What's Up, Doc?: Building a Community of Computing Education Postdocs

ABSTRACTThere is a growing number of Ph.D. graduates whose research focuses on computing education, and they are significantly fueling the growth of the computing education research community. As more computing education Ph.D. graduates weigh their options on the job market, they are increasingly entering postdoctoral positions. For example, seven Computing Innovation Fellows positions over the last two years have been awarded to computing education researchers. Research shows that postdoctoral researchers have positive, cascading effects on research labs. However, despite the critical role they play in the research ecosystem, and the growing importance of postdoctoral positions in career development, there are no support structures for postdoctoral researchers in the computing education research community. This Birds-of-a-Feather session is an organized opportunity for postdoctoral researchers and those interested in postdoctoral positions to connect with one another, share postdoc experiences, and generate best practices. Attendees will have opportunities to discuss research goals and activities, career trajectories and opportunities, future conference and publication plans, pathways for future collaborations, and advice for the postdoc experience.