How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience and skill set. Submit both a resume and cover letter as one file addressed to the study team that outlines your specific interest in the position, your familiarity with the tasks and requirements of the role, and related skills/experiences. Your cover letter will be used to evaluate your writing ability.  

The application deadline is June 6, although applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted via email.

Note: The employment is part-time and is expected to end in November 2023, but could end before then depending on the needs of the college.

Questions about this position can be emailed directly to Ana Paula Pimentel Walker at appiment@umich.edu -or- Gabriel Harp gharp@umich.edu. Email subject line: Research Assistant in Design Research.

Summary

The Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning is looking for a research assistant to work 20 hours a week from June to November and undertake research-related activities in the field of climate change adaptation, health, and the built environment. Reporting to Ana Paula Pimentel Walker, associate professor of urban and regional planning, and Lars Junghans, associate professor of architecture, you will work on a project aimed at improving passive cooling options in low-income and self-built housing. You will work with an international research team across Taubman College, the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), the Centre de Recherche en Sante de Nouna (CRSN), Burkina Faso, and with research partner collaborators in Brazil and Columbia. You will assist with project management, literature review, environmental and building data for fluid dynamic and thermal simulations, perform fluid dynamic modeling and simulation analyses, contribute to the design of passive cooling options, prepare documentation, communications, and more.

We anticipate hiring at least two research assistants for this role, with the duration of the work extending through October 2023.

Responsibilities*

• Review and organize collected data building information, characteristics, interviews, and other ethnographic data
• Document the design, thermal and fluid dynamic modeling, simulation, and engagement processes, and the results from those activities
• Illustrate typologies, construction, assembly details, and other design concepts; consider DEI and population groups, such as women and youth
• Conduct desk research around the material and design ecologies of the regions
• Basic planning and visual design to explain the relationships between heat, health, climate, and the built environment
• Map and characterize passive cooling interventions and opportunities for exploration with residents, community partners, housing advocates, and epidemiologists as part of a global team
• Use translation software to adapt deliverables to different languages and cultures
• Contribution to scientific, scholarly, and general use publications (drafting, preparing figures, tables, references)

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not an exhaustive list of all associated responsibilities.

Required Qualifications*

• An architect-planner, visual communications, or design student familiar with visual representation, and sensitive to cultural representations in the communication of climate adaptation technical materials
• Visual and digital illustration skills
• Ability to search for relevant technical literature; develop comparisons of materials, technologies, and design approaches; and evaluate options and trade-offs
• Willingness to collaborate to bridge differences across disciplines and to communicate results to several stakeholders

Additional Information

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Taubman College values a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, and administrators that includes people of different races and ethnicity, national origin, gender and gender expression, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religious commitment, age, and disability status. We aim to create a community of mutual respect and trust where everyone's backgrounds, identities, and views are represented without any threat of bias, harassment, intimidation, or discrimination. Learn more about our DEI efforts and the shared values we have for our community.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.