Research Assistant – Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science – S3D

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

The Software and Societal Systems (S3D) department in Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science seeks a Research Assistant to help build and expand the open-source ecosystem for technology used to teach geometry proof to middle- and high-school students. The technology combines a visual representation of proofs, a domain-specific language, a formally verified proof checker, and tools for automatically generating proof content. About half of the position is devoted to ecosystem work, alongside engineering and research responsibilities. The role includes onboarding contributors, triaging issues, writing documentation, and supporting content developers. It also involves developing and maintaining the React and TypeScript rendering application, contributing to the language grammar and proof checker, and assisting with research on proof comprehension. Research support may include designing study materials, collecting data with secondary school participants under IRB protocols, and analyzing results. This is an entry-level position suitable for someone who has recently completed an undergraduate degree. The position is scheduled to begin in February 2027. It is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is listed as full-time staff employment with a fixed term.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, or a closely related field.
Previous research experience; some prior experience in a university research environment as a research assistant is required. Part-time academic-year work or full-time summer experience is adequate.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Responsibilities

Onboard open-source contributors by assisting with environment setup, codebase orientation, and first contributions, and answer questions in issue trackers and discussion forums.
Triage incoming issues and pull requests by reproducing bugs, labeling and prioritizing reports, and routing them to maintainers.
Write and maintain documentation for the proof domain-specific language, the ENDER visual proof renderer, and the proof checker for audiences including content developers and middle- and high-school teachers.
Support content developers in authoring, testing, and debugging proofs and using automated proof-generation tools.
Implement features and fix defects in the React and TypeScript rendering application, including its synchronized diagram and two-column text views.
Contribute to the grammar and proof checker, including writing test cases for correct, incorrect, and partial proofs.
Assist with research on proof comprehension, including designing study materials, supporting data collection with secondary school participants under IRB protocols, and analyzing results.