Graduate Research Assistant-Sustainable Agr and Rural Advncmt

Location: Edinburg, Texas – College of Sciences, Sustainable Agricultural & Rural Advancement Division, Provost – Academic Affairs.

Scope of Job

To assist staff, faculty, and the Project Manager in the research needs of the Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Advancement Center (SARA) related projects/programs. Coordinates project programming to ensure implementation and prescribed activities are carried out in accordance with specified objectives. Responsibilities include outreach, trainings, technical assistance, creation of informational materials, feasibility studies, drafting brochures, letters, and agendas, developing social media communications and campaigns, planning and coordinating research and survey designs, data collection, processing, analysis, and evaluation, dissemination of findings through YouTube videos, assisting with grant proposal development, attending meetings, conferences, and seminars, supervising seminars and presentations, providing required reports, and supporting community and school garden coordination and small‑scale farm site demonstrations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be admitted to a graduate degree program and be in good academic standing.
• Must be registered full‑time for the respective semester (nine (9) credit hours in fall or spring, or three (3) credit hours in summer, or the required number of credit hours to fulfill the remaining degree requirements).

Required Qualifications

• Ability to interact professionally with faculty, staff, students, and the public.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Independent decision‑making and problem‑solving ability.
• Effective project promotion skills and ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external agencies.
• Ability to drive a car for local or distant travel for client consultation, training, meetings, or on‑site farming demonstrations.
• Physical ability to bend, stoop, reach, lift files, and set up multimedia equipment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in Business, Life Sciences, Communications, Public Affairs, Social Work, Sociology, or another agriculture‑related field.
• Bilingual Spanish proficiency (preferred, not required).

Pay

$1,500.00 per month (0.5 FTE).

Number of vacancies: 3. Desired start date: September 1 2026.