Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning Offers Postdocs a ‘Pathway’ to Meaningful Teaching Experience

For many postdoctoral scholars, developing expertise in research is only one part of preparing for a tenure-track academic career. At the University of Arizona, the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL, pronounced as SIR-tuhl) is helping postdocs build another essential skill: effective, evidence-based teaching. 

The international CIRTL Network operates out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to prepare graduate students and postdoctoral scholars for careers in higher education by introducing them to the world of teaching and learning. Founded through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Center for Teaching and Learning in 2003 and now spanning more than 40 research institutions across North America, the University of Arizona joined the network in 2020 and has since developed one of the Center’s signature offerings: a one-year accelerated pathway program specifically designed for postdoctoral scholars. 

Building Teaching Experience 

Curtis Kline, postdoctoral research associate in Environmental Policy Programs at the University of Arizona's Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, recently completed the CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program, an intensive professional development experience that pairs postdoctoral scholars with faculty mentors in a collaborative teaching environment. 

As part of the program, Kline partnered with Laurel Bellante, associate professor of practice in the School of Geography, Development and Environment, director of undergraduate studies, and assistant director of the Center for Regional Food Studies. Together, Kline and Bellante co-taught a course called Food 300: Food Justice, Ethics and Activism, giving Kline the opportunity to apply learner-centered teaching strategies while gaining hands-on classroom experience under the guidance of an experienced faculty mentor. 

“The program definitely helped set me up to really think creatively about designing a course in ways that might be challenging to students, but I think are ultimately helpful,” Kline says. 

Reimagining the Classroom 

With just two months before the start of the spring semester, Kline and Bellante redesigned their shared course around slow teaching with the goal of transitioning to a technology-free classroom. That meant students completed essays, took notes, and wrote exams entirely by hand – a shift Kline described as one of the course's biggest challenges. By the end of the semester, however, both instructors found that students responded "overwhelmingly positively" to the changes. 

For Kline – whose research focuses on the intersection of Indigenous governance, food systems and community development – the opportunity to develop his teaching alongside his research provided valuable preparation for a future faculty position. His work frequently emphasizes community-engaged research and collaborative approaches to addressing environmental and policy challenges – values that align closely with CIRTL's emphasis on evidence-based teaching and collaborative learning communities. 

Bellante’s teaching and research center on food justice, environmental studies, and sustainable food systems and, therefore, align perfectly with Kline’s own research interests. Thus, she was an ideal faculty mentor for the Udall Center postdoc during his co-teaching experience. The partnership allowed both instructors to collaborate on course planning, classroom instruction, and student engagement while modeling evidence-based teaching practices. 

Bellante is adamant that the Pathways program provides postdoctoral researchers with a critical skill that could offer them a leg up when looking for a tenure-track position. 

“Outside of this program, I don’t know any other PhDs or postdocs that are getting that kind of training to be able to step into a classroom and really feel confident that they have the skills to be an effective teacher,” Bellante says, adding, “We want students to feel happy about the experience in the classroom. Teaching is an art and it takes practice. And I think the CIRTL program really helps build both of those things.” 

Preparing the next generation of faculty 

The CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program combines coursework in pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching, including the study of how knowledge and skills are passed on to learners and the ways teachers guide students) with an intensive faculty mentoring experience. 

Participants participate in professional development focused on inclusive teaching before moving into a short-term co-teaching partnership that allows them to practice those skills in a real classroom. Since its U of A launch in 2021, over 100 University of Arizona STEM graduate students and postdoctoral scholars have earned CIRTL awards for participating in various programs. Ninety-three postdocs have completed the Pathways program while working alongside 82 faculty mentors. 

“I think we’re just looking for ways to try to share this unique story, because it really is a very special program. There’s no downside,” Lisa Elfring says, vice provost of assessment, teaching and technology at the U of A and a key player in the design and growth of the Pathways program. 

Growing experience and enthusiasm at all levels 

For postdoctoral scholars like Kline, the CIRTL experience offers an opportunity to build a competitive academic portfolio while gaining confidence in the classroom. Beyond strengthening teaching skills, the Postdoc Pathways program encourages participants to reflect on how research and instruction can reinforce one another. 

As Kline continues his work at the Udall Center, the teaching experience he gained through CIRTL adds another dimension to his professional development. By combining research excellence with practical classroom experience, the program equips postdoctoral scholars like Kline with the skills needed to become effective educators while also advancing their research careers. 

And it’s not just the postdocs who benefit from this unique coteaching structure, either. According to University Center for Assessment, Teaching & Technology (UCATT) Associate Professor of Practice and U of A CIRTL Co-Lead Kristin Winet, the faculty mentors often come away from the experience with refreshed enthusiasm for their courses, as well.  

“We always had this idea that our mentorship model was not just top-down,” Winet says, “…it also flows from mentee to mentor and from peer to peer.” This, she says, was by design. “We wanted our mentors to find a renewed excitement about teaching, or to learn something cool and different from working with their mentees, or to just rejuvenate their practice,” she says, “and I think we’ve seen that over the years.” 

So, what’s next for U of A’s contribution to the international CIRTL program? For her part, Winet says she would be thrilled to see other universities in the network recreate the Postdoc Pathways model designed at U of A. “That would be the biggest honor,” she says. And, given the success of the program in its first few years of operation, that may well be on the horizon. 

The University Center for Assessment, Teaching & Technology (UCATT) is currently recruiting for its 2026-27 Postdoc Pathways cohort. Applications are due September 8, 2026. Learn more and apply here.