Student Employee - Nutrition Research Assistant - Fall 2026

Description

Student research assistant is needed to assist Dr. Penumetcha to establish cell culture and molecular techniques to develop laboratory methods in the area of Nutritional Genomics/Precision Nutrition.

Examples of Duties

Duties Include:

• Establishing a cell culture,
• Learning and using molecular and genomic techniques such as isolation of RNA and DNA
• qRT-PCR
• DNA sequencing, gel electrophoresis, Western blotting etc.

Typical Qualifications

Education:

• An undergraduate degree in Biology/Chemistry
• Enrolled in a graduate degree at UCM

• Biology lab experience as an undergraduate or a research assistant
• Computer skills: Word-Processing, Working knowledge of Excel/Sheets
• Science presentation tools, NCBI exploration

Supplemental Information

Working Hours and Days:

• Depends on experimental flow, but will not exceed 20/hr/week.

Special Instructions:

Full-time staff & 12-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

9-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.

Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

Completed UCM online application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our faculty and staff are the university’s most valuable asset, and our goal is to provide a robust Total Rewards Program designed to help them maintain a happy, healthy, and productive lifestyle.

Highlights from UCM's total rewards package for full-time employees include:

• 32% (staff) and 6% (faculty) defined retirement contribution, paid 100% by the university;

• Voluntary Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA) programs (403(b) and 457(b)) that allow eligible employees to make additional pre-tax contributions to a retirement plan;

• Employees can earn up to 6 credit hours for themselves per academic year.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans that begin on the first of the month following your date of hire. Basic dental and vision insurance paid at 100% by the university;

• Available Health and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts;

• University-paid basic life insurance (including accidental death and dismemberment) and short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage;

• Generous leave accruals that begin accruing on your start date, plus 14 paid holidays per year.

• The UCM Childcare Center on the Warrensburg campus can provide faculty, staff, and students quality care for their children ages six weeks to 10 years.

• The Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) is free for all employees and is located on the Warrensburg campus.

• An Employee Assistance Program is available to all employees and their immediate family members to help assist with personal challenges you may face in your daily life;

• UCM offers an Employee Discount Program through Working Advantage.