About the Program
Our aim is creating safer and more meaningful fraternities and sororities through scholarship. The Piazza Center’s Visiting (Virtual) Scholar Program1 works with practitioners, post-doctoral, and doctoral candidates to build capacity and expand research for professional practice. The research mentoring program will support a cohort of 3-5 scholar-practitioners. Scholars will be matched based on their passion to serve on research teams under the supervision of the principal investigator. Scholars will be part of a cohort of researchers and will receive mentoring from the Research Fellow.
Biddix (2016) as well as Sasso, Biddix, and Miranda (2020) called for additional research on fraternity/sorority research in which they suggested a focus on key areas which include how the experience contributes to student development across intersectional identities, student learning, and university retention. Additionally, promising research by the Center drawn from focus group data suggests that the most practitioner pressing needs are: (1) hazing; (2) mental health; (3) inclusion/belonging; (4) sexual violence; (5) peer accountability; and (6) cocurricular learning. In response to these suggestions from fraternal movement partners, the Center is focusing on the triad of risk (hazing-substance abuse-sexual violence) as well as issues of inclusion in conceptualizing its research agenda which is congruent with is founding mission and namesake.
Preferred Qualifications
- Must hold or be enrolled in a terminal degree program
- Understanding of research methodology and design (qualitative- ground theory or phenomenological; quantitative- survey)
- Experience in various data collection approaches
- Capacity to perform data analysis related to quantitative or qualitative methods
- Experience disseminating research in the form of presentation at national conferences or research reports to stakeholders
- Ability to work independently and remotely with others in the context of a research project timeline
- Strong presentation and writing skills with a knowledge of APA 7 style
- Familiarity or knowledge of fraternity/sorority experience scholarship
- Preference for previous practitioner experience advising/supporting fraternities and sororities
This program was conceptualized with support from the Rutgers University Center for Minority Serving Institutions as well as other fellowship program models.
Scholar Responsibilities
- Support dissemination of existing research
- Commit to a two-year timeline of data collection and research dissemination
- Attend the annual summer AFA Oracle Writers Retreat
- Attend professional conferences related to research project dissemination (AFA, NASPA, etc.)
- Agree to present at virtual conferences and facilitate webinars
- Author timely thought pieces for dissemination to media stakeholders
- Collaborate with the Research Fellow on projects and other principal investigators
- Attend monthly cohort meetings and ad-hoc meetings
Scholar Renumeration
- Mentorship from principal investigators or Faculty Research Fellow
- Opportunities for co-authorship of scholarly reports, white papers, articles, and peer reviewed journal articles
- Potential compensation for data collection and analysis
- Additional exposure to the publication process and developing a research program
- Professional networking with the fraternity/sorority movement and community of scholars
- Collaboration opportunities on future scholarly projects
Application Process
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, based on demand or capacity. To apply, send a curriculum vitae (CV) and cover letter with your research goals. Include your preferred or general research expertise (methodology, areas of scholarship) and professional experience. Include a rationale for the further study of the fraternity and sorority experience and how your expertise may fit within one of the research areas of the Center.
Please contact Dr. Stevan Veldkamp, Executive Director at sjv54@psu.edu or Dr. Pietro Sasso, Faculty Research Fellow for general inquiries and to apply send your cover letter and CV to PiazzaCenter@psu.edu.
About the Center
Penn State launched the Piazza Center in January 2019, in an effort to become the nation’s principal home for identifying sound professional practice in fraternity and sorority advising. The center produces actionable data to give practitioners the evidence needed to enact significant change on their campuses and within their organizations. The Piazza Center is poised to empower higher education to make the fraternity and sorority experience safer and more meaningful based on comprehensive research.