Part-Time Research Assistant Hamer Center for Community Design

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Department: Healthy Environments Action Lab (HEAL), Hamer Center for Community Design, Stuckeman School, College of Arts and Architecture

The Healthy Environments Action Lab (HEAL) within the Hamer Center for Community Design at Penn State University is dedicated to addressing the intersection of the built environment, community resilience, and human health. We are currently seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Part-Time Research Assistant to join our team and support ongoing research initiatives.

Position Summary

The Part-Time Research Assistant will support various phases of the research lifecycle, from securing funding to publishing results. The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in mixed-methods research and possess specific subject matter expertise in climate change, public health, and emergency preparedness.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Preparation: Assist in the research, drafting, and assembly of grant proposals and funding applications.
• Manuscript Preparation & Editing: Draft, review, edit, and format manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed academic journals.
• Qualitative Analysis: Conduct qualitative data analysis, including coding, thematic analysis, and synthesizing qualitative data.
• Literature Reviews: Perform comprehensive, systematic literature searches and synthesize findings to support grant proposals, manuscripts, and project development.
• Project Assistance: Provide general administrative and logistical support for ongoing research projects to ensure milestones are met; other research and administrative tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Global Health, or a related field. Current enrollment in or recent completion of a Master’s degree program in Epidemiology, Public Health, or a closely related discipline.
• Research Experience: Proven experience in manuscript preparation, literature reviews, conducting qualitative interviews, and large-scale cohort analysis.
• Technical & Methodological Expertise: High proficiency in statistical programming (R, RStudio, SPSS). Experience with epidemiologic methods (e.g., regression modeling, survival analysis, causal inference) and survey design.
• Subject Matter Knowledge: Strong understanding of concepts related to climate change, community health impacts, and the social determinants of health. Experience in crisis counseling or community resource navigation is highly desirable.
• Work Ethic: Highly self-motivated, disciplined, and capable of working independently with minimal supervision.
• Communication: Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a proven ability to translate complex health data into reproducible research outputs.
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional organizational skills and a meticulous approach to data cleaning, editing, and maintaining confidentiality protocols.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with international research fellowships or global health fieldwork.
• Demonstrated experience in interdisciplinary teamwork and student/stakeholder consulting.
• Familiarity with additional tools such as Canva, Adobe Photoshop, or Unity/C#.

Application Process: Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Dr. Erica Husser: [email protected] by August 15th, 2026.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

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