Description.
The Urban Information Lab (UIL) at the University of Texas at Austin is currently recruiting a GRA. The GRA will have a dual role: firstly, assisting Dr. Junfeng Jiao, the Director of UIL, with research-related tasks, and secondly, conducting independent research on topics related to AI, transportation, or urban informatics. The GRA will have the freedom to choose a research topic of their interest, as long as it centers around quantitative research.
UIL is a cross-disciplinary lab and a national leader in using emerging information technologies to better understand, measure, plan, and develop urban environments and assess urban policies. Since the lab’s inception in 2013, lab researchers have led major projects including investigating Uber’s price surge in Austin, quantifying the spatial distributions of Airbnb rentals in 50 major US cities, exploring bike sharing in NYC, Chicago, DC, Boston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, identifying transit deserts in 52 US cities, and evaluating people’s access to food sources in major Texas cities, among other projects. UIL stakeholders include municipalities, non-profits, and the private sector.
Qualifications: We are looking for candidates with strong academic writing skills, proficiency in GIS, and data analysis abilities using tools such as Python, R, Excel, or others. Master’s students from Community and Regional Planning or other relevant departments are preferred, although other graduate students are also encouraged to apply.
Compensation: This position offers compensation and benefits following the standard UT School of Architecture GRA rate ($20-$22/hour), including 20 hours of paid work per week after a trial period of 1-3 months. Additionally, it may cover tuition for 3-credit hours in the summer and 9-credit hours for each long semester.
Mentorship: Dr. Junfeng Jiao will be the overarching supervisor, however, the GRA will primarily be supervised by PhD student mentor Seung Jun Choi. Seung Jun will provide research guidance, hold regular meetings with the GRAs to assess progress, and address any methodological expertise needed.
How To Apply: Please send your CV and a brief statement (1-2 pages) to Seung Jun Choi at jun.choi@utexas.edu. Questions regarding the position or submission of applications should be sent to Seung Jun Choi, and questions regarding benefits and compensation should be directed to Dr. Jiao at jjiao@austin.utexas.edu.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
