Postdoctoral Scholar, Criminal Justice Research Center

Penn State University; University Park (TX); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Opportunities for collaboration

Job summary

Penn State University is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar for the Criminal Justice Research Center in University Park, Texas, starting in Fall 2026. The successful candidate will engage in research related to pretrial detention and sentencing under the guidance of Dr. Miranda A. Galvin.

The role requires a recent Ph.D. in a social or behavioral science, strong statistical training, and excellent communication skills. Benefits include a competitive package and opportunities for collaboration across institutions.

Qualifications

• Earned a Ph.D. in a social or behavioral science within the past two years (or a current Ph.D. candidate).
• Proficiency with Stata, multilevel modeling, decomposition analysis, and/or semi-structured interviews.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with faculty across multiple universities on research projects.
• Conduct descriptive and multilevel analyses of administrative data.
• Perform site visits and conduct stakeholder interviews.
• Assist in data collection, data management, and manuscript writing.

Skills

Advanced training in statistics

Experience with large administrative datasets

Proficiency with Stata

Excellent communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in a social or behavioral science

Job description

Application Instructions

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student): please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Do not apply here.
• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university): please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Do not apply here.
• FOR EXTERNAL APPLICANTS: click “Apply” to complete the application process.

Position

A Postdoctoral Scholar position at the Criminal Justice Research Center (CJRC) and the Department of Sociology and Criminology, The Pennsylvania State University. The appointment is term‑based, beginning in the Fall of 2026, with flexibility. The scholar will work on an ongoing mixed‑method study on pretrial detention, charge bargaining, racial and contextual disparity, and sentencing, in collaboration with Dr. Miranda A. Galvin.

Qualifications

• Earned a Ph.D. in a social or behavioral science within the past two years (or a current Ph.D. candidate).
• Advanced training in statistics, experience with large administrative datasets, and strong applied research interests in prosecution, pretrial, courts, or sentencing.
• Proficiency with Stata, multilevel modeling, decomposition analysis, and/or semi‑structured interviews.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate with faculty across multiple institutions.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with faculty across multiple universities on research projects.
• Conduct descriptive and multilevel analyses of administrative data.
• Perform site visits, conduct stakeholder interviews, and prepare local summary briefs and policy outreach materials.
• Assist in data collection, data management, grant proposal preparation, manuscript writing, and conference presentations.
• Participate in graduate student mentoring.
• Maintain flexibility to pursue independent research related to pretrial, prosecution, and sentencing.

Background Checks and Clearances

Employment with the University requires successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Benefits

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full‑time employees designed to support both personal and professional well‑being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

EEO

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814‑865‑1473.