Research Assistant

Job Description And Position Requirements The Department of Anthropology is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented undergraduate research assistant to support active research projects centered on the human ecology of infectious diseases. The position is flexible and collaborative: specific tasks will be discussed and agreed upon with the student based on their interests, skills, and availability. The student will have opportunities to contribute to multiple complementary work streams, ranging from technical data tasks to substantive quantitative and qualitative analysis. The successful candidate will report to Dr. Sagan Friant and Christina Harden. Responsibilities Data Annotation & Landscape Analysis: Annotating drone orthophotos using semantic segmentation tools (CVAT) to classify land cover types (e.g., agricultural fields, settlements, vegetation) that inform models of rodent habitat and human-rodent contact risk; reviewing and quality-checking annotation outputs. Quantitative Data Analysis: Assisting with cleaning, coding, and analysis of rodent ecology datasets (trapping records, species composition, infection status); supporting statistical analyses of human subjects survey data, including household surveys and ecological momentary assessment data on human-rodent interaction; working in R or similar tools to produce summaries, visualizations, and exploratory analyses. Qualitative Data Analysis: Assisting with transcription, coding, and thematic analysis of qualitative data including focus group discussions and interviews on local knowledge, land use practices, and human-rodent interactions; contributing to synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data streams. General Research Support: Literature review and background research as needed; assisting with data organization, documentation, and research protocols; contributing to lab meetings and presenting work-in-progress as experience develops. Qualifications Required: Enrollment in a relevant undergraduate program (Anthropology, Biology, Public Health, Geography, Statistics, or related field); strong attention to detail and commitment to data quality; ability to work independently and communicate proactively. Preferred: Interest in infectious disease ecology, global health, or human-animal interactions; exposure to quantitative methods (statistics, data analysis) or qualitative methods (ethnographic research, content analysis); experience with Excel, R, Python, or GIS tools (willingness to learn). Background Checks Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. EEO Statement Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact View phone number on click.appcast.io. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission. #J-18808-Ljbffr