Undergraduate Research Assistant, Sustainable Development and Electrification of Transit

Project Details:
Sustainable Development and Electrification of Transit will apply a sustainable development approach to transit electrification. We will identify best practices, lessons learned and indicators of success, as well as critical gaps in defining environmental, economic, and social drivers to support the implementation of Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) transit infrastructure – battery and hydrogen- across Canada from the local to national level. OCAD University researchers will undertake the project through a research collaboration with the Canadian Urban Transit & Innovation Research Consortium (CUTRIC). We will undertake a sustainable development (environmental, economic, social, cultural) literature review; an evaluation of Canadian data sources and gaps, including screening for gender, and other biases, and recommendations on how to bridge gaps and encourage data sharing; an overview of the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in data analytics, visualization, and simulation tools; interviews and workshops with cross-sectoral stakeholders. We will produce reports, an online interactive appendix that connects sustainable development goals with ZEB goals, data types and tools, a webinar series with CUTRIC and related media products and undertake presentations and publication.

Responsibilities:

• Working with the overall supervision of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Sara Diamond, President Emerita/Emeritus, in support of the project’s research goals and objectives
• Support Principal Investigators Prof. Jeremy Bowes and Dr. Michelle Wyndham-West and Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Mona Ghafouri-Azar assist in in compiling and analyzing available data.
• Support Principal Investigator Bowes and Diamond to ideate and then prototype and implement an online interactive appendix.
• Assist Collaborating researchers Prof. Maya Mahgoub-Desai and Dr. Abhishek Raj in planning and organizing interviews and workshops.
• Contribute conceptual, design and technical skills to the creation of an interactive appendix
• Collaborate with other project assistants, in support of the project’s research goals and objectives
• Assist with the preparation of reports, presentations, progress reports and prototypes
• Assist with writing up findings for industry report and peer-reviewed publication
• Attending planning or project-specific meetings as required
• Interacting regularly with institutional partners
• Participating in the provision of safe and secure environment for all members of the University community and its facilities

Qualifications:

• Completion of a relevant undergraduate/graduate degree or current enrollment in a relevant undergraduate program at OCAD University and/or equivalent training and professional experience
• Strengths in data collection and analysis.
• Demonstrated skills in literature review, analysis, and excellent writing capability
• Demonstrated skills in event planning
• Understanding of data collection, organization, and analysis
• Excellent data visualization and interactive design skills
• Demonstration of skills in interactive dashboard creation and programming (javascript, D3), and / or working with FusionChart, Chart.js or other dashboard support software.
• Experience in some of the following technologies: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), ESRI operations dashboard, ArcGIS Pro or equivalents, and / or visual analytics programs like Tableau or equivalent.
• Ability to use Mural or other ideation software.
• Demonstrates a high level of organization and time management skills
• Demonstrates great attention to detail, quality, and accuracy, and ability to take initiative to complete tasks and develop solutions
• Ability to self-teach new software, ideas, concepts, plug-ins, etc, as required for projects
• Ability to complete multiple tasks and manage any unforeseen issues
• Ability to communicate with non-technical and highly technical individuals
• Demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity and diversity and experience promoting a respectful work and learning environment for students, staff and faculty

Hours of Work: 10 hours per week over the period of June 14, 2021 to March 25, 2022

Work Environment: Due to the COVID-19, the University is operating under a work from home program. At this time, the plan is to continue the work from home program until August 13, 2021, and as such the incumbent in this role will be working remotely during this time.

Compensation: $19.60 (Undergraduate Rate) per hour, subject to qualifications, plus 6% in lieu of benefits plus vacation pay, as applicable, per the provisions of the Employment Standards Act

Please note the following:

• This appointment is conditional upon funding of the Project by OCAD U’s external funding partner(s)
• Full-time graduate students may not accept research assistantships or other university-related employment in excess of 10 hours per week (or 130 hours per semester), as mandated by the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies (OCGS).

Application Process:

Applications should include: a one-page covering letter explaining the candidate’s interest, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three (3) referees

Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence addressed to Dr. Sara Diamond, President Emerita/Emeritus, online by clicking the “Apply Now” button below.

The review of applications will begin as applications are received and will continue until the position has been filled.

As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.

We encourage members of designated equity-seeking groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.

OCAD U is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities .

All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.