| Job Description: |
The University of Florida (UF) is accepting applications for a full-time OPS Postdoctoral Associate position in the Digital Worlds Institute. This dynamic research position focuses on immersive technologies and educational innovation. The Postdoctoral Associate will collaborate with faculty, students, and development teams to advance projects that examine how virtual reality (VR) and eye-tracking technologies can be leveraged to enhance learning, instructional design, and educational outcomes. Applicants should demonstrate expertise in experimental research design, human–computer interaction, and technology-enhanced education. The successful candidate will be detail-oriented, able to manage multiple projects, and capable of working both independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment.
The University of Florida College of the Arts intends to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond. As artists and scholars, we embrace the complexity of our evolving human experience and seek to empower our students and faculty to shape that experience fearlessly through critical study, creative practice, and provocation. We seek a colleague who identifies as a change-maker. We seek a colleague who will prepare students to access and unsettle centers of power in a radically changing world. We seek a colleague who will position emerging artists and researchers as catalysts for equity on local and global levels.
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty, seeking faculty of all races, ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
Responsibilities:
The Postdoctoral Associate will:
- Design, implement, and evaluate VR-based experimental studies incorporating eye-tracking to investigate visual attention and learning processes.
- Collect, process, and analyze multi-modal datasets (e.g., eye-tracking, behavioral, performance metrics) to study learner behaviors and outcomes.
- Develop research protocols and ensure compliance with ethical standards for human-subjects research.
- Collaborate with faculty, graduate students, and development teams to refine VR instructional tools and integrate eye-tracking into immersive learning environments.
- Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at leading conferences in Human–Computer Interaction and Educational Technology.
DIGITAL WORLDS INSTITUTE: Digital Worlds Institute (DW) is an interdisciplinary institute that offers academic and research programs at the intersection of the arts, communications, and technology. Founded in 2001 as a partnership between the College of the Arts and the College of Engineering, DW has grown its initiatives across additional units including the Colleges of Education, Journalism & Communications, and the Health Sciences. DW offers both a graduate and an undergraduate program in Digital Arts & Sciences. By bringing together the diverse talents of UF faculty, students, and staff in a multifaceted collaborative environment, the Institute serves as a platform for interdisciplinary research and teaching that would not have occurred within the confines of any one college or department. Through the use of interactive tools and technologies, the Institute promotes transdisciplinary creativity across classrooms, continents, and cultures. For more information, visit www.digitalworlds.ufl.edu.
THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS: The mission of the College of the Arts is to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond. We achieve the university’s mission by training professionals and educating students as artists and scholars, while developing their capacities for critical study, creative practice, and provocation. The College offers baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Approximately 1,700 students are pursuing majors in degrees offered by the College of the Arts under the direction of 130 faculty members in its three accredited schools— the School of Art + Art History, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre + Dance, and in the Center for Arts in Medicine, the Digital Worlds Institute, and the Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship. In addition, the college comprises the University Galleries, and the University level of the New World School of the Arts in Miami.
THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: The University of Florida is a comprehensive learning institution built on a land grant foundation, ranked one of the top five best public universities in the nation in U.S. News & World Report. We are The Gator Nation, a diverse community dedicated to excellence in education and research and shaping a better future for Florida, the nation and the world. Our mission is to enable our students to lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit. UF is a graduate research institution with more than 50,000 students and membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Gainesville, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most livable cities, is located midway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the University and the community comprise the educational, medical and cultural center of North Central Florida, with outstanding resources such as the University of Florida Performing Arts (Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Squitieri Studio Theatre, the Baughman Center, University Auditorium), the Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History and in the community, the Hippodrome State Theatre and Dance Alive National Ballet.
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| Special Instructions to Applicants: |
Location and Schedule:
Normal working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; some after-hours and weekend activities may occur depending on research schedules. Other than occasional off-campus assignments, this individual is expected to perform their duties on the UF main campus in Gainesville, Florida
Application Process:
Applications must be submitted through the University of Florida’s online application system and include the following:
- Letter of Interest
- CV
- Names and contact information of three professional references.
Application Deadline:
In order to be considered, you must have completed the online application with appropriate materials attached through UF’s website no later than 11:55pm eastern standard time on November 15th.
Date of Expected Hire: Spring 2026
Inquiries may be sent to:
Hyo Kang
Assistant Professor
hkang2@ufl.edu
The selected candidate will be require to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
The Search Committee may request additional materials at a later time that may include obtaining available personnel documentation from UFHR for current or previous UF employees.
If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call +1 (352) 392- 2477or the Florida Relay System at +1 (800) 955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.
This is a time-limited position.
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