Undergraduate Research Assistant Opportunities in Spring 2022
Columbia University Earth Institute for undergraduates Research Assistant Opportunities In the spring semester of 2022. Undergraduates at Columbia University will be able to serve as research assistants for projects related to sustainability and the environment, along with outstanding faculty and researchers at the forefront of this emerging field.
Although Columbia University’s research assistant positions are usually awarded to graduate students, the program aims to provide undergraduates with a unique opportunity to participate in high-level research and gain valuable experience and skills for their future academic and professional careers. Successful applicants will work directly with teachers on the project on a part-time basis.
The spring 2021 positions include:
- Mixed reality applications of ice sheet science
- Calibrate foraminifera agents used to reconstruct past climate change
- Understand the environmental and human impacts on the restoration of key ecosystem engineers
- What controls the CO2/SO2 ratio in arc-shaped volcanic gas?
- Identify empirical links between climate change, food security and migration
Apply:
Complete the available online application here Until 11:55 PM on Sunday, December 26. Although you can apply for multiple positions, you must submit separate applications for each position.
Only full-time Columbia University undergraduates are eligible to apply. Barnard students are not eligible to take the undergraduate RA program. The funding rate for undergraduate research grants is $18 per hour. The decision will be made shortly after the deadline.
Students selected for the position are expected to participate in the Earth Institute Student Research Exhibition in the spring of 2022.
If you have any questions, please contact David Morales-Miranda (dmiranda@ei.columbia.edu).
1. Mixed reality applications of ice sheet science
Department: Lamont-Dougherty Earth Observatory
Expected tasks: Some expected tasks include: Develop an augmented reality application in Unity and deploy it to multiple platforms. Create intuitive user interfaces for interacting with geospatial data. Create coordinate system transformations to integrate geospatial datasets into Unity. Modifications to existing applications, such as fixing minor bugs, adding more zoom functions to radar images, adding scripts for moving different components of the scene, and other programming tasks. A research assistant is needed to complete these tasks because the project requires a team member with expertise in computer programming and AR development. The research assistant will be responsible for leading the development of the application.
Skills first:
- Have Unity experience, preferably experience using mixed reality toolkits
- Contact head mounted display
- Experience using geospatial data
- 3D graphics knowledge
- Extensive exposure to earth sciences
- Proficient in one or more of the following: ArcGIS, MATLAB, Python, R
2. Calibration is used to reconstruct past foraminifera agents climate change
Department: Department of Earth Environmental Sciences
Expected task: In the spring, RA will work with GRA and will test and package laboratory field equipment under guidance. RA will also be provided to gain insight into ancient applications, including selecting fossil foraminifers from sediments and assisting in welding filaments in the mass spectrometer laboratory. The fieldwork includes collecting juvenile plankton off the coast of Catalina, identifying and measuring individuals under a microscope, preparing and analyzing experimental seawater, and culturing live specimens. If you are interested and meet the requirements, an SCUBA-certified RA can join Catalina’s research diving class in June 2022 and help collect foraminifera during field trips. The working day in this field is interesting but long, and PI is forming a team of senior, graduate, and undergraduate collaborators. Meet the research team in the spring semester and RA will be able to join the field trip with confidence.
Skills preferred: RA will work at the Micropaleontology, Sedimentology, and Geochemistry Laboratory of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, a 30-minute shuttle bus ride from Columbia University. Previous laboratory experience is beneficial, but not required. RA should receive chemical handling training, use personal protective equipment diligently, and follow research instructions carefully and accurately. Students will work as part of a team of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and expect to collaborate with others in the laboratory.
3. Understand the environmental and man-made impacts on the earth Recovery of critical ecosystem engineers
Department: Lamont-Dougherty Earth Observatory
Expected tasks: RA will be involved in all aspects of the research process, including sample classification, cleaning, preparation, and analysis. The specific project tasks of student RA will include but are not limited to: oyster shell sample cleaning, shell shape and density data collection, geometric shape measurement and analysis data collection. Given the scale of the project involved the analysis of multiple samples taken from different locations in the two estuaries, the assistance provided by RA is very valuable for collecting large amounts of data from different research systems. Therefore, the additional data collected by RA will improve the predictive power of the spatial model and better understand the response of oyster reefs to a wider range of environmental and human disturbances.
Skills first:
- RA commutes to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, working one or two days a week should feel comfortable
- An academic background in environmental/natural/biological sciences is desirable
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
- No previous laboratory experience is required, but the RA must be very organized and methodical, with attention to detail. Prior to the commitment, training will be provided in any research tasks.
- Good time management and the ability to work effectively in a team environment are also desirable
4. What controls the ratio of CO2/SO2 in arc volcanic gas?
Department: Lamont-Dougherty Earth Observatory
Expected tasks: RA’s laboratory tasks include selecting olivine crystals, conducting high-pressure experiments with a piston-cylinder device, double-polishing the recovered samples, and analyzing melt inclusions using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electron probes. RA will also participate in compiling the existing geochemical data of San Cristobal Volcano, using the obtained melt inclusion data and Python-based degassing model to calculate gas composition, and comparing the simulated gas composition with that of San Cristobal Volcano. Compare volcanic gas data. The novelty of the project is to obtain high-quality CO2-S data from melt inclusions that have absorbed CO2 in vapor bubbles through high-pressure experiments, and to compare them against the background of the observed CO2/SO2 ratios from volcanic gases. It explains. Therefore, the success of this project depends to a large extent on the above-mentioned detailed laboratory work and data processing. The participation of patient and enthusiastic interns is essential for learning volcanic degassing.
Skills first: To complete this project requires entry-level knowledge of mineralogy and geochemistry. Interns also need to use Excel for data editing, basic data processing and drawing, and PowerPoint for brief presentations. In the process of data processing, we will run some python code. Experience in Python/Matlab is preferred, but not required.
5. Identify empirical links between climate change, food security and migration
Department: International Earth Science Information Network Center
Expected tasks: RA will complete a literature review on climate change, food security, and migration links. As the draft manuscript is finalized, the completion of the project will require further quantification of the patterns identified in the literature review and the creation of graphics for the manuscript. Therefore, RA will be responsible for writing and editing the manuscript, coordinating with co-authors, and writing Python code. RA will submit the manuscript to Population and Environment at the end of the spring quarter of 2022. In addition, RA will communicate its findings to members of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Network and Climate Mobility Network in the spring semester of 2022.
Skills first:
- Excellent written communication skills
- Knowledge of food security, climate change and immigration science policy and literature
- Experience in publishing scientific manuscripts
- Experience working with multinational organizations or humanitarian/development non-profit organizations
- Proficient in Python and GitHub knowledge
