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How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Job Summary
The Extreme Smoke Project in the School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan is seeking an experienced, positive, highly motivated, and organized graduate student to join us as a Research Assistant. You will work with a growing research team who also has a commitment to contributing to a welcoming environment for all members of our community.
Our primary goal is to understand how people make decisions in response to differing characteristics of wildfire smoke events in the past 5 years. We will examine how the severity, frequency, and duration of smoke experiences shape protective responses. We also want to study how psychological and social processes such as emotion, social identity, social norms, and risk perception influence those responses, and how public health organizations can use this knowledge to communicate more effectively about how people can protect themselves from extreme smoke.
The Research Assistant will work with the principal investigator, post-doctoral research fellow and other research team members to efficiently carry out a range of tasks associated with writing and quantitative data, including grant writing, literature searches, database management, basic data analysis, and other general research duties related to project operations. This position is expected to work both independently and with other members of the research team.
Note: 10 hours per week | 12-month temporary position
Department Summary Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI) - Extreme Smoke Wildfire smoke has become a major threat to health and well-being as climate change accelerates. Despite this growing risk, we still know little about how people decide what to do when smoke arrives or how to communicate protective guidance clearly. Protective choices are challenging because smoke is less attention-grabbing than other hazards, difficult to link to long-term health consequences, and its intensity can change quickly. These qualities often create uncertainty in how to respond. Moreover, some protective actions, such as wearing masks, are also tied to polarized issues, which can increase resistance for reasons that have little to do with the threat of smoke itself.
Mission Statement At the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), we are at the forefront of building a more sustainable and just world for all by transforming the impact of higher education and reimagining the future. We are advancing action through innovation, research, education, and engagement in society, and developing leaders who are empowered to halt the climate crisis and create an environmentally sound future for generations to come. To learn more about SEAS and our values, please visit our website at https://seas.umich.edu/about/seas-values. |
