Part-Time Digital Storytelling & Research Assistant; VOICE-DC Project

Position: Part-Time Digital Storytelling & Research Assistant (VOICE-DC Project)
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process . Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants .Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants .

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTSProject:
Voices, Outlooks, and Information Networks in Civic Engagement around Data Centers (VOICE-DC)
Position Summary The AI and Data Infrastructures Learning Lab (AIDILL) in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems seeks an Undergraduate Research Assistant to support the VOICE-DC project, a community-engaged research study examining civic engagement, storytelling, and learning related to AI data center development and governance. The undergraduate assistant will work closely with faculty and graduate researchers to support qualitative research, digital storytelling, and public-facing dissemination efforts.

The project investigates how community members use stories, narratives, and other forms of civic participation to understand and shape decisions about emerging technology infrastructure.

Responsibilities The Undergraduate Research Assistant will:

Produce high-quality manual transcriptions of audio and video recordings from interviews, working groups, and community engagement activities.

Assist with qualitative data organization, file management, and preparation of research materials for analysis.

Create graphics, visualizations, figures, and other research dissemination materials for conference presentations, grant proposals, manuscripts, and public reports.

Support the development and production of project podcasts, including transcription, episode preparation, audio asset organization, and dissemination materials.

Assist with the creation of digital storytelling assets, including story maps, narrative archives, website content, and visual media.

Format and organize photographs, documents, maps, and multimedia materials for public-facing project websites.

Conduct literature searches and assist with citation management as needed.

Participate in research team meetings and contribute to the ongoing development of community-engaged research resources.

Preferred Qualifications Interest in education, learning sciences, communication, community development, digital humanities, science and technology studies, geography, media studies, or related fields.

Strong attention to detail and ability to produce accurate written transcripts.

Experience with graphic design, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS Story Maps, website content creation, podcast production, or related digital media tools.

Strong organizational and communication skills.

Ability to work independently while collaborating as part of a research team.

Learning Opportunities Students will gain experience in:

Qualitative and community-based research methods.

Interview and focus-group data management.

Digital storytelling and public scholarship.

Podcast production and science communication.

Visual communication and research dissemination.

Research on AI, data centers, infrastructure, civic engagement, and community learning.

Expected Deliverables Completed interview and working-group transcripts.

Graphics and figures for research…