Undergraduate Student Research Assistant
The Ohio State University

Job Info

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Job Title:Undergraduate Student Research AssistantDepartment:Arts and Sciences | History-JM

The History Praxis Lab at Ohio State invites students to apply for a four-week paid summer research student position that will run from June 30-July 25, 2025. Students will learn the techniques of historical research and do team-based research on Native American and African American civic engagement, citizenship, voting, education, and civil rights activism 1780-1950. Students will work in person and virtually with experts on Native American and African American history, including Professors John Bickers (Miami Tribe of Oklahoma), Margaret Newell, Deondre Smiles (Leech Lake Ojibwe), and Noël Voltz. The 2025 Lab will focus on stories from the Midwest including Minnesota, Ohio, and Indiana as well as other parts of the United States.

Job requirements qualifications/skills: Undergraduate students of all majors are welcome to apply with preference given to students with a background in History. There is no specific training required as this will be provided through the lab experience.

Research opportunities will include work in digital and physical archives and sites. Lab students will record their experiences as researchers for use on social media and the Lab website, and Lab discoveries will contribute to our ongoing project, "Native Americans and African Americans in and out of the U.S. Body Politic," a multi-year initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation.

Summer Praxis Lab:

The History Praxis Lab will begin in Columbus, OH on the OSU campus in person June 30-July 3, 2025. Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles will then be leading the student researchers on a trip to their homelands in Northern Minnesota, the Leech Lake Reservation, home of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, where students will learn about historical questions of Indigenous citizenship in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Students will stay in the area, working in archives there and engaging with historical sites that further underpin the shifting identities that Ojibwe band members faced during this dynamic time. Travel to Minnesota will take place from July 3-10, 2025. The lab will cover all costs associated with travel (i.e. transportation, lodging, and some meals) as well as hourly pay during the in-person sessions. During the final two weeks of the lab (July 14-July 25, 2025), students will work virtually and shift to research in digital archives.

Additional Information:

The Department of History within the College of Arts and Sciences seeks an Undergraduate Student Research Assistant to join our team. The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college and the academic heart of the university. The College hosts 81 majors. With 38 departments, 20+ world-class research centers, and more than 2,000 faculty and staff members, students have the unique opportunity to study with the best artists, scholars, and scientists in their field. The College values diversity and offers a supportive, open, and inclusive community.

Summer Lab Logistics:

The Lab will run M-F 10am-4pm, with an unpaid hour for lunch, and potentially some weekend hours. Students are expected to be physically present for all in-person portions of the lab (April 3-6, June 30-July 10). The virtual second half of the lab will allow students to work from home under PI supervision and in collaboration with other student rearchers in the program. During these weeks there will be some flexibility over scheduling hours (with a weekly maximum number of hours). Students will be expected to meet with the PI and their teammates daily for at least 1 hour. The specific timing of this hour will be determined based on everyone's availability at the beginning of the virtual portion of the lab.

Lab Orientation:

Accepted students will be required to attend a Lab Orientation at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH from April 3-6, 2025. The lab will cover all costs associated with travel (i.e. transportation, lodging, and most meals).

Compensation: Students will be paid an hourly rate of $14.00/hr with a target of 120 hours worked over the course of the lab (April 3-6 and June 30 - July 25). Room and board will be available for all students during the in-person sessions of the lab. Transportation for students to and from Cleveland, Columbus, and Leech Lake will be funded by the Praxis Lab.

To apply please send a resume and a brief cover letter of introduction explaining your interest in this position to the lab PIs (Dr. John Bickers, Dr. Margaret Newell, Dr. Deondre Smiles, and Dr. Noel Voltz) at osuhistorypraxislab@gmail.com. Applications are due no later than January 15, 2025. Review of applications will begin January 16, 2025 and continue until the Lab cohort is complete. Students will be notified of their acceptance no later than March 1, 2025.

Location:Dulles Hall (0337)Position Type:Temporary (Fixed Term)Scheduled Hours:10Shift:First ShiftFinal candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

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Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit the Equal Employment Identification form.

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