Research Assistant Recruitment

(Spring 2022)

Hello,

My name is Naniette Coleman. I am a PhD Candidate in Sociology, a woman of color and a transplant from the east coast. I am a nontraditional student (read: older …my path to graduate school was wonderfully circuitous), a former McNair scholar, and former student-athlete (soccer). I have prior professional graduate work and degrees (public administration and economics) and prior professional work experience (government, international relations, international development, and in higher education).

I am writing to gain your assistance in recruiting undergraduate students to participate in a unique research project during the Spring 2022 school semester entitled “I Regret To Inform You That Your Private Information Has Been Compromised.” Students selected for the project will join a dedicated, growing community of undergraduates focused on privacy research housed at the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues. Students learn in a supportive, group environment that is similar in size to what they might have found had they chosen a small liberal arts college. This lab has been generously funded by a number of partners, including the Center for Long-term Cybersecurity & Center for Technology Society and Policy. Students interested in being considered must fill out an application. The deadline to apply is ROLLING. All applicants are expected to attend a (mandatory) info session and interview before invitations to join the team are issued.

A description of lab involvement is as follows:

Privacy is one of the central issues of our time. All things being equal, we assume that most people prefer privacy; it is a foundational right enshrined in the “penumbras” of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendments of the U.S. constitution as well several state constitutions (including CA, MA, and WA) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Despite our appreciation of privacy, police officers wear body cameras, customer loyalty programs track purchases, and the Transportation Safety Administration performs full body scans. This paradox illuminates the deep ambivalence in modern American society about privacy, and a largely untapped area of research in Sociology. This research seeks to understand the deeper cultural logics inherent in shifting views on privacy in the modern world as well as the evolution of its meaning historically in the US context.

Examples of weekly tasks: (1) data entry (2) transcribing audio files of interviews (3) database searches (4) reviewing articles to determine relevant materials (5) managing and organizing files, (6) extracting general information about articles and interviews, (7) attending privacy focused events and taking notes, and (8) assisting the supervisor with a bit of “public sociology” including information collection and dissemination on privacy, and planning and executing privacy focused event(s). Opportunities for different kinds of work will expand as the project progresses, and aspects of the project that the apprentice is interested in will be prioritized when possible. Lab members will be required to attend one mandatory meeting once a month. Students will otherwise be working independently (with ample support, regular contact during the week from the mentor and team members, and multiple office hours times available throughout the week if questions arise). You will find out more about our projects at the info session.

Learning outcomes: This is a valuable opportunity to get hands-on experience on the data collection process and insight into how data collection relates to the larger research agenda/goals. Still trying to figure out if graduate school is for you? This will help. Students can also expect to learn skills relevant and marketable outside of the research space. Students will have ample opportunities to connect weekly with the research supervisor and larger team in order to ask questions, workshop solutions, and discuss ongoing work and findings. This is truly an opportunity to join a community of learning scholars.

Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Naniette H. Coleman, Ph.D. Candidate

Qualifications: This project is open to undergraduates of all years and all majors, and there are no course prerequisites. You will be trained in anything you are required to do. A passion for privacy, cybersecurity or surveillance is preferred, but not required. Students who participate in this project will be ready to continue on to more detailed research work with this lab or other research projects after this opportunity. We consider it a success for you to work hard, do good work, stay on task and on target (our work has weekly deadlines) and have fun. You will grow, meet new people, and have fun if you are open, flexible, and ready to be a team player. There are five mandatory, synchronous (live) ZOOM events for this project:

Info Session - Friday, DATE TBD, 5-7 PST
New Member Orientation / Bootcamp -Saturday, DATE AND TIME TBD
Data Entry / Hackathon #1 - Friday, DATE TBD, 5-7 PST
Data Entry / Hackathon #2 - Friday, DATE TBD, 5-7 PST
Data Entry / Hackathon #3 - Friday, DATE TBD, 5-7 PST

In order to participate in the lab, you must be available AND attend all five (5) meetings. Due to the pace of the work and the specifics of the project, makeup sessions are not possible for these sessions. If you are unable to commit to this schedule, you should apply again in the future.

Weekly Hours: 6-8 hrs, 2 academic credits required (P/NP) (UC Berkeley Students only)

Off-Campus Research Site: Unless meeting with the supervisor or research group students may work anywhere they like.

This lab is unique in that alongside learning about research and the research process, I will provide support for students so they also gain valuable professional skills (resume preparation, cover letter writing, professional email drafting, public speaking skills, interview skills, writing, meeting management, event planning, team work etc.) that will serve them regardless of whether they choose a life of the mind or something else. I have found that my prior experience as a Career Advisor at Harvard (Pre-Law, Government, Politics, International Relations, Public Service, and Military) where I helped students apply for competitive jobs, prestigious fellowships, and top graduate programs comes in handy in this regard.

I am very proud to serve as a mentor to lab members and to have formerly served as a SMART mentor and URAP mentor. Through these programs I have had the fortune to work with students across majors and at every level of study (including transfer students). If you know someone who is interested in privacy and/or serious about learning how to do research, please encourage them to apply. I would love to meet them.

Please write me using the website contact form if you have any questions.

Application due ROLLING

Find out more: Research Assistant Recruitment