OVERVIEW

The Application Package

Teaching Philosophy Statements and Research Statements
§ Key components
§ Steps in the process
§ Examples
§ Getting Started
Other Tips
 JOB APPLICATIONS
•  Cover letter
•  CV
•  Teaching Philosophy Statement
•  Research/Creative Activities Statement
•  Recommendation letters
•  Sample publications
•  Teaching portfolio
•  Other requested materials
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT
1-2 pages
Clear and concise account of your teaching approach,
methods and expertise.
Answer these questions:
§ Why do I teach?
§ What do I teach?
§ How do I teach?
§ How do I measure my effectiveness?
“WHY DO I TEACH?”
Teaching is an integral part of my identity as an academic. Because we are
scholars inside and outside of the classroom, my research informs my teaching
and my teaching informs my research. Early in my career, I developed a passion
for helping students to think critically about quantitative methods and child
development. This desire grew out of my own experiences first as a student and
then as an instructor. My professors’ enthusiasm for teaching was contagious and
their uncompromising expectation for hard work was compelling. I also
appreciated their constant availability to answer questions and their use of
different strategies to engage us in learning. I have carried these qualities to my
own classroom.
“WHAT DO I TEACH?”
One technique that has worked well in this regard is the “design an intervention”
activity. For example, when I teach my undergraduate students about Hart and
Risley’s (2002) study on the impact of family income on children’s language
development, I have students evaluate current government initiatives to improve
educational outcomes with respect to this finding. This activity leads students to
reflect not only on their own early learning experiences, but to think critically
about how this finding could be translated into programs aimed at reducing the
disparities associated with early economic disadvantage.
“HOW DO I TEACH?”
Theories and practice coexist with each other in the era of education. It is
imperative to teach students “what they are doing” and “why they are doing it”,
but it is more important to teach the students “how to do it”. I strongly believe
that teaching should be practical and linked to real world situations. By doing so,
students will be mentally prepared for the challenges they might face in the
future. They will also have a higher degree of self-awareness and understanding
of the world and people around them. For example, Food Systems is an umbrella
term that covers cost control, layout design, and food production management,
etc. Classroom teaching is essential, but field trips and additional hands-on
opportunities (i.e. meal service project) are helpful to develop the soft skills such
as communication and leadership skills that are important in this field. In
addition, I will challenge my students to explore outside of their comfort zones
and take advantage of the opportunities available to them to gain new
experiences. I will also encourage the students to get involved in voluntary work
for the same reasons.  
“HOW DO I TEACH?”
My teaching style combines innovation, enthusiasm, and critical analysis. I actively
seek out up-to-date media clips, in-class simulations, and thought-provoking activities
that challenge students’ thinking with the intent of making the class period engaging
and memorable. For example, to challenge students’ common assumptions regarding
family, support, and well-being, I show a news clip featuring a family with a young
transgender son who likes to wear dresses. Throughout the clip, the students are
taking notes on the positive and negative feedback loops between parent-child and
siblings, but this news clip also exposes them to diverse family forms that they may
encounter in their professional and social lives. These sorts of activities promote
reflection, analysis, and great discussions that often seep into hallway discussions
after class ends. If I adhere to my teaching goals of facilitating the ability to think, read,
write, and speak critically and I am flexible and relatable as an instructor, I believe that
I can create a challenging, stimulating, and enjoyable environment for students each
semester.
 
