AAC & Literacy Research Translation and Community Engagement Specialist

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants.

POSITION SPECIFICS

This position will lead research dissemination, translation, and community engagement activities within the AAC research program. As a subject-matter expert, the position will translate research findings into accessible, meaningful, and actionable information for AAC users, families, educators, clinicians, administrators, researchers, and community stakeholders. The position will independently develop and implement dissemination strategies and create research products for websites, social media, presentations, webinars, and other community-facing platforms. The position will also build collaborative relationships with AAC users and families, schools, educators, clinicians, administrators, and other service providers and independently conduct research-related data-collection activities to understand community needs and perspectives and inform research translation efforts. Professional experience working with AAC users and implementing literacy instruction in school and community settings is an essential research competency for this position.

This is a limited-term position funded for one year from date of hire with excellent possibility of refunding.

PRIMARY DUTIES

1. Research Dissemination & Translation

• Translate AAC and literacy research into clear, accessible, actionable resources.
• Develop and implement dissemination strategies for diverse audiences.
• Adapt research findings for AAC users, families, educators, clinicians, administrators, researchers, and community stakeholders.
• Apply professional expertise in AAC and literacy to guide research translation.

2. Community Engagement & Outreach

• Build and maintain relationships with AAC users, families, schools, educators, clinicians, and administrators.
• Identify stakeholder needs, priorities, barriers, and facilitators.
• Ensure research products are relevant, accessible, and responsive to the AAC community.
• Provide practice-based expertise to inform research and implementation.

3. Research & Community-Engaged Data Collection

• Conduct interviews, focus groups, surveys, observations, and other research data-collection activities.
• Develop data-collection materials and protocols with research investigators.
• Recruit and engage research participants and manage collected data.
• Contribute to analysis and interpretation of stakeholder perspectives and implementation experiences.

4. Digital Dissemination & Professional Outreach

• Develop and maintain research-informed websites and digital resources.
• Create materials for families, AAC users, educators, clinicians, and community stakeholders.
• Conduct presentations, workshops, webinars, and conference activities.
• Share AAC and literacy research findings and evidence-based practices with professional and community audiences.

5. Research Collaboration & Dissemination Evaluation

• Collaborate with principal investigators and research teams to identify findings ready for dissemination.
• Contribute to grant dissemination plans, reports, manuscripts, presentations, and conference materials.
• Track dissemination activities, products, audiences, and stakeholder engagement.
• Collect and evaluate data on the reach, use, and impact of dissemination efforts.

This position will involve travel to various research sites and on campus work for about 1 week a month.

APPLICATION

Interested candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing their interest in the position and qualifications for the role, and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning October 9th and will continue until the position is filled.

Questions regarding the position or application process may be directed to Dr. Jessica Caron at jgc169@psu.edu.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

BENEFITS

For more detailed information, please visit ourBenefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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