[game_edu] Post-doc position

[Jacques Carette]

Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Postdoctoral 
Fellowship in Design for Multiple Visual Scales at McMaster University

The Computing and Software Department and the University Library at 
McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada invite applications for 
a two-year CLIR Postdoctoral Fellowship in software design, with an 
emphasis on games, for multiple visual scales, from the iPod Touch to 
60inch high-resolution screen panels. The Fellowship is part of the 
Gaming Scalability Environment (G-ScalE) project involving Dr. Jacques 
Carette (Computing and Software, Faculty of Engineering), Dr. Andrew 
Mactavish (Multimedia, Faculty of Humanities), and Jeff Trzeciak 
(University Librarian). The fellow will start immediately and report to 
Dr. Carette but also work closely with the library on certain projects.

Duties
• Work with Dr. Carette and his students to identify all of the issues 
relating to usability at different scales, then help design (and 
implement) a set of domain-specific languages which capture the 
constraints of user-interface features with respect to scale.
o From the psychology and user-interface literature, identify cognitive 
issues relating to scale perception, and capture these in a formal 
model. Examples: Fitts’ Law, Hick’s Law and the Steering Law;
o Identify examples of such concerns, and pre-existing solutions, from 
existing software which works at multiple scales; put an emphasis on 
solutions concerning gaming software;
o Relate these models and solutions to design constraints for features 
in software;
o Embody these design constraint into a set of domain specific 
languages; and
o Provide interpreters for these languages.
• The above work will be done in conjunction with a number of other 
researchers and students, and is expected to lead to several 
peer-reviewed publications, as well as working software.
• The candidate will be expected to teach one course (in the CAS 
department).
• The candidate will be expected to work with the library to:
o Identify the current and future library needs of Engineering faculty 
and students;
o Assess current state of library resources, services and facilities in 
support of Engineering;
o Make recommendations to the library administration for improvement;
o Promote greater awareness of library resources, services and 
facilities within Engineering;
o Promote greater awareness within the library of the faculty’s teaching 
and research priorities ; and
o Provide support as needed to students and faculty within Engineering.

Required Skills:
• Ph.D. in Computer Science or Software Engineering is preferred, but a 
Ph.D. in psychology, human factors, or mathematics accompanied by a 
demonstrable expertise in software development and mathematical modelling.
• Interest in multi-disciplinary work.
• Capable of understanding the requirements of faculty and students in 
Engineering with regards to library resources, services and facilities.

How to Apply
If you have received your Ph.D. within the last five years and are 
interested in this fellowship, please email your curriculum vitae to 
abishop at clir.org or carette at mcmaster.ca.

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is an 
independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance 
research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with 
libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning. 
CLIR promotes forward-looking collaborative solutions that transcend 
disciplinary, institutional, professional, and geographic boundaries in 
support of the public good.