Postdoctoral Researcher – TEACUP Lab

The TEACUP (Teaching Empathy, Agency, and Criticality for Unlearning Power) Lab at the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) at the University of Denver seeks a candidate to fill one Post-Doctoral Researcher position. This is a one-year position, with potential for renewal subject to availability of funds. The desired start date is September 1, 2026.

Position Summary

The post-doctoral associate will be a full-time, 12-month employee of the University of Denver. The post-doctoral researcher will work closely with and be supervised by Dr. Alannah Oleson in the Department of Computer Science and can expect to collaborate with grant-funded projects with Drs. Benjamin Xie (University of Denver), Matthew Barr, Maria Kallia (University of Glasgow), and Bedour Alshaigy (Uppsala University).

Essential Functions

The candidate will primarily work on interdisciplinary projects to examine how computing students develop and enact ethical agency within the context of human-computer interaction (HCI) and user experience (UX) design education. The candidate is expected to have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: research methods and design, qualitative methods, co-design & participatory methods, HCI education research, and justice-based technology design frameworks.

Depending on interest and goals, the candidate may also co-teach or lead one or more sections of an undergraduate course in the ECS department, with the candidate’s pedagogical development supported by their advisor.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in either Computer Science, Information Science, Human-Centered Computing, Learning Science, or related field
• Experience with human subjects research and regulations
• Record of successful publication in a related field
• Ability to lead writing on collaborative conference and journal publications and interact with potential research sponsors
• Excellent oral/written communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Experience with programming languages (e.g., Python, R, Java, PHP) and/or technology design methods and tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with research in educational settings (esp. post-secondary classrooms)
• Prior experience working at the intersection of HCI and computing education research
• Prior experience with HCI or UX education within computing departments
• Experience with qualitative and/or design method analysis

Working Environment

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.

Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Application Deadline
For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) May 1, 2026.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is GE8.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $62,232-$70,344.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter of no more than 3 pages which describes the candidate’s in