Student Research Assistant

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Thank you for your interest in joining the University of Wyoming. Our community thrives on the contributions of talented and driven individuals who share in our mission, vision, and values. If your expertise and experience align with the goals of our institution, we would be thrilled to hear from you. We encourage you to apply and become a valued member of our vibrant campus community today! 

At the University of Wyoming, we are committed to creating a supportive and enriching workplace. 

JOB TITLE:  

Student Research Assistant 

JOB PURPOSE:   

The purpose of this position is to provide technical research support for the development and evaluation of efficient multimodal AI methods capable of understanding transportation and environmental conditions from visual and related data. The work will contribute to research on deploying vision-language models under computational and resource constraints.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Prepare, organize, and preprocess image, video, text, and related research datasets.
• Conduct computational experiments involving model inference, fine-tuning, compression, quantization, and other methods for efficient model deployment.
• Evaluate model performance using appropriate quantitative metrics and experimental protocols.
• Assist with deployment and testing of models on edge or resource-constrained computing platforms.
• Maintain organized experimental records and document research methods and results.
• Meet regularly with the faculty supervisor to discuss progress and research tasks.

SUPPLEMENTAL FUNCTIONS: 

• Conduct literature searches related to vision-language models, multimodal AI, edge AI, and transportation/environmental sensing.
• Assist with preparation of figures, tables, demonstrations, and materials for research presentations and reports.
• Assist with documentation of datasets, software, and experimental procedures.
• Perform other research-related duties associated with the project as assigned.   

COMPETENCIES: 

•  Programming and computational problem-solving skills.
• Ability and willingness to learn machine-learning and data-analysis tools.
• Ability to work independently under faculty supervision.
• Attention to detail in conducting and documenting computational experiments.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to organize research data, code, and experimental results.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

•  Current undergraduate or graduate student in engineering, computer science, data science, mathematics, or a related field.
• Programming experience in Python or a comparable programming language.
• Basic knowledge of machine learning, data analysis, or computational methods.
• Ability to work independently and learn new computational tools.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:   

• Experience with Python and machine-learning frameworks such as PyTorch.
• Familiarity with computer vision, deep learning, large language models, or vision-language models.
• Experience working with image or video datasets.
• Familiarity with Linux, Git, GPU computing, or high-performance computing environments.
• Interest in transportation, remote sensing, edge AI, or multimodal artificial intelligence.
• Experience with model optimization, quantization, or deployment on edge-computing hardware is desirable but not required.

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS: 

Complete the online application.  The department additionally requests candidates upload the following document(s) for a complete application: 

1. Cover letter 
2. Resume or C.V. 

WORK LOCATION: 

On-campus: This position provides vital support to campus customers, and the successful candidate must be available to work and perform essential job functions on campus, understanding our location is at 7,220 feet above sea level. 

HIRING STATEMENT/EEO:   

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position, please contact us at 307-766-2377 or email [email protected].  

ABOUT LARAMIE: 

The University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, a charming town of 30,000 residents nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West. The state of Wyoming continues to invest in its only 4-year university, helping to make it a leader in academics, research, and outreach with state-of-the-art facilities and strong community ties. We invite you to learn more about Laramie by visiting the About Laramie website. 

Located in a high mountain valley near the Colorado border, Laramie offers both outstanding recreational opportunities and close proximity to Colorado’s Front Range and the metropolitan Denver area. Laramie’s beautiful mountain landscape offers outdoor enjoyment in all seasons, with over 300 days of sunshine annually. For more information about the region, please visit http://visitlaramie.org/ 

Posted Salary Range: $15.00