Undergraduate Research Assistant – Conservation/Seed Banking Project Part-time

Undergraduate Research Assistant – Conservation/Seed Banking Project

The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to inspiring the conservation of native plants through its garden, education, research, and outreach programs. Founded by Lady Bird Johnson and Helen Hayes in 1982, the Wildflower Center is the state botanic garden of Texas, a treasured Austin gem, and a national leader in the field of native plant education, sustainable landscapes, land restoration, and research. It is home to the largest living collection of Texas native plants in the state, welcomes over 276,000 visitors annually, has over 17,000 members, and reaches more than 2 million people per year through its website and plant database. The Center is focused on improving landscapes, promoting biodiversity, and connecting people with our environment.

Wildflower Center staff get free parking and annual membership, discounts on Center classes, access to Wildflower Center featured events, and discounts at the Gift Store and Wildflower Café. An inspiring and beautiful work environment with outstanding coworkers awaits you.

Purpose

UT Austin undergraduate students will have the opportunity to join the Wildflower Center's conservation team and support plant collections and seed banking. Potential tasks include seed cleaning, plant record updates, data entry, germination trials, and seed/plant specimen collection fieldwork. Work will be highly collaborative and will include conducting fieldwork, data collection, plant identification, data organization, outreach, and supporting other conservation projects as needed. Students must be comfortable spending time outside and working as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Research activities (field-based data collection, lab work, data entry, etc.) related to plant collections and seed banking. Students will be paired with mentors depending on their project.

• Assist with research activities outside core focus area. This work will be highly collaborative and interdisciplinary, and may involve assisting graduate students or other researchers from the University of Texas in