Student Microbiology Lab Assistant

The University of Kansas; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 15,000 - 21,000; Part time

Job summary

The University of Kansas is seeking a student hourly to support the Microbiology Teaching Lab in Haworth Hall. Responsibilities include media preparation, disposal, inventory, and cleaning of labware and equipment.

You will help with restocking supplies and ensuring safe handling of materials in a teaching lab environment. This hourly position requires lifting up to 50 lbs, standing for extended periods, and shifts of at least 2 consecutive hours up to 20 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Billets may require lifting up to 50 lbs during deliveries.
• Comfortable standing for extended lab tasks and equipment use.

Responsibilities

• Assist with media preparation for Microbiology labs.
• Dispose of media following autoclave procedures and safety rules.
• Restock media supplies (petri plates, tubes, caps, flasks).
• Learn to operate media equipment (autoclaves, omnispense, steam kettle).
• Clean reusable media prep items and inventory media, reagents, and chemicals.

Skills

Heavy lifting

Stand for long

Shift flexibility

Job description

Position OverviewThis student position plays a vital role in aiding the Microbiology Laboratory Coordinators in the Media room of Haworth Hall with mixing/pouring/dispensing growth media, making reagents and chemicals, washing labware, lab coats and bins, disposing of biohazardous waste and restocking supplies for the Microbiology teaching lab sections. Student workers are an intricate part of running the teaching labs efficiently and smoothly daily.

Job Description

50% Media preparation and disposal

• Prepare media for use in all Microbiology labs for use with experiments.
• Dispose of used media by learning to run an autoclave for proper and safe disposal.
• Restock any items needed for the preparation of media: petri plates, tubes, caps, flasks etc.
• Learn to use several pieces of equipment to make media and to dispose of media: autoclaves, omnispense, steam kettle, etc.
• Clean any used reusable media preparation items-flasks, bottles, tubing for media machines etc.

50% General housekeeping

• Washing dishes and bins, doing laundry, putting away clean dishes and bins once they are dry.
• Cleaning equipment, this includes: pipettors, microscopes, incubators, our steam kettle, water baths, media fridges, dusting, etc.
• Calibrate equipment-pipettors for example.
• Refill pipette tip boxes, eppy boxes etc. and autoclave them.
• Inventory of media, reagents, chemicals etc.
• Temperature checks of incubators and fridges weekly and as needed.
• Put away any deliveries of supplies or media for Media room to use.
• Relabel any labels that are old, not able to be read or tearing on reagent bottles, Gram Stain kits etc.
• Dispose of sterile media, cardboard, or items that need to go to the dumpster for disposal.
• Disinfecting surfaces, fridges, incubators and labs in between semesters.

Required Qualifications

1. Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. for handling lab deliveries.
2. Comfortable standing for extended periods during lab tasks (e.g., fume hood work, media dispensing, labware cleaning)
3. Availability for shifts of at least 2 consecutive hours, up to 20 hours per week.

Position Requirements

During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).

Employment Conditions

(1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.

(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.

Additional Candidate Instructions

In addition to the online application, please provide the following.

• Resume
• Cover Letter addressing your qualifications.
• Contact information for at least 2 professional references.

The first pool review will begin October 29th, 2026. A review of applications will continue until a qualified pool of applicants has been identified.

Contact Information to Applicants

Shelli Nauman
[e-mail]

Kennedy Chrisco
[e-mail]

Advertised Salary Range$13.00Anticipated Start DateFriday November 6, 2026