Student Research Assistant, Criminal Justice

The Graduate Assistant position is available for the 2023 summer. This position is a research-focused position, where the student will work directly with Dr. Linsey Belisle and her research team to assist in a grant-funded research project. The project aims to improve the understanding of how Probation and Parole agency policies view and respond to clients’ possession of Naloxone/Narcan. This study will collect qualitative data via interviews with community supervision personnel at various agencies across the U.S. (see a more in-depth project description below).

The research team for this project includes Drs. Linsey Belisle at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), and Kimberly Kras and Tereza Trejbalova at San Diego State University. A graduate assistant from UHD will join the research team.

DUTIES 

The graduate research assistant will be tasked with assisting in the research project, which may include, but is not limited to:

• Collects and organizes participant agency data
• Conducts literature reviews
• Schedules interview times
• Submits recordings for transcription
• Manages data and data entry/cleaning

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES 

• Strong organization and communication skills are preferred
• Must have strong writing and research skills
• Previous data management experience is not required; Dr. Belisle will mentor you

EEO/AA

• Must be admitted to the MSCJ degree program
• Must commit to working 15 hours per week during the summer semester

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Undergraduate Cum GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Grade of B or higher in social science research methods and statistics courses (undergrad or grad-level)

About University of Houston Downtown

The second-largest university in Houston, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is a comprehensive, four-year, urban university in the heart of downtown. Led by President Loren J. Blanchard, UHD is a community of diverse faculty, staff, students, and regional partners dedicated to nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future.  

Since opening its doors in 1974, UHD has grown in size, scope, and service, now offering 46 bachelor’s and 11 master’s degree programs and 17 fully online programs within its four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences & Technology.

UHD educates approximately 15,000 students annually. With more than 77% of UHD’s students coming directly from Harris County, UHD is not just a university in Houston, but Houston’s University and an Anchor Institution for the region.

UHD is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military-Friendly School. While the student population is largely Hispanic at 53% and African-American at 20%, more than 64 countries are represented. Furthermore, UHD has the most affordable tuition among four-year universities in Houston, and its graduates have the lowest student loan debt in the state. Importantly, 70% of UHD freshman students are the first in their families to attend college.

UHD is one of the four distinct and separate components of the University of Houston System, which also includes the University of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and University of Houston-Victoria.  Instructional Sites operated by UHD are University of Houston-Downtown Northwest, University of Houston-Downtown at Lone Star College-Kingwood, University of Houston-Downtown at LSC-CyFair and University of Houston-Downtown at HCC-Coleman College.

The University of Houston-Downtown is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. UHD is committed to equal opportunity and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, genetic information, religion, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, except where such distinction is required by law.