Student Research Assistant: Food, Labor & Community-Based Research

Partially Remote

Strong Spanish and English communication skills; interest in food systems, labor, immigration, agriculture, environmental justice; strong organizational and interpersonal skills; ability to handle sensitive research data and maintain participant confidentiality; interest in community-based and collaborative approaches to research; ability to work both independently and collaboratively; attention to detail when working with qualitative data.

I am seeking a student research assistant to work directly with me on my USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship research examining worker experiences and ethical labor practices in small-scale meat processing in the Upper Midwest. The project sits at the intersection of food systems, labor, immigration, and environmental justice and uses qualitative and community-based research methods, including interviews and participatory workshops with workers and community partners. The research assistant will have the opportunity to work across multiple stages of the research process.

Responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with qualitative interviews with workers and other research participants
- Reviewing and cleaning Spanish- and English-language interview transcripts
- Organizing and coding qualitative data
- Preparing bilingual research, recruitment, and workshop materials
- Assisting with and taking notes during participatory workshops with workers and community partners
- Conducting targeted literature reviews
- Assisting with project coordination
- Depending on experience and interest, contributing to conference presentations, reports, and peer-reviewed publications

This position is especially well suited for a student interested in questions around food and labor who wants to deepen their experience with qualitative and community-based research. I am especially excited to work with a student interested in learning across different stages of the research process - from interviews and community engagement to qualitative analysis and writing. For a student interested in developing their own research, there may also be opportunities to build on their work with the project through a senior thesis or capstone project, conference presentation, or publication. The position will begin in Fall 2026, with the possibility of continuing through Spring and Summer 2027.

None beyond typical office and computer-based work. Some project activities may involve attending in-person workshops or research activities.

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