Undergraduate Research Assistant III - LUCOM

Liberty University • Lynchburg, VA

98d

About The Position

The Undergraduate Research Assistant- Level 3 (URA3), will assist with department-related grant-funded research projects for the duration of the grant. The URA3 works under direct supervision of a Principal Investigator (PI) and/or Research Technician (RT). The URA3 is assigned duties and carries out research objectives and tasks as outlined by the PI based on the active grant(s)/contract(s). URA3 will be expected to be familiar with guidelines and protocols for lab safety and have an excellent grasp of lab manuals and laboratory terminology. URA3 must be capable to perform routine tasks outlined by the Principal Investigator related to a particular area of research. It is a position which will also be responsible for assisting URA1s and URA2s with work related to the grant. After demonstrating the ability to work independently, URA3 will be permitted to conduct routine experiments, field and laboratory tests, monitor record keeping, summarize results, and present them in a format requested by the Principal Investigator, including, but not limited to tables, charts, and graphs. In addition, under the supervision of PI or RT, URA3 should be proficient in use of lab equipment and able to assist other URAs with troubleshooting, maintaining, testing and calibrations of the equipment used for the particular grant. Off-hours and weekend work may be required.

Requirements

• Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, with a minimum of five semesters completed.
• Successful completion of 16 credit hours of 300-400 level courses in the associated field of research (Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Civil Engineering) or equivalent knowledge of the material and techniques covered in the content.
• 3.0 or higher GPA preferred (at PI discretion).
• 2+ years research related experience preferred.
• Interested in pursuing research at the graduate level.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate an understanding of engineering principles, processes and equipment.
• Functional with modeling software such as geometry construction in Solid Works and simple simulations in Fluent.
• Sophisticated data analyses, which may require programming in Matlab, Python, or Mathematica.
• Competent with computer hardware and software associated with engineering principles.
• Perform research directed toward investigation, evaluation, and application of known engineering theories and principles.
• Capable of presenting findings at a conference or proceedings.
• Perform engineering analyses/experiments to prove, or modify theoretical propositions.
• Will be expected to have strong experience with equipment operations and maintenance (i.e. CNC-Machining equipment, HPC, Materials Analysis, etc.)
• Work effectively as a team member, embracing and fostering Liberty University's mission.
• Serve as the point of contact for all URAs for items related to lab safety and operational procedures associated with particular laboratory equipment and techniques related to the grant.
• Supervise accurate record keeping of conducted research tasks for the work performed by Undergraduate Research Assistants of all levels.
• Organize work, collect and assist with data analysis, make calculations, and participate in preparation of the official grant reports.
• Perform assigned tasks with minimal oversight by the Principal Investigator and/or assigned Research Technician.
• Demonstrate the ability to work independently, tasked by PI and or RT to fulfill small portions of the research without supervision.
• Demonstrate proficiency in preparing materials for publications and presentations and serve as the resource to URA1s and URA2s in these areas.
• Consult URA1s and URA2s in preparation of progress reports.
• Meet with faculty supervisor to maintain an ongoing assessment of the performance.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Benefits

• Equal Opportunity Employer
• Nondiscriminatory hiring practices

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree