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University of Wisconsin–Madison

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University of Wisconsin–Madison

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Undergraduate Hourly Research Assistant Position

Apply now(opens in a new window) Job No: 511868
Division/Organization: College of Agricultural & Life Sciences
Department: Soil Science
Job Type: UW Student Jobs
Remote Eligbility: Not Remote
Location: UW Madison
Salary/Wage Range or Lump Sum: $16.00
Job Categories: Interpersonal Communication, Leadership, Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Professionalism/Work Ethic, Agriculture and Natural Resources, STEM, Data Analysis

Department Overview:

 The Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison advances soil and environmental research through interdisciplinary approaches, addressing challenges in sustainable agriculture, ecosystem management, and environmental change.

The Yakun Zhang Research Lab integrates field observations, remote sensing, spectroscopy, and modeling approaches to study soil and landscape processes across scales. The lab develops data-driven methods for soil assessment, digital soil mapping, and precision agriculture, with the goal of improving sustainable land management and climate change adaptation. Students will gain hands-on experience in soil science, spectroscopy, environmental experiments, and computational modeling.

Anticipated Start Date:

 9/05/2026

Anticipated End Date (If Applicable):

 12/30/2026

Remote Work Eligibility Detail:

Not Remote

 

Anticipated Hours Per Week:

 Minimum: 10 Maximum: 20

Schedule:

 This is an in-person laboratory research position located in the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Students are expected to contribute approximately 10-15 hours per week.
Working hours will be flexible and scheduled in advance each week. Specific daily activities will be communicated ahead of time based on laboratory needs and project progress.

Salary/Wage Range/Lump Sum:

 Minimum: $16.00

Number of Positions:

 4

Qualifications:

 Applicants must be undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
No specific academic major is required; however, students in ecology, environmental science, agronomy, soil science, or related fields are preferred.
No prior research experience is required, but previous laboratory experience is a plus.
Applicants should be detail-oriented, responsible, and able to complete assigned tasks in a timely manner.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

This position involves basic soil physical and chemical experiments, which are non-hazardous and relatively simple, requiring no specialized equipment. Training and guidance will be provided by graduate students at the beginning. Applicants with prior experience in environmental or laboratory experiments are preferred.

Position Summary/Job Duties:

Position Overview

This position is for a part-time undergraduate research assistant (up to 24 hours per week) in the project “Sensing Technologies for Soil Health Assessment.” The project applies soil spectroscopy and machine learning approaches to rapidly evaluate soil health indicators and understand how agricultural management practices influence soil health. The goal is to support sustainable soil management practices.

Key Responsibilities

The student will primarily conduct laboratory work using MIR spectrometers to collect soil spectral data from prepared soil samples. A flexible work schedule will be provided to accommodate students’ academic commitments, but students are expected to contribute at least 10-15 hours per week. Comprehensive training and experimental guidance will be provided, and a graduate student will assist with hands-on instruction.

The student may also assist with soil sample preparation, including grinding and sieving. In addition, the student will work with graduate researchers to develop a local soil spectral library integrating MIR spectra, soil health measurements, and environmental information.

Physical Demands:

Short periods of standing and prolonged sitting

Institutional Statements:

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

UW-Madison is an Equal Employment, Equal Access Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background-people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: diversity.wisc.edu

Accommodation Statement:

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/
 
 

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Applications close: Central Daylight Time

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