Advanced Herpetology Assistant: Taxonomy & Data Curation

Sam Houston State University; Huntsville (TX); On-site; USD 16,000 - 23,000; Part time

Job summary

Sam Houston State University is seeking a Student Worker in the College of Science and Engineering Technology to support advanced herpetology activities. You will verify species, design and migrate database structures, and map legacy records to Darwin Core terms for global data sharing.

The role emphasizes careful data handling, independent work, and collaboration with the academic affairs division. The position is 10–15 hours per week at $14.00 per hour for enrolled students.

Qualifications

• Enrolled student at SHSU with strong background in Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Data Science, or related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency in herpetological identification.
• Familiarity with biodiversity informatics standards, Darwin Core schema and metadata structures.

Responsibilities

• Taxonomic Identification: verify and identify amphibian, reptile, and fish specimens using taxonomic keys and literature.
• Database Architecture: design, optimize, and migrate the collection database with data integrity.
• Biodiversity Informatics: map and standardize legacy data to Darwin Core for international aggregation.
• Curation & Preservation: oversee processing, labeling, and organization of specimens.

Skills

Herpetological identification

Attention to detail

Independent work

Biodiversity informatics standards

Education

Enrolled student in Evolutionary Biology / Ecology / Data Science or related field

Job description

Sam Houston State University is seeking a Student Worker in the College of Science and Engineering Technology to support advanced herpetology activities. You will verify species, design and migrate database structures, and map legacy records to Darwin Core terms for global data sharing.

The role emphasizes careful data handling, independent work, and collaboration with the academic affairs division. The position is 10–15 hours per week at $14.00 per hour for enrolled students.