Graduate Assistant - Biology, Research Lab Assistant

Graduate Assistant - Biology, Research Lab Assistant

The Graduate Assistant (GA) will work 20 hours per week and receive up to 24 credits of tuition and student fee waivers: 9 for fall, 9 for spring and 6 for summer.

The Graduate Assistant (GA) position will support faculty-led research in biodiversity, wetland ecology, restoration, and conservation science while providing structured professional, academic, and career development for a master’s student in Biological Sciences. Under the supervision of Dr. Surasinghe, the GA will contribute to ongoing research projects by assisting with field-based data collection, laboratory and field preparation, data management, organization and quality control, geospatial analysis, statistical analysis, and scientific dissemination of results.

The position is designed as a mentored research and training opportunity that advances the academic development of a masters student as an independent scientist while also supporting the research, teaching, and service mission of the department.

The primary responsibilities of the GA will include preparation, maintenance, and organization of field and sampling equipment; participation in standardized faunal and floral surveys in wetland and aquatic habitats; and collection of ecological data using established active and passive sampling methods. The GA will assist with documenting biodiversity across wetlands that vary in restoration status, recording habitat characteristics, and ensuring that field data are collected, entered, and archived accurately and consistently.

The GA will also help manage project data from field surveys, agency sources, and online databases to maintain organized, reproducible datasets for analysis and reporting.

The GA will manage and curate datasets derived from fieldwork, public databases, and online repositories. Responsibilities include data cleaning, quality control, metadata development, and preparation of datasets for analysis and long-term storage. Duties will include processing GIS and remote-sensing data, producing maps and spatial data products, and assisting with statistical analyses used to evaluate biodiversity patterns across space and time. The GA will be expected to develop increasing independence in data interpretation, figure preparation, and synthesis of findings.

Depending on project needs, the GA may also assist with literature review, protocol refinement, report preparation, and other research support activities necessary for project completion.

• Field preparation and equipment management:
  Prepare, maintain, organize, and troubleshoot field equipment and sampling materials used for faunal and floral surveys in wetland and aquatic systems.
• Field surveys and ecological data collection:
  Conduct standardized biodiversity and habitat surveys using active and passive sampling methods across wetlands that vary in restoration status.
• Data management and quality control:
  Enter, clean, organize, document, and archive ecological datasets derived from fieldwork, agency data sources, and online databases using reproducible data-management practices.
• Geospatial analysis:
  Process and analyze GIS, remote‑sensing, and other spatial datasets to quantify habitat patterns and explain biodiversity variation across space and time.
• Statistical analysis:
  Conduct quantitative analyses to test ecological hypotheses, interpret findings, and generate tables, figures, and other research outputs.
• AI‑assisted research problem solving:
  Receive supervised training in the responsible use of AI‑assisted tools to support coding, data processing, literature synthesis, workflow development, and pattern detection, while critically evaluating outputs for accuracy, transparency, and research integrity.
• Scientific writing and communication:
  Contribute to technical reports, conference presentations, and manuscript preparation for peer‑reviewed publication.
• Training, mentoring, and leadership:
  Assist in training undergraduate researchers in field methods, species identification, habitat assessment, data entry, and research professionalism within a collaborative and inclusive…