Student Assistant - Mechanical Engineering - Research Assistant (Fall 2026)

About Us

Georgia Southern University is the states largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. With nearly 150 degree programs at the bachelors, masters and doctoral levels, Georgia Southern has been designated a Carnegie Doctoral/R2 "high research" university and serves more than 29,500 students from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and more than 100 countries.

With four vibrant campuses - the Statesboro Campus, the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, the Liberty Campus in Hinesville, and the East Georgia Campus in Swainsboro - Georgia Southern offers a dynamic environment that encourages learning, discovery and personal growth. The University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has earned specialized accreditation from numerous professional and academic associations that set standards in their respective fields.

Georgia Southern is an influencer and intellectual catalyst in southeast Georgia, a rapidly expanding region that is home to international companies such as Hyundai, Gulfstream and JCB, as well as the Port of Savannah and Georgia Ports Authority. With a focus on hands-on learning, Georgia Southern is supporting the demand for highly skilled workers by providing academic excellence and creative innovation in a supportive, student-centered environment that empowers the next generation of leaders to succeed.

Beyond an ideal location, there is a place for you to work in an exciting environment abounding with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Named one of the Best U.S. Colleges by The Wall Street Journal, Georgia Southern is nationally recognized for the caliber of its academic programs and student experience. Georgia Southern University has also been recognized by Forbes as one of "Americas Best-In-State Employers" for 2025.

Location

Statesboro Campus - Statesboro, GA

Department Information

Mechanical Engineering

Job Summary

The Student Assistant will support the Department of Mechanical Engineering as a Research Assistant on the Statesboro Campus beginning Fall 2026.

Student employees cannot work more than 1300 hours in a 12-consecutive month period.

Employment is contingent upon funding.

Responsibilities

• Assist with planning, setting up, assembling, and organizing the benchtop precision micro-dose injection research platform in accordance with project drawings, written procedures, laboratory checklists, and instructions from the project team

• Receive, label, inventory, organize, and stage prototype components, instrumentation, fabrication supplies, tools, and laboratory consumables.

• Assist with integrating the precision linear actuator into the benchtop syringe-delivery platform, including mounting and aligning the actuator and syringe plunger, installing brackets and fixtures, checking mechanical clearances, securing fasteners, and documenting the completed configuration.

• Support the development and evaluation of rigid, interchangeable syringe-mounting arrangements for 1 mL and 3 mL syringes.

• Assemble and inspect the prototype fluid path using approved syringes, tubing, fittings, pressure and flow sensors, bubble-management components, and related accessories

• Prepare the system for testing by installing and filling syringes and tubing, priming the fluid path, removing visible air bubbles, checking for leakage or damage, verifying connection integrity, identifying possible dead-volume locations, and preparing approved non-clinical test fluids

• Assist with integrating the actuator, stepper motor, motor driver, Arduino controller, power supplies, shutdown components, sensors, and data-acquisition hardware.

• Assist with uploading Arduino programs, modifying approved code parameters, configuring actuator direction and speed, testing low-speed motion, entering commanded displacement values, and developing programmable actuator settings corresponding to nominal delivery increments of 5, 10, 25, and 50 microliters

• Assist with installing, zeroing, configuring, and checking pressure- and flow-monitoring instrumentation, including microfluidic sensors, National Instruments cDAQ hardware, and LabVIEW-based monitoring and data-logging systems

• Help establish communication and synchronization among the Arduino controller, actuator system, sensors, data-acquisition hardware, and software used during benchtop testing

• Prepare the prototype and laboratory workspace for feasibility testing by completing pre-test checklists, verifying component installation, confirming that data channels are operating properly, and recording the hardware and software configuration

• Support tests involving representative elevated-pressure conditions, preliminary operating pressures of approximately 100 to 250 psi, low-flow-rate concepts of approximately 0.001 to 0.050 mL/s, and over-pressure protection concepts up to 300 psi.

• Follow all safety limits, shutdown procedures, and stop-work requirements

• Observe and document actuator motion, syringe-plunger response, pressure buildup, flow response, leakage, trapped air, tubing movement, connection stability, signal quality, data synchronization, and test repeatability

• Collect, label, export, organize, and securely store test data, and maintain an accurate laboratory notebook or approved electronic research record identifying the test objective, personnel present, equipment configuration, procedures, data files, observations, abnormalities, corrective actions, and recommended follow-up work

• Assist with preliminary data review and analysis using tools such as LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python, Microsoft Excel, or similar software. Activities may include plotting pressure and flow data, comparing commanded and measured system behavior, calculating basic summary values, identifying missing or abnormal measurements, and preparing figures for project review

• Assist with troubleshooting mechanical, fluidic, electrical, control, sensor, communication, synchronization, and data-logging issues, and document all troubleshooting steps and configuration changes

• Assist with CAD modeling, engineering sketches, component measurements, drawing revisions, simple fixture design, 3D-print preparation, and approved fabrication activities.

