As hiring landscapes shift, many PhDs and postdocs are expanding their faculty job searches to include Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and other teaching-focused colleges — schools that center teaching, mentoring, and undergraduate research as core to their mission. For those trained in research-intensive environments, this transition can feel unfamiliar, but it represents a meaningful opportunity for candidates to engage intentionally with the mission and values of undergraduate-focused institutions.
In this interactive session, participants will learn how to reframe their research and teaching experiences for teaching-focused roles. We will explore how undergraduate research is understood not just as scholarly output but as a pedagogical approach. At PUIs, this work is central to student development and institutional mission. Participants will leave with strategies to authentically present their experiences not as retrofitted R1 applications, but as compelling, mission-aligned narratives.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Recognize what teaching-focused institutions value, including student-centered teaching, mentoring, and inclusive undergraduate research
- Frame research experience as teaching and mentorship, aligned with undergraduate learning goals and outcomes
- Translate R1 training into strengths that support student success without minimizing scholarly identity
- Demonstrate genuine alignment with undergraduate-focused environments, including enthusiasm for mentoring diverse learners
Your research background remains a vital asset. The key is demonstrating how your expertise advances student learning, development, and success within an undergraduate-centered academic community.
This session will be presented by Penn’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CETLI).
