Job Summary:

Two positions are available for this job for the academic year of 2027-2028. The hired undergraduate Research Assistants (RAs) will assist Dr. Ying Cao for a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project integrating high-performance computing (HPC) into undergraduate STEM courses. This appointment emphasizes developing assessment tools and conducting educational research under faculty supervision. Payment will be $15 per hour for 144 total hours per student for the year, including summer 2027 ($2,160 in the NSF budgeted wages per student per year). Workdays and hours will be arranged with the supervisor. Students must record actual hours worked on timesheets. Training, meetings, and assigned summer work count toward the same 144-hour total.

Duties/Responsibilities:

This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Employees may be required to perform other job-related instructions as requested by the supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. Review and summarize literature relevant to HPC education, student learning, and faculty and student perceptions. Attend research meetings and assist with preparing research materials and documenting project decisions. Help develop assessment tools and organize a research-data management system under Dr. Ying Cao's direction. Assist with instructor interviews and small-scale pilot data collection, as authorized by the project's approved research procedures. Organize research data and assist with preliminary analysis and summaries to inform assessment refinement. Complete required research training and protect participant confidentiality.

Required Skills/Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum knowledge, skills, and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Current undergraduate students with an interest in educational research; willingness to learn research methods; ability to use Microsoft Office, Google Drive, or equivalent; ability to organize project documents and communicate clearly. A college-level statistics background is expected. Experience with data analysis software (such as R, Python, ATLAS.ti or NVivo) is desirable but not required.

Education and Experience:

(2 bullet points below are for student job descriptions and can be removed for staff) Must be a regular, full-time student, enrolled in at least 12 hours per semester Must have a completed FAFSA on file with Financial Aid for the current academic year

Work Conditions:

Work can be completed on any authorized desktop or laptop computer, with flexible physical locations. Regular research meetings will be in person on campus; meetings can also be via Zoom and/or M.S. Teams conference calls.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.