Graduate Research Assistant Position Available in CECD
Kansas State University
Center for Engagement and Community Development
Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Engagement and Community Development (CECD) Overview:
Kansas State University’s Center for Engagement and Community Development is a campus-wide engagement and outreach center. CECD’s mission is to promote engagement across the breadth of our campus- in teaching, research, and outreach - and to connect the resources of K-State to the significant issues of public need facing Kansas and communities worldwide. Engagement is a form of research, teaching or service in which collaborative efforts between university and community stakeholders result in scholarly activity and community benefit around a public issue. Our center works to energize, facilitate, benchmark, and celebrate engaged work around a variety of significant public issues. You can read more about CECD at: www.ksu.edu/engagement.
Position Overview:
The graduate research assistant will support the director and staff of CECD around our food access initiative. The GRA will provide support in research and outreach and will assist with special projects focused on food access. One specific project the GRA will assist with is a Rural Business Enterprise Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Through this RBEG, K-State’s CECD and the Advanced Manufacturing Institute will provide technical assistance to small and emerging private businesses in Southeast Kansas who have products they would like to sell online. Focus will be on local food, value added food, agriculturally based, plant based, bio-technology, and other locally made food products.
Time Commitment:
The graduate research assistant will be committed to 20 hours in the office and off-site events as needed or required. There will be travel required of this position. The position will be filled immediately and run through August, 2015, with the possibility of reappointment to additional academic years. Reappointment is based on satisfactory work performance and available funding.
Responsibilities:
• Assist with research around food access issues
• Assist with the editing and preparation of manuscripts, reports, grant applications, and presentations
• Conduct literature reviews
• Collect and analyze data
• Attend rural food access project meetings
• Meet regularly with director of CECD to discuss food access projects
• Manage food access correspondence
• Conduct regular scans of web content connected to food access identifying critical issues, trends and developments relating to rural food access
• Connect and build relationships on campus and with off-campus stakeholders; understand their needs, communicate those needs appropriately, and assist in the development of applicable responses that fulfill the mission of CECD
• Assist CECD with the development of content for programs, workshops, seminars and other professional opportunities; assist in the facilitation and execution of events as needed
• Other duties as assigned by the director of CECD and based on the needs of the center.
Qualifications:
• Graduate status in a dept. at K-State
• Self-motivated, with the ability to recognize and respond to needs and complete projects with minimal guidance as a member of the CECD team
• Strong research skills (quantitative and/or qualitative research methodologies)
• A commitment to the mission and vision of K-State’s CECD
• Organized with a strong attention to detail
• The ability to prepare cogent reports and presentations
• Collaborative with ability to work in a team setting
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
• Abilities in web design, social media, photo editing, and In-design are also preferable, but not required
Compensation:
September 15, 2014 – August 31, 2015: $15,809.00
To Apply:
Please email a letter of interest, a current resume and the name of three recommenders by September 1, 2014 to: Dr. David E. Procter, Director, CECD cecd@ksu.edu