Employment Opportunities

The Development and Learning Lab at the University of Dayton (Dayton, OH, USA), directed by Dr.
Mary Wagner, invites applications from qualified candidates for a full-time research assistant position
to start on or after July 1, 2025. This position is funded by a National Science Foundation grant
(#2301009, https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2301009&HistoricalAwards=false) to Dr.
Wagner (formerly Fuhs) to study the early development of executive functioning and math skills in preschool-aged children.

Duties include grant administration and IRB approvals, stimulus design and
database management, recruiting and scheduling participants at schools, collaborating with local
preschool teachers and administrators to conduct grant-related activities, and training and
supervising undergraduate researchers. This is a collaborative grant across two universities, the
University of Dayton and Indiana University. Therefore, the research assistant will participate in
regular project meetings with the PI at Indiana University, Dr. Elizabeth Gunderson, and her team,
and will work alongside the research team in Dr. Gunderson’s lab to design and carry out the
experiments. The research assistant will also be responsible for organizing and participating in
outreach activities in the community and will be expected to attend regular on and off campus
meetings and/or virtual meetings. There will be opportunities to be involved in the dissemination of
research through conference presentations, publications, and technical reports. The minimum
expected commitment to the project is one year, with the possibility of extension for up to three years
depending on performance.

1. Bachelor's degree
2. Awareness of and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive
communications across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to race, gender,
physical limitations, class, socioeconomic status, or religious perspectives.
3. Understanding of the lived experiences of children from underrepresented racial/ethnic
communities and children living in low-socioeconomic status households.
4. Direct experience working with young children ages 2 – 6 in a research or teaching capacity.
5. Proficiency with MS Office (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
6. Experience with statistical software, including SPSS, and relevant course work/experience in
performing quantitative and qualitative data analyses.
7. Ability to work effectively with undergraduate students in a research capacity.
8. Strong organization, time management, and interpersonal skills.
9. Commitment to community-engaged and applied research.
10. Ability to travel to community locations if/when needed.
11. Valid drivers license with low risk driving record.

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

1. Experience with computer programming (e.g., content management systems, R, JavaScript,
MatLab, RedCap, Filemaker).
2. Experience working with undergraduate students in a collaborative manner or in interdisciplinary
research teams.
3. Prior experience writing manuscripts for publication or conference presentation (including but not
limited to, honors thesis or independent research projects, co-authoring a conference poster or
paper or journal article submission).
4. Experience with community-engaged and applied research in school settings.

To apply please submit a cover letter addressing each minimum qualification and any applicable preferred qualifications that you meet.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The University does not provide work visa sponsorship for this position.

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity, achieve equitable outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, we will not discriminate against minorities, women, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.