Author: Jessica Urzúa

Postdoctoral Fellow Position in Organization Theory, Institutional Change and Education

On By Jessica UrzúaIn Announcements, Fellowship, postdocsLeave a comment

The Harvard University Graduate School of Education invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow Position with Dr. Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell, the Herbert A. Simon Professor in Education, Management, and Organizational Behavior. The position is part of a grant-funded project combining theories of organizations, institutions, and education reform.

The project examines the extent to which the use of research evidence and epistemology is a catalyst for institutional change in persistently low-performing school organizations often designated for ‘turnaround’.

Position Details:

  • Appointment: Full-time, in-person (Cambridge, MA)
  • Term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
  • Salary: $82,000 (12-month appointment, full benefits)
  • Application review begins: November 10, 2025 (rolling basis)

Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in Education, Organization and Management Theory, Organizational Behavior, Organizational Sociology, Sociology of Education or similar by the position start date.
  • Strong background in qualitative and quantitative research methods, solid understanding of experimental design and program evaluation.
  • Experience collaborating with schools and districts or other organizations in the field, such as state education agencies and technical assistance organizations.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead research projects independently, work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams and thrive with emergent work processes.
  • Strong project management skills; experience with conference or event planning is a strong plus.
  • Commitment to executing work to the highest standards of excellence.

Application Instructions:
Applicants should review the W.T. Grant–funded research project proposal and submit the following materials via Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/175715:

  1. A 2–3-page reflection on the project’s theoretical motivation, empirical strategy, and implications
  2. A 1–2-page cover letter outlining relevant expertise and experience
  3. A curriculum vitae
  4. Names of three references (letters not required at the initial stage)

For full details, see the complete position announcement (PDF).

For inquiries, please contact Dr. Bridwell-Mitchell’s faculty coordinator kyla_painter@gse.harvard.edu.

Learn more about Dr. Bridwell-Mitchell’s work:

New Piece: “Civil servant exodus” by Jamie Kucinskas and Yvonne Zylan

On By Jessica UrzúaIn Announcements, new book, PublicationsLeave a comment

Kucinskas, Jamie and Yvonne Zylan. 2025. “Civil servant exodus: How employees wrestle with whether to stay, speak up or go.” The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/civil-servant-exodus-how-employees-wrestle-with-whether-to-stay-speak-up-or-go-261985

Based on The Loyalty Trap (Columbia University Press).

Authors:

Jamie L. Kucinskas is Associate Professor of Sociology at Hamilton College. An award-winning teacher and researcher, she studies how people strive to be moral citizens in a world dominated by organizational power and influence. Her most recent book, The Loyalty Trap (Columbia University Press), examines how federal civil servants responded to the Trump administration amid a leadership turn toward autocracy. Her first paper from this research, coauthored with Yvonne Zylan, appeared in American Journal of Sociology.

Yvonne Zylan is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Calgary and an attorney. She is the author of States of Passion: Law, Identity, and the Social Construction of Desire (Oxford University Press, 2011). Her research spans law and society, sexuality, social theory, political institutions, and social policy, with a focus on how law constitutes and is constituted by social life. She also examines resistance within state institutions and the dynamics of political institutions and social movements.