Department
Biomedical Engineering

Campus Location
Wichita, KS - WSU Main Campus

Hire Type
Part Time

Pay
$6,461 for the semester

Work Schedule
20 hours per week; dependent on schedule

Export Compliance Requirement
No export control requirement.

Job Story
The Biomedical Engineering (BME) department at Wichita State University has two open Ph.D. positions through a combined GSA and GTA joint assistantship. Each position includes 50% (0.25 FTE) of duties and responsibilities as a Graduate Student Assistant (GSA) and 50% (0.25 FTE) as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA).

Job Summary
A Graduate Staff Assistant (GSA) assistants university service and academic units in either non-teaching or non-research activities. Specific duties of the GSA vary widely, depending on the administrative or academic unit to which they are assigned, but should be at a level to make use of their education and abilities.

Job Duties
• Meets admission requirements for the Ph.D. program in BME.
• Must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher.
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills and ability to explain complex concepts.
• Has prior experience working in a laboratory setting, including familiarity with lab equipment, protocols, and safety procedures.
• Possesses strong organizational skills to manage schedules, resources, and multiple tasks efficiently.
• Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of course contents.
• For non-native English speakers, must submit a minimum score of 23 on the Speaking portion of the TOEFL or a minimum score of 50 on the SPEAK or a minimum score of 7.0 on the Speaking portion of the IELTS. Scores must be less than two years old.

Required Education
Bachelor's degree

Additional Requirements
Must have a Bachelor's degree and admitted in the Ph.D. program in BME

Required Experience
To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a degree program in either full or conditional standing. Students admitted on probation or placed on academic probation following admission may be eligible for assistantship awards under certain circumstances.

Additional Information for Posting
Duties and responsibilities:

This position requires 20 hours of work per week, with equal distribution between GSA and GTA responsibilities (10 hours/week each). The Chair supervises the GSA duties and responsibilities, while the instructor of the assigned course supervises the GTA duties and responsibilities.

GSA’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Information Technologies Support:

• Conducts annual software installs and updates for laboratory and department computer equipment.

• Provide information technologies support and troubleshooting for PC, PC applications and printers in the biomedical engineering department.

• Assists with installation, configuration and ongoing usability of faculty / staff computers, peripheral equipment and software.

• Working with help desk and network operations staff as appropriate to determine and resolve problems.

• Ensures desktop computers interconnects seamlessly with diverse systems including network printers, file servers, email servers, application servers and administrative systems.

• Working with procurement staff to purchase hardware, software and computer supplies.

Laboratory Management:

• Coordinates the acquisition, setup and maintenance of laboratory equipment, computers and materials for new and/or ongoing research and classroom instruction and experiments.

• Maintain specialized laboratory equipment such as microscopes, rheometer, 3D printers etc., coordinate repairs and perform preventive maintenance to ensure optimal operation.

• Ensures and coordinates the safety compliance of BME laboratories to comply with ABET accreditation requirements.

• Develop, document and maintain instruction and research lab safety procedures.

• Assist with procurement of laboratory equipment and supplies.

GTA’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Attend lectures/laboratory sections requested by instructors.

• Provide students with guidance on course subject matter.

• Assist in preparing and developing course materials.

• Assist in teaching courses and supervising laboratory sections.

• Meet grading standards established by instructors.

• Grade assignments and exams.

• Hold office hours to meet with students if necessary.

• Fulfill any teaching-related duties established by instructors.

Benefits:

This is a three-year contract position, renewable annually after the initial term. The position requires 20 hours of work per week (0.50 FTE). In this role, you will receive a stipend of $22,800 per year plus subsidized health insurance and 100% tuition waiver of 9 credit hours per academic semester (no tuition support during the summer). The appointed individual must identify their faculty advisor within one year of admission.

Required documents for application:

(1) cover letter, (2) personal statement including research interest, (3) unofficial copy of your undergraduate and graduate transcript, and (4) current resume. Please submit your application to Dr. Yongkuk Lee (yongkuk.lee@wichita.edu). Eligible candidates will be notified via email to schedule an interview. The earliest possible start date is summer 2025.

Physical Requirements
Ability to remain in a stationary position. Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment including but not limited to phone, printers, copiers, and calculators. Ability to communicate with others and accurately exchange information.