• Maintain project bills of materials, component and inventory lists, purchasing records, assembly records, and configuration histories.

• Assist with photographs, test plans, operating procedures, assembly instructions, safety checklists, data sheets, technical summaries, presentations, demonstration materials, and other documentation associated with the preliminary prototype

• Maintain a clean, safe, and orderly laboratory workspace

• Attend scheduled project meetings

• Protect the integrity and confidentiality of research data and project records

Shift Specifics

• Up to 5 hours per week
• Flexible with schedule of availability

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements

• Must be enrolled in six or more undergraduate credit hours or three or more graduate credit hours at Georgia Southern University.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Education

• Enrolled in a program related to Mechanical Engineering or another closely related technical field

Preferred Experience

• Hands-on participation in an engineering laboratory, undergraduate research project, senior design team, robotics team, makerspace, technical student organization, or similar project-based environment
• Mechanical assembly using common hand tools, fasteners, brackets, linear-motion components, fixtures, tubing, fittings, syringes, pumps, or related laboratory hardware
• Basic understanding of mechanical alignment, measurement, tolerances, component fit, rigid mounting, or fixture design
• Experience with Arduino or other microcontroller platforms, including basic C/C++ programming, digital and analog input/output, sensor reading, motor control, or serial communication
• Experience with stepper motors, motor drivers, linear actuators, power supplies, limit switches, or electromechanical motion systems
• Basic electronics experience, including breadboarding, wiring, connectors, multimeter use, soldering, cable organization, and safe use of low-voltage electrical equipment
• Experience with pressure sensors, flow sensors, load cells, thermocouples, encoders, or other laboratory instrumentation
• Experience with National Instruments cDAQ hardware, LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python, Microsoft Excel, or other data-acquisition and data-analysis tools
• Experience collecting time-series data, creating plots, calculating basic summary statistics, identifying abnormal measurements, and maintaining organized data files
• Experience with SOLIDWORKS or another CAD package, preparation of technical drawings, 3D printing, basic machining, fabrication, or prototype-fixture development
• Experience following written laboratory procedures, completing checklists, maintaining a laboratory notebook, documenting experimental configurations, and preparing technical reports or presentations
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail with the ability to accurately perform repetitive setup, inspection, documentation, and data entry tasks while maintaining a high level of quality and consistency
• Experienced in following mechanical, electrical, fluid system, and pressurized equipment safety procedures. Able to recognize unexpected conditions, stop work when necessary, and seek appropriate assistance to ensure a safe working environment

Proposed Salary

$12.50 per hour

This is a non-exempt position paid on a biweekly basis.

Required Documents to Attach

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Schedule of Availability

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES

• Consistently exhibit engaging customer service
• Ability to support various constituencies served by the University
• Proven proficiency with computers including Microsoft Office, Google, and/or applications as required for specific position

KNOWLEDGE

• Adhere to University policies and procedures to meet Institutional goals and support Universitys mission for student success

SKILLS

• Effective communication (verbal and written), organizational and human relations skills

Apply Before Date

July 31, 2026

Application review may begin as early as July 31, 2026.

Contact Information

For more information or questions about a job posting, please contact the Department of Human Resources by phone at (912) 478-6947 or by email at hrservice@georgiasouthern.edu.

For technical support, please call the USG Service Desk at (877) 251.2644, or email support@usg.edu.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Conditions of Employment

Offers for student employment may be contingent upon completion of background investigation including a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with Georgia Southern University, as determined by Georgia Southern University in its sole discretion, confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. Applicants may be subject to a pre-employment drug test.

Offers are made expressly subject to the applicable federal and state laws, to the statutes, rules and regulations of this institution and to the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia (USG), which are available for your inspection upon request.

Legally authorized to work in the United States for the duration of employment without assistance from the University.

Must be able to perform duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation.

Georgia Southern University is a Tobacco and Smoke-Free Community.

Employment is contingent upon funding.

Must be enrolled in six or more undergraduate or three or more graduate level credit hours at Georgia Southern University.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Georgia Southern University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. Individuals in need of reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in the search process should notify Human Resources: (912) 478-6947.

Other Information

• Must be able to perform duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation.
• This is not a supervisory position.
• This position is not required to drive.