WSRAP Opportunities

Spring 2026 Opportunities

Spring 2026: A limited number of "spring only" job opportunities will be offered through the Work-Study Research Assistant Program for the spring semester.

Opportunities for the 2026-2027 academic year will be posted from early June through August 2026. Note that all applications must be submitted through the new Student Employment platform - 12Twenty. Only applications from undergraduate students with work-study awards will be considered. Please note that the opportunities denoted with the First Generation image are offered by faculty members who themselves identify as first generation (neither parent completed a four-year degree); first generation students are particularly encouraged to consider these positions and apply to those that align with their skills and interests. Student must apply through the 12Twenty platform by navigating to https://studentjobs.uconn.edu/ and selecting the blue "12Twenty for UConn Students" button.

Campus Faculty Name Department Research Focus/Brief Position Description Status
Avery Point Shuwen Tan Marine Sciences My research focuses on understanding how ocean stratification influences the dynamics of internal waves on the inner continental shelf. Using observational data from moorings and sensors, we investigate how density-driven layering affects the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal waves, which play a critical role in coastal transport processes. Our methods combine time-series analysis, statistical techniques, data visualization, and numerical modeling. A student in this position will analyze real-world oceanographic data to study how stratification affects internal wave dynamics at Point Sal, a site known for its energetic internal waves. The work involves processing and visualizing time-series data from oceanographic moorings, applying statistical and signal processing techniques, and potentially contributing to numerical modeling efforts. Students will collaborate with researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Connecticut while developing skills in programming, data analysis, and physical oceanography. The position is primarily computer-based and does not involve field or lab work. Open
Waterbury Pablo Kokay Valente Allied Health Sciences Our research program focuses on understanding determinants of HIV risk and access to preventive and treatment services related to infectious diseases in the US and Brazil. We focus on behavioral and social factors such as mental health, substance use, and stigma, among others. Our team uses quantitative (e.g., biostatistics) and qualitative methods (e.g., analysis of interviews and focus groups) and engages marginalized populations including sexual and gender minorities, people who use substances, and sex workers. RAs will be involved in different research projects and work with other undergraduate and graduate students. Activities students will be involved in include development of proposals and IRB submissions, recruitment of participants, data collection (assisting in qualitative interviews and programming Qualtrics surveys), and data analysis using quantitative and qualitative software. Previous knowledge of data collection and analysis software such as Qualtrics, Stata, SPSS, as well as familiarity with Brazilian Portuguese would be helpful but not required. Open
Hartford Meg Paceley Social Work The research includes a primary focus on understanding the experiences of transgender and gender expansive youth, their families, and professionals who work with them. Research projects include qualitative interviews with advocates and activists, as well as trans youth and their families. The undergraduate student employee will assist with de-identifying interview transcripts, engage in qualitative analysis, find and review academic literature, and support the drafting of academic manuscripts and presentations. Students will also engage in virtual research team meetings, engage in training, and meet with the professor supervisor regularly. All student employees work virtually and are provided with resources and training they need. Open
Hartford Gio Iacono
1st Generation
Social Work This research adopts a dual focus: 1. LGBTQIA+ Youth Mental Health Intervention Research: Supporting the development, scaling, and evaluation of affirmative mindfulness-based interventions tailored for LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. Work includes assessing the impact on mental health and social well-being, and understanding barriers to care. 2. Impacts of Gender-Affirming Care (GAC) Legislation: Investigating how recent legislation banning or restricting gender-affirming mental health care affects providers working with transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse (TNG) youth. The study aims to inform support systems for mental health providers, enhance professional practice, and advance trans equity and justice. This position will involve assisting Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Gio Iacono, with research project coordination, qualitative data analysis (e.g., interview coding), administrative support, dissemination of research findings, and contributing to grant applications to scale interventions and expand the scope of research. Open
Storrs Chang Liu
1st Generation
School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering FLUids, rEduction, Nonlinearity, and Turbulence (FLUENT) group focuses on reduced-order modeling and analysis of fluid flows using various tools, including control theory, nonlinear dynamical systems, and optimization. The fluids problem arises from various applications, including aerospace engineering, naval and ocean engineering, atmosphere, and physical oceanography. This position will test nonlinear instability analysis of time-varying systems. This position will formulate nonlinear instability frameworks using the Lyapunov method, and implement this analysis numerically using linear matrix inequalities or sum-of-squares programming. Filled
Storrs Justin Furuness School of Computing This research is focused on BGP security. We will be simulating the entire internet at scale, developing better defensive policies, and better attacks. We do this in Python and Rust, you can know either Python or C++ for this job. Filled
Storrs Davis Chacon-Hurtado Civil and Environmental Engineering The National Safety Council's 2022 report stated that road traffic fatalities in the United States exceeded 46,000 in 2021, with pedestrians accounting for 20% of these fatalities. This project investigates patterns of pedestrian and cyclist crashes, disparities in infrastructure access, and underlying systemic and behavioral factors contributing to unsafe conditions. Methods include spatial data analysis, literature synthesis, and crash data evaluation. The research assistant will support project tasks focused on understanding factors affecting safety in active transportation in Connecticut. The student will help with literature reviews, data collection from public sources, and datasets for spatial and statistical analysis. Tasks may include coding data, preparing maps or tables, and summarizing findings to support reports and publications. Open
Storrs Molly Waring Allied Health Sciences Our research focuses on health promotion during pregnancy, the post-partum period, and motherhood, with a particular focus on healthy eating, weight management, and mental health. Ongoing research projects relate to child nutrition content on social media and use of social media and podcasts to support maternal mental health. Research Assistants will work with our research team on multiple ongoing research projects. Research Assistants will get involved in all aspects of our projects, from study design to participant recruitment to data collection to results reporting. Open