User Experience Research (UXR) Fellow
Spring/Summer 2025 Fellowship Program
Center for Academic Innovation
Deadline to apply: First consideration will be given to those who apply by March 30th, 2025

Location: 317 Maynard St., Ann, Arbor, MI 48104

Pay Rate: Undergraduate $17/hr, Master’s $20/hr, Doctoral $23/hr

Job Duration: 29 - 40 hours/week for summer term, with the possibility of extending the fellowship

Supervisor: Adrian Berrigan (adberrig@umich.edu)

Who we’re looking for:

We’re looking for thoughtful and motivated student fellows to help us conduct user/learner research for our educational tools and online learning experiences. Some of these applications enhance the residential education experience and facilitate engaged, personalized learning at the University of Michigan, while others pertain to online learning outside of campus. 

Duties

The UX Research fellowship will help cross-functional teams understand user needs and experiences to drive innovation and improve usability for our educational tools. Fellows in this role will have the opportunity to apply a variety of methods in conducting user research and synthesize findings that translate into real improvements for CAI’s educational technology portfolio. Fellows will also practice their presentation and storytelling skills, tailoring communication to a range of technical and non-technical audiences. 

How to Apply:

To apply, please complete the Student Fellowship Application and upload the following supplemental documents: 

• Resume

• Portfolio (or link to portfolio site) showcasing at least one UXR case study

• Response detailing your interest in the role and motivation for pursuing UX research?

Required Qualifications:

• Pursuing a degree in Human-Computer Interaction / User Experience, or another field in human behavior or technology, such as Cognitive Science, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication, Economics, or Computer Science

  • Priority will be given to those at the junior/senior undergraduate level and all graduate-level students

• Work well independently and as part of a multicultural and collaborative environment

• Excellent communication skills (oral, written, and listening) and attention to detail 

• Experience with methods and artifacts commonly used in user research (e.g., in-depth interviews, tree testing, contextual inquiries, usability tests, surveys, focus groups, competitive analyses, journey maps, personas, heuristic evaluations, card sorting, diary studies, and participatory design)

• Strong writing skills to support project documentation, research reports, and slide decks 

• A portfolio that demonstrates experience with different research methods and communicates the context, process, findings, and outcomes of at least one project

Desired Qualifications (not required to apply):

• Understanding of when and how to apply different research methods by considering factors such as quantitative versus qualitative, behavioral versus attitudinal, and stages of the UX product cycle

• Some familiarity with tools commonly used in UX research such as Qualtrics, Dovetail, Figma, Miro, Excel, Sheets, Airtable, UXMetrics, Maze, and Optimal Workshop

• Interest in educational technology, research practices in higher education, or online learning