This is to inform you of a research fellowship opportunity for the 2023-2024 academic year (ideally starting over the summer). Dr. Robinson is listed as a Co-PI on an internal grant at Cal Poly with faculty in technical communications (English), computer science, and graphic communication. In summary, the work aims to research and establish a framework for user experience (UX) collaborations between Cal Poly and local non-profit organizations. Each of the different faculty departments involved contributes to the UX field in a variety of ways. The team of faculty are looking for student fellows to work as part of the grant over this next year; in particular, the statistics fellow will work with Dr. Robinson and the other Co-PIs to design, implement, and analyze a survey geared towards understanding non-profit and higher education familiarity with UX. Part of this work will be reading prior literature to define UX and designing the questionnaire.
The fellowship is for $1,500 over the course of the academic year (likely to receive half at the beginning and half upon completion of the project). You can read more about the project, fellow descriptions, and application instructions 
here. See the original posting by the PI, Dr. Krista Sarraf, below.
TO APPLY:
- Priority applications are due by Thursday, June 29th at 8am with initial selections announced Friday, July 14th. Note if the position is still open after the initial application period, rolling applications will be accepted until September 18th (or until the position is filled).
- Submit your application materials using at https://forms.office.com/r/cPEsys6P19
Please reach out to Dr. Robinson (erobin17@calpoly.edu) with any questions; she is happy to meet with any of you who are interested in learning more before applying.
Dear all,
I am delighted to share that the application for students to participate as paid fellows in the 2023-2024 User Experience (UX) for Social Impact Project is now open.
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority will be given to applications received by Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 8 AM PT.
- Students may read about positions here:
Position Descriptions Student Fellowships 2023-2024 User Experience (UX) for Social Impact.docx - Students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply to serve as fellows.
- English majors and Technical and Professional Communication Certificate students may complete a fellowship as their senior project or practicum.
- Students will submit their application materials using this form: https://forms.office.com/r/cPEsys6P19.
The User Experience for Social Impact project has three goals:
- Enable Cal Poly students to apply User Experience as a diversity, equity, and inclusion focused design tool.
- Strengthen local nonprofits’ abilities to serve constituents from diverse backgrounds.
- Generate knowledge about university and nonprofit user experience partnership barriers and opportunities.
Here is the general timeline:
- Phase I: Student Priority Round Applications due Thursday, June 29, 2023 by 8 AM PT.
- Phase II: Initial Student Fellowship Awardees announced by Friday, July 14, 2023.
- Phase III: Additional applications reviewed on a rolling basis until Monday, September 18, 2023, or until all fellowship positions are filled (whichever comes first).
You can read more about the UX for Social Impact project and application process here. I am happy to meet with students who are interested in learning more prior to applying.
Best,
Dr. Sarraf
Dr. Krista Speicher Sarraf (she/her)
Assistant Professor of Technical and Professional Communication
English Department, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Office: Faculty Office 47-35M
Office Phone: 805-756-5131
Email: Ksarraf@calpoly.edu
Interested in a Technical and Professional Communication Certificate at Cal Poly? Find out more: https://linktr.ee/calpolytechcomm
