Undergraduate Research Assistant

Essential Duties

• We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented undergraduate student to join Dr. Maya-Lastra’s research lab. The successful candidate will assist Dr. Maya-Lastra in gathering, organizing, and classifying specialized botanical information needed for machine learning development in biological areas. This role offers hands-on experience handling specialized morphological information and opportunities to learn about structured biological information and how it can support artificial intelligence applications in botany.

Essential Duties

• Data processing: Gather information and resources, paying attention to sources, licenses, and structure.
• Data organization and classification: Extract morphological characters from botanical descriptions and literature, and classify them into standardized terminology and structured formats.
• Quality control: Review entries for accuracy, consistency, and completeness, and flag ambiguous or conflicting information.
• Documentation & Reporting: Keep detailed records of sources, licenses, and procedures followed, and prepare regular progress summaries for Dr. Maya-Lastra.
• Collaboration: Attend lab meetings and communicate progress, questions, and issues in a timely manner.

Benefits

• Gain hands-on research experience in botanical data curation and computational methods.
• Training in plant morphology, data standards, and how structured data supports machine learning.
• Opportunity to co-author reports and presentations.
• Mentorship and collaboration within an active research group

Required Qualifications

• Must be a currently enrolled student who is registered for classes.
• Knowledge of botanical terminology
• Be able to read botanical morphological descriptions accurately
• Previous experience with flora treatments
• Ability to work independently without supervision based on objectives

Preferred Qualifications

• A grade B or better in Botany and Plant Taxonomy

Physical Demands

EEO Statement