This position has been filled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Dr. Sarah Pennington in the MSU Department of Education is seeking a full time Graduate Research Assistant to begin the 2023-2024 academic year. Dr. Pennington’s current research focuses on middle grades education and stakeholder perceptions of the degree to which middle grades schools meet the needs of young adolescents. Additional research in literacy, including how education majors define reading, is also ongoing. As a GRA supporting Dr. Pennington in on-going research, the GRA will have opportunities for co-author and co-presenter credit.

Position Description

Under the direction of Dr. Pennington, the GRA will:

  • Assist in data collection
  • Conduct data analysis using STATA, SPSS, or MPlus as appropriate
  • Assist in dissemination of research, including contributing to writing of associated documents
  • Communicate with research partners as needed
  • Develop work plans in accordance with project objectives
  • Help train & supervise new research personnel

Required qualifications/skills

  • Knowledge of basic data analysis (descriptive and inferential statistics)
  • Skill in both verbal and written communication
  • Ability to work in a collaborative environment
  • Self-directed

Preferred qualifications/skills

  • Applied knowledge of statistical software (STATA, SPSS, and/or MPlus)
  • Knowledge of statistical analyses, including multilevel analyses, factor analyses, and multiple regression
  • Experience writing in academic genres, including journal articles

Compensation

This full time GRA position (19 hours/week) includes a tuition waiver for up to 12 credits per semester, and stipend.

Contact

Contact Dr. Sarah Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu.