Undergraduate Student Research Assistant for University of Maryland Anaerobic Digestion Research
The Waste to Energy and Water Quality Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Stephanie Lansing in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology is looking to hire a part-time (15-20 hours/week) Undergraduate Research Assistant for anaerobic digestion research. The work involves collecting and analyzing manure, wastewater, algae, and food waste for nutrients, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total and volatile solids contents (TS/VS), E. coli and total coliforms, as well as monitoring biogas production and gas composition via gas chromatography (GC), and inputting all data into an Excel spreadsheet. The student must be comfortable working with laboratory equipment, wastewater/manure samples, and have a valid US driver’s license, with less than 6 points in moving violations and be comfortable driving an automatic University truck to/from field sites for sample collection. Previous lab experience is a plus, but the student must show a demonstrated work ethic, attention to detail, a willingness to learn, and stick to a punctual laboratory work schedule.
Pay rate will start at $9.50/hour, with 2 weeks of unpaid probation training prior to starting on payroll, and the possibility of pay increases with experienced gained.
Applications should be emailed to Dr. Stephanie Lansing: slansing@umd.edu by August 15th at 5pm. The applications should include an updated resume and a cover letter detailing laboratory experience, expected graduate date, and any other pertinent experience/details. Priority will be given to sophomore and junior applicants to allow for the possibility of the student working multiple years in the Waste to Energy laboratory.