“HOW DO I MEASURE MY EFFECTIVENESS?”
Does my approach to teaching work? I believe there are multiple ways to
determine this. First, students’ numerical ratings of my classes have been very
positive. These ratings have often been accompanied by comments from the
students that expressed how my enthusiasm for the material increased their own
interest in the course. Further, and in my view, more importantly, many students
believed that their increased interest in the subject resulted in improved
performance and learning. Second, I have been honored to receive awards for my
teaching at the departmental, college, and university level. Finally, I have had the
pleasure of interacting with many of my undergraduate and graduate students
after their semester with me has ended. Over the past several years, I have
integrated many students into my lab after they expressed interest in working with
me in a research setting. Further, I have been happy to transition from being a
teacher to being a mentor for many students, who have continued to contact me
as they progress through their career for advice about their professional
development and future plans.
GETTING STARTED….
With a partner:
§ Generate ideas for your teaching philosophy.
§ Why do I teach?
§ What do I teach?
§ How do I teach?
§ How do I measure my effectiveness?
[as one person brainstorms, the other person takes
notes]
 RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITIES STATEMENTS
A research statement is a summary of your research accomplishments, current
work, and future direction and potential of your work.
Your research/creative activities statement helps departments learn more about
your:
q  Academic specialty and interests
q  Passion for research/creative scholarship
q  Compatibility with departmental/College/University research efforts
q  Potential to earn grant money
q  Ability to operate as a professional scholar, independent of your advisor
q  Writing ability
 AREAS TO ADDRESS IN YOUR RESEARCH STATEMENT:
§ The main themes of your research/scholarship, why they
are important (the “so what”).
§ How your research/scholarship contributes to your field
§ Examples of research problems/issues you have addressed
in your work; convey connections among your projects
§ Note any significant recognition your research has received
- publications, presentations, grants, awards, etc.
§ Funding history and potential (if relevant)
§ Potential research and industrial collaborations
§ Future direction(s) of your research/scholarship
§ Concluding paragraph that gives a final overall good
impression of your research
FORMAT
Your research statement should be brief and well-organized.
•  Aim for 1-3 pages.
•  Have a brief introduction that sets up the main points in the research statement.
•  Have a conclusion that emphasizes the key content of the research statement.

Your research statement should be pleasing to the eye and easy to read.
•  Single-spaced or 1.5 spaced
•  Concise paragraphs
•  Short bulleted lists
•  Clear subject headings
No grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors!
 PROGRAMMATIC, CONTRIBUTIONS, FUNDING
One aspect of my programmatic research has been to understand how and why social and
behavioral problems develop during early childhood, especially among higher-risk populations
where the prevalence of these problems is high and early identification is critical. Evidence
suggests that social-emotional and behavioral problems identified as early as preschool often
persist into elementary school and beyond and the negative consequences of these early
problems can be profound. I have found that factors including higher maternal education and
family income, secure parent-child attachment relationships, more family routines, and better
child self-regulatory skills are associated with lower levels and more rapid decreases in
internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Further, although numerous classroom features are
related to children’s behavior, the student-teacher relationship seems to be the single strongest
predictor of positive mental health in the classroom context. I have also found evidence of
cross-domain associations between indices of social-emotional well-being and children’s
academic achievement such that better adjustment is linked with higher reading and
mathematics scores (both concurrently and longitudinally). Importantly, links from social skills
to achievement appear to be stronger than links from achievement to social skills, suggesting
that social skills may lay a critical foundation for learning. As a PI on a grant from that National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, I have continued this line of work by
exploring the factors that comprise social competence from early childhood through
adolescence.
 
 OVERVIEW, APPROACH, LINK TO FIELD
The broad objective of my research agenda is to contribute to the understanding of how affluent families and
communities construct and manage private “family issues,” such as Domestic Violence. (DV) To advance this
objective, my research centers around two goals: (1) highlighting the role of community culture and expectations
surrounding the management of private family issues and (2) exploring the roles of societal institutions, such as the
legal and school systems, community professionals (e.g., health care professionals, police officers, mental health
providers), and the media in the management of these private family issues. ……..

