Community Engagement Student Assistant

Description

Community engagement is integral to the Morgridge Institute’s mission to spark scientific curiosity and serve society in partnership with the UW‑Madison. For us, "community" includes students, teachers, researchers, and the general public, and our work extends beyond the laboratory.

• We build programs designed to inspire the next generation of fearless scientists.
• We support educators working to enrich their STEM classrooms.
• We provide professional training to prepare well‑rounded early‑career researchers.

We will be hiring one or more student assistants to begin April 2026 and to continue throughout the summer and fall terms, potentially until the assistants’ graduation. The assistants will help in all phases of the development and delivery of STEM experiences to K–12 audiences and the general public within the Discovery Building in the Town Center and Teaching Labs, off‑site at area community centers and schools, over the summer at the Summer Science Camp, and in some virtual experiences.

Assistant responsibilities also include supporting the set‑up, execution, and cleanup of scientific staff events and assisting in lab management and administrative tasks.

• Assisting in all aspects of our programming, including setting up community engagement and professional development events.
• Contributing to administrative tasks, assisting with field trips and lab/classroom management.
• Staying overnight in campus dorms to supervise the Summer Science Camp during the summer.
• Collaborating with the Wisconsin Science Festival and Science Expeditions.
• Working in person: weekend and evening hours may be required; daytime on‑site weekday availability is required.
• All duties will be carried out in person; relevant experience is a plus but not required, and training will be provided.

• Candidate must be a UW‑Madison student.
• Ideal candidate will have experience with science communication, public speaking, teaching, or research.
• Must demonstrate great attention to detail and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Must conduct oneself in a professional manner and conduct themselves in a professional manner.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks while prioritizing and meeting deadlines.
• Effective oral and written communication skills; strong customer service skills are a plus.
• Committed to working at the Discovery Building on campus, and off‑campus in the Madison metropolitan area.
• Commit to a minimum of 10–15 hours per week during the school semesters from 9:00 AM–1:00 PM, with possibly more hours during the summer.