Please note: This is a full-time, term role The Research Assistant role is part of the Drinking Water Justice Lab (PI:McDonald) in the Department of Human and Organizational Development in Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and will support the funded research study, PFAS Risk in Tennessee Drinking Water Supply: A Data-Driven Risk-Informed Approach to Identify Communities At-Risk to PFAS Exposure. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation State Revolving Fund Emerging Contaminants Research Allocation (Universities) funded the study. The Research Assistant should be familiar with inequities in the spatial distribution of the United States public drinking water supply. This position will support the two primary aims of the study: (1) to provide an evidence-based approach (i.e., data-driven models such as machine learning methods) to potentially contribute to TDEC’s ability to establish a flexible Tennessee standardized monitoring framework based on predicted levels of PFAS compounds to meet the Final PFAS Rule and (2) to identify small, disadvantaged, and rural communities who are experiencing PFAS contamination in their community water system drinking water supply for these communities to have the potential to leverage funding resources provided by this landmark rule to improve health outcomes to thrive. This position reports directly to the Principal Investigator of the project. About the Work Unit: With a genealogy dating to a one-room Nashville schoolhouse in 1785, Peabody College today is a world-class college of education and human development. Our mission is to enhance the human condition. We do this as we always have, through the preparation of leaders; through cycles of research, implementation, and refinement; through service to families, schools, and communities; and through external engagement with professionals, leaders, and policymakers. Peabody is devoted to creating opportunity in an increasingly diverse society and to solving large societal problems. The Department of Human and Organizational Development is an academic department within Peabody College and represents a group of interdisciplinary programs that share a focus on community and organizational development, health, and wellbeing, and social justice-oriented research and action. HOD focuses on lifespan development through enhancing life-long learning and developing caring and competent learning communities. NOTE: A Term position is a staff position that exists for a period longer than six months but is not expected to last beyond one year. Although a position may exist for a specified or indefinite period, staff who accept term positions are not guaranteed employment for the entire period; they are employed for indefinite periods within the limit of the appointment. There are no guarantees of continued employment, either within the term or when the term ends. Duties and Responsibilities The Research Assistant will: + Assist with quantitative data processing + Assist with qualitative data processing + Assist with geospatial representation of study data and findings + Assist with literature reviews + Assist with the preparation of project reports, conference presentations, and manuscripts + Scheduling, set up, and minute preparation for meetings + Preparation for seminars and workshops + Assist with coordinating workflow for undergraduate research assistants + General tasks, such as project updates or formatting of project deliverables Supervisory Relationships: This position does not have supervisory responsibility Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Health or Medicine or Environmental Sciences, or a related discipline from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary. + 1-2 years of research experience in an environmental science lab or related field is strongly preferred + Experience with data science is strongly preferred. + Experience with R and geospatial software is strongly preferred. + Experience writing up and communicating research findings is preferred. + Strong working knowledge of data science is necessary + Ability to contribute to database development, including data structure and incorporating spatial and non-spatial data + Ability to organize data, including following best practices in data management, such as developing code books, version control of files, and data documentation + Strong computer skills are necessary, with confidence in the ability to learn new programs as necessary + Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zotero, and Adobe Acrobat software is necessary + Ability to use RStudio (Posit) for data cleaning, organizing, and quantitative data analysis is necessary + Ability to use ArcGIS is necessary, including working knowledge of geospatial methodologies to clean, analyze, and visualization + Ability or willingness to learn how to construct machine learning models using R or other software is highly preferred + Ability to write clearly and concisely is necessary + Willingness to talk to people and diagnose ways to contribute outside of explicitly defined tasks is preferred + Flexible attitude and willingness/ability to complete a wide variety of tasks is necessary + Self-directed and driven; ability to work with a minimum of supervision is necessary Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law. Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.