Fruit Research – Raspberry & Blackberry Breeding Lab​/Field Research Assist

Position Information

• Job Title: Small Fruit Research – Raspberry & Blackberry Breeding Lab/Field Research Assist
• Appointment Type: Student Employee
• Job Location: Not specified in the text
• Position Appointment Percent: 100
• Appointment Basis: 12
• Pay Method: Hourly
• Pay Period: 16th - 15th of the following month
• Pay Date: Last working day of the month

This recruitment will be used to fill six part-time (a maximum of 24 hours per week) student technical assistant for the horticulture department at Oregon State University ( OSU ).
This includes assisting in field, greenhouse, and laboratory work to support the Caneberry Breeding Research Program, located at the USDA - Agricultural Research Service – Horticultural Crops Research Lab in Corvallis, OR (campus location), Oregon State University Lewis Brown Farm (research site) and at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center ( NWREC ), Aurora, OR (research site).

OSU is committed to ensuring students are prepared for success after graduation through intentional skill development as student employees. The competencies developed are defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) as essential skills employers seek. In this position, students learn and build vital career-readiness skills in the primary areas below:

Critical Thinking, Teamwork, Professionalism, Career & Self-Development

(field) raspberry and blackberry management and data collection, planting, hoeing/weeding, mowing, trellis building, plant training, pruning, fruit harvest, cross-pollination, recording data;

(lab) fruit experiments, fruit sample analysis, data collection on plants and fruit samples, data entry into spreadsheets, preparing plant tissue culture media/solutions, plant tissue culture and propagation, dishes and housekeeping;

(greenhouse) planting/transplanting, labeling, watering/fertilizing plants, pruning, cleaning pots and work areas

• Must be academically enrolled in a high school, community college, or university and pursuing a program or course of study
• Must meet Academic Standing Requirements; students on academic suspension are not eligible for employment
• Must 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*

* International students may be allowed to carry fewer hours than specified above and still be considered “full-time” by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS ). A reduced course load is approved by the Office of International Services ( OIS ), and must be provided to the Student Employment Center.

• Must be at least 15 years of age and able to:
• Perform assigned tasks without close supervision after training
• Pay attention to detail
• Tolerate exposure to dust, fumes, noise and outdoor summer temperatures
• Sit/stand/walk for extended periods
• Lift up to 50 lbs
• If at least 18 years of age, with a valid driver’s license, be willing to drive a motor pool vehicle to offsite locations, as needed, at the request of the supervisor.

• Experience or interest in training to operate tractors and farm equipment (minimum age 18)
• Experience with laboratory protocols, plant propagation and care, data entry
• Willingness to assume ownership over data collection in support of research publications

Student employees will have the opportunity to begin working part-time prior to the beginning of summer, and, if desired, may continue working part-time during fall, winter, and spring terms subject to their performance.

Work is performed indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions. Student employees are limited to 40 hrs per week during summer and 20 hrs per week during class terms and during term breaks.…