Geospatial Research Lab Assistant (Student)

American University; United States; On-site; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

American University in Washington, DC is seeking a part-time Student Geospatial Assistant to digitize and georeference historical maps for academic research. You will work with the Program Director for Geospatial Research Support in the University Library and help plan a mapping workshop and a community map event.

No prior GIS experience is required; you will be trained in core digitization skills and gain hands-on experience with GIS software, data creation, metadata, and open-data publishing.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or its equivalent; must be a current AU student.
• Attention to detail and ability to work independently once trained.
• Interest in maps, geography, history, data, or GIS.

Responsibilities

• Georeference and digitize historical maps.
• Extract geographic features and build GIS data layers.
• Write and publish metadata.
• Assist with design and facilitation of a creative mapping workshop.
• Help organize and run a HOT map-a-thon.
• Document digitization workflows for future use.

Skills

ArcGIS familiarity

QGIS familiarity

GitHub familiarity

Coding basics

Cartography interest

Attention to detail

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

GitHub

Job description

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, and Contribute to Your University Community. This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Most student positions at American University are eligible to use Federal Work Study (FWS) awards, with a few exceptions. FWS funds cannot be applied to janitorial, construction, partisan or sectarian positions. For information or questions regarding FWS funds, please contact American University's Office of Financial Aid.

Department

Digital Research & Inquiry Lab

Time Type

Part time

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

Job Description

The Student Geospatial Assistant will primarily be responsible for digitizing and georeferencing historical maps and data for use in academic research. Working with the Program Director for Geospatial Research Support in the University Library, the Student Geospatial Assistant will also help plan and run a creative mapping workshop and a community mapping event. No prior GIS experience is required; the Assistant will be trained in the core digitization skills the position uses and will gain hands-on experience with GIS software, data creation, metadata, and open-data publishing.

Essential Functions

• Georeferencing and digitizing historical maps.
• Extracting geographic features and building GIS data layers.
• Writing and publishing metadata.
• Assisting with the design and facilitation of a creative mapping workshop.
• Helping organize and run a Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HOT) map-a-thon.
• Documenting digitization workflows for future use.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

Part-time. 10 hours per week.

Salary Range

$18.40 per hour.

Required Education and Experience

High school diploma or its equivalent. Must be a current AU Student. Attention to detail and the ability to work independently once trained. An interest in maps, geography, history, data, or GIS.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Helpful but not required: familiarity with ArcGIS or QGIS, GitHub, coding, graphic design, or cartography.
• No prior GIS or mapping experience is required; training is provided.
• Approximately 10 hours per week, scheduled flexibly around the student's class schedule.

Other Details

This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. American University is an E-Verify employer. Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment and benefits.

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email [e-mail].

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities. The university does not discriminate.

American University is a student centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.