Part-Time Research Assistant- Health and Human Development

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

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• 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 REQUIREMENTS:

The Morbidity, Mortality and Demography (MOMA-D) Lab in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State is hiring a part-time researcher to assist in research dissemination and outreach activities in Puerto Rico, with emphasis in health and aging research. The MOMA-D is housed at the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and is led by Dr. Alexis R. Santos.

An emphasis in health disparities research conducted in the MOMA-D Lab is placed on understanding whether psychosocial factors such as social support, loneliness, marital status, social disruption, and work environment operate similarly for minoritized racial-ethnic groups for the health of the working-age population in the United States and for older adults in Puerto Rico.

The work will build upon ongoing projects from Dr. Santos’ research portfolio. We will focus on outreach efforts to older adults in Puerto Rico by means of a series of seminars, lectures, and workshops by visiting long-term care facilities.

The researcher will be responsible for designing these talks, delivering them, and collecting feedback from participants which will be used for evaluation and potential publications. Opportunities for authorship and co-authorship on projects will be available. The successful candidate must have a basic understanding of health disparities, be comfortable with public speaking, and delivering lectures in Spanish at numerous collaborating institutions. The candidate will receive weekly mentoring on research and other activities.

MOMA-D currently hosts two postdoctoral scholars, one of which specialized in Puerto Rico and who will collaborate with the researcher. The researcher will collaborate closely with the Research Team on this, and other projects being conducted at the lab.

This is a part-time, temporary position from late August 2023 until July 2024. Graduate training in Public Health (M.P.H., equivalent or higher) or related experience is expected. The research assistant will work the equivalent of 20 hours per week for 12 months, with possibility of appointment for a second year based on meeting key evaluating metrics and funding availability. Salary will be commensurate with experience and academic attainment. Opportunities for professional development within the Penn State academic community will be facilitated by MOMA-D based on the candidate’s needs.

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