Non-College Work-Study| The FISER Department

University of Houston; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 14,000 - 19,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Houston System's FISER Department seeks Student Research Assistants to help develop and pilot Smart Pathways, an AI-driven mobile app for underserved Houston students. You will code, test AI components, and support NLP/ML aspects of the project.

Responsibilities include data collection, UI testing, documentation review, and preparing visuals for grant progress reports. Strong teamwork and English communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Enrolled undergraduate or graduate student in CS, CIS/MIS, Data Science, or related computing field.
• Experience or coursework in programming, software/system development, data analysis.
• Interest or experience in AI, NLP, or ML is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist in coding, developing, and testing AI components and mobile app features for the MVP.
• Perform data collection, system testing, UI evaluation, and statistical analysis on pilot data.
• Review technical docs, proofread reports, and maintain project code repositories.
• Prepare slides, tables, graphs, and posters to aid faculty in presenting findings and reports.
• Support maintenance of software tools, hardware, and development environments.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Office & documentation tools

English communication

Team collaboration

Education

Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student in CS/CIS/MIS/Data Science

Tools

Mobile app development

AI/ML coursework

NLP familiarity

Job description

Department:Fin, Inf Sys, Econ & Risk MgmtSalary:$12.00 per hour

Description

The FISER Department is seeking Student Research Assistants to support the development and pilot testing of Smart Pathways—an AI-driven mobile application funded by the Powell Foundation that utilizes natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to assist underserved Houston students in navigating the college application process.

Responsibilities & Duties

Programming & System Development: Assist in coding, developing, and testing AI components, mobile app features, and role-based access workflows for the minimum viable product (MVP).

• Data & System Testing: Perform data collection, system testing, user interface evaluation, and statistical analysis on pilot data sets.
• Documentation & Review: Review technical documentation, check facts, proofread research reports, and maintain project code repositories.
• Dissemination Support: Prepare presentation slides, tables, graphs, and posters to assist faculty researchers in presenting findings and preparing grant progress reports.
• Technical Maintenance: Support the maintenance of software tools, hardware, and development environments required for the grant project

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilites

Core Competencies

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Proficiency with standard office and technical documentation tools (spreadsheets, slides, data tables).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Qualifications

• Educational Background: Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems (CIS/MIS), Data Science, or a related computing field.
• Technical Skills: Prior experience or coursework in programming, software/system development, data analysis, or mobile app design. (Experience or interest in AI, Natural Language Processing, or Machine Learning is a plus).

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.