Methods for Studying Family and Community Level Processes

To achieve these goals, I use qualitative research methods informed by a feminist theoretical framework. Given the
lack of theoretical or empirical knowledge on private family issues (e.g., DV) in affluent families, qualitative data
collection and analysis are especially well suited for examining this hidden topic. Further, qualitative research
emphasizes treating the individuals they study as experts on their own lives and experiences, which is in line with
feminist frameworks. My dissertation research seeks to advance existing knowledge by using grounded theory and
ethnography in conjunction to examine how affluent families and communities construct and manage their
experiences with DV. The use of grounded theory ethnography fosters conceptual and theoretical connections in a
specific context; therefore, my research moves beyond superficial descriptions of a setting towards a theoretical
understanding. While many of the characteristics of affluent families are understandably viewed as advantages in
our society, my research examines ways in which privilege, social class, and status are potentially complicated for
affluent families, especially affluent women who experience DV. In keeping with feminist research, my research
agenda values feminist praxis that bridges research, advocacy, and the families impacted by DV. Through
participation in community and professional seminars and workshops as well as dispersing information about my
researching findings to members of the community, I am able to give back to those who have helped me with my
research.
APPROACH, COLLABORATION, TEACHING, RECOGNITION
I attempt to incorporate emerging technologies to find solutions by looking at
various views of collaboration with experts of different backgrounds to solve
existing problems in our lives. I am researching with the Department of Material
Sciences and Engineering and the Department of Physics on developing flexible
fabric based sensors using nanotechnology and smart materials to monitor vital
signals for healthcare and well-being, and a study on developing flexible organic
light-emitting diode (OLED) for textiles. I introduce recent research about new
technologies and materials and allow students to creatively apply these findings
to the fashion discipline in a research-based design process. For example, lighting
materials were analyzed as design elements for an aesthetic class, accent dress
details in a design studio class, and visibility-aids for a functional clothing design
class. For a creative endeavor, I create designs based on research and
experiments while continual creating and presenting designs at invited and juried
exhibitions locally and globally.
FUTURE RESEARCH PLANS
Over the next several years, I have plans for three major research areas. First, I will
keep updating emerging technologies, techniques, and materials. I will search for
creative applications that can lead to successful grant and funding supports and
publish a journal with the synergies of educative and creative scholarship activities.
From the efforts of collaborative research on development of sensors and OLEDs, the
following is expected: publishing two journals of each discipline and transdiscipline;
proceedings and presentations at international conferences of IEEE-International
Symposium of Wearable Computing (ISWC); proposal submissions to Intramural Grants
Program (IGP), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Korea Institute of Industrial
Technology (KITECH); extension to the collaborative works to educative curricula; and
involvement to invited and juried exhibitions, design competitions, and fashion shows.
Second, after I involved the Global Partners Program Grant funded by the Office of
International Programs at Auburn University, serious discussions will begin on
collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Education with the
aspects of functional clothing development research. Last, for future research, one of
the major future studies will focus on transformable design for sustainability applying
emerging technologies. I will attempt to develop proposals for securing intramural and
extramural funds from the inter- and transdisciplinary research efforts on developing
smart materials.
FUTURE RESEARCH PLANS
My future plans involve continuing my work toward the two previously stated goals through the use
of innovative and collaborative research methods. Ultimately, I will disseminate my research
findings through a variety of avenues, including academic publications, a book geared
towards a professional audience, and workshops and seminars targeting non-academics.
 
My long-term research agenda involves an expansion of my central substantive area to more
thoroughly understand the role of community culture and expectations as well as the societal
institutions that potentially play a role in minimizing and silencing private family issues, such
as DV in affluent families. To this end, I plan to collaborate with quantitative and qualitative
researchers within sociology and family studies but also in other fields, such as criminal
justice and educational policy. In keeping with my past and current research experiences, I
will continue to incorporate undergraduate and graduate students in my research projects. I
believe that this future research will successfully attract external government and private
funding due to the creation of strong collaborative research projects with a variety of
researchers, students, and community organizations as well as innovative research designs
aimed at advancing theory and practical application.
GETTING STARTED…

Jot down some ideas for content:

•  Main themes of your research/scholarship.
•  Examples of research problems/issues you have addressed
•  Research Goals next 2-3 years
OTHER TIPS FOR LANDING AN ACADEMIC JOB
Ø  Get teaching and research/creative scholarship experience while in grad school
Ø  Network and connect with multiple mentors [work closely with at least 3
professors who can write you strong recommendation letters]
Ø  Take advantage of special training when appropriate
Ø  Publish
Ø  Get multiple people to review and provide feedback on your CV, Cover letter,
Teaching Philosophy Statement, Research Statement, Teaching Portfolio…
Ø  Attend and Present at Professional Conferences
Ø  Work with teams
Ø  Get exposure to grantsmanship
Ø  Practice your job talk (prepare for your interview)