Call for Applications: Employing Humanities Undergraduate Research Opportunity with Professor Kimberly Helmer

Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 17, 2024

The Humanities Division is excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for Humanities undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to work with Writing Program Professor, Kimberly Adilia Helmer, PhD.

Undergraduate research connects Humanities majors and minors to faculty-led research projects in the Division and it provides a valuable opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and develop skills to make an impactful intellectual or creative contribution to their field. Students gain practical experience and professional training that builds on their studies in the Humanities. At the same time, faculty benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise.

About the Project: Discourse Analysis

Two student researchers will assist Professor Helmer in transcribing focus-group and individual interviews with Chinese international students.

The interviewed students were in their final quarters at UCSC and reflected back on their writing (and other) experiences, specifically how their first-year writing courses assisted them (or not) with their diverse studies.The methodology used for transcription is Conversation Analysis (CA), a time-intensive, but state-of-the-art methodology. Student researchers will learn the theories behind CA as well as how to do the fine-grained transcribing.

Students would be invited to also participate in learning how to analyze the "talk" transcribed. Findings from this analysis would help us gain greater insights into the international student experience and how we can better serve them. One initial finding is their need for greater emotional/psychological support.

Position Description: Undergraduate Research Assistant

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Interview Transcription (94%):
  • Understand Conversational Analysis (CA) and the transcription style through two-three key readings and discussion with Dr. Helmer.
  • Learn to use transcription software and foot pedals.
  • Listen to interviews and transcribe talk using CA conventions.
  • Save work in a shared Google Drive.
  • Meet weekly with Dr. Helmer to check progress, discuss work, and answer questions.

• Analysis (6%):
  • Learn to uncover themes in the transcriptions.
  • Annotate the transcription with potential themes.
  • Weekly discussions will center on this analysis.
  • Dr. Helmer will conduct the primary analysis, but students will provide valuable additional “insider” insights.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• You are a declared major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division, and you are in good academic standing.
• You will be enrolled at UC Santa Cruz through the end of Spring Quarter 2024.
• You speak English as a primary or secondary language, and you have high-level English skills.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• You are a Linguistics or Language and Applied Linguistics major or minor.
• You are comfortable thinking critically and have some experience with qualitative analysis.
• You are patient and persistent in the face of challenges.
• You are organized and can meet deadlines.
• You’re a proactive communicator with faculty and enjoy collaborating with peers.
• You have an acute attention to detail.
• You are able to type at a quick pace.
• You are able to listen attentively to conversation.
• You are able to understand Mandarin-accented English.
• You are familiar with using Google Docs and Google Drive.
• You are able to learn new software fairly easily, and bonus points if you have experience with Inqscribe software.

When: Winter and Spring Quarters 2024, January - June 2024

Hours: 10 hours/week

Pay Rate: $18/hour

# Positions Available: 2

Location: On Campus & Remote

Reports to: Kimberly Adilia Helmer, PhD and Writing Programs Professor

How To Apply

Apply by submitting your resume and a short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why this job? Why you? Why now?

Please address your cover letter to Professor Helmer.

• A tip for writing this cover letter is to consider how this position will further your undergraduate studies as well as your professional career once you have completed your education.
• Review these resume and cover letter resources to ensure that you are a strong candidate.

Once the application window closes, there will be a virtual interview process with top candidates.

Email our Experiential Learning Coordinator Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with questions.

This undergraduate internship is generously supported by The Mellon Foundation.