Research Student Assistant- HPC/IUSE

Drury University • Springfield, MO

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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
• 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

Nice To Haves

• Experience with data analysis software (such as R, Python, ATLAS.ti or NVivo) is desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed