Work Study Only: Undergraduate Ecology Research Assistant
About The Position
The Halliday Lab in the Botany and Plant Pathology department at Oregon State University is seeking an undergraduate research assistant to support an ecology literature synthesis and meta-analysis. The assistant will help organize and summarize scientific literature related to priority effects in host-associated systems. This project examines how the order in which organisms colonize a host can influence which species successfully establish and how host-associated communities develop. Using published ecological studies, we are conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand how these “priority effects” shape interactions among microbes, parasites, and other host-associated organisms. The goal is to synthesize existing evidence to identify general patterns across different host-symbiont systems and ecological contexts.
Requirements
- Current undergraduate student in Ecology, Biology, Botany, or a related field
- Strong reading comprehension of scientific literature
- Attention to detail and ability to follow research protocols
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills
- Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
- Must qualify for federal Work Study funds
- Academically enrolled in a high school, community college, or university and pursuing a program or course of study
- Meet Academic Standing Requirements; students on academic suspension are not eligible for employment
- Meet the applicable minimal enrollment standard (High School student: Regularly enrolled in a high school or participating in a home-schooling program; Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate student: 6 credit hours per term; Undergraduate international student: 12 credit hours per term; Graduate student officially admitted to Graduate School: 5 credit hours per term; Graduate international student officially admitted to Graduate School: 9 credit hours per term)
Nice To Haves
- Basic data management or spreadsheet skills (Excel, Google Sheets, or R)
- Coursework in ecology, botany/mycology, parasitology, or plant pathology
- Familiarity with scientific literature databases
Responsibilities
- Extract and research covariates from selected papers (70%)
- Maintain structured spreadsheets of reviewed studies (15%)
- Participate in periodic meetings with supervisor to discuss progress and challenges (10%)
- Support preparation of figures, tables, or summary documents for reports or manuscripts (5%)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
