, community, and educational contexts. - At the graduate level, MSU offers multiple pathways for advanced study in literacy. Our online master’s programs provide options for a concentration or specialization in Language and Literacy, as well as Reading Specialist Certification. The department's large and nationally recognized doctoral program provides extensive funding opportunities and prepares students to become accomplished scholars, researchers, and teacher educators, including opportunities to specialize in Language and Literacy Education. - Together, these programs provide the successful candidate with opportunities to teach and mentor preservice teachers, practicing educators, master’s students, and doctoral students while contributing to the continued development of Early/Elementary Literacy as an important area of scholarship, teaching, and service within the Department of Teacher Education. - We are seeking an individual with a strong research program whose scholarship focuses on early/elementary literacy assessment, development, and/or instruction. - Applicants should provide evidence of accomplishment in research, teaching, and service. - The successful applicant will be expected to seek external research funding and develop research collaborations within and beyond the Department of Teacher Education. - We have a particular interest in scholars who specialize in quantitative or mixed methods and foundational reading and writing skills. Major Responsibilities - Conducting innovative, rigorous research related to early/elementary reading and writing - Securing external grants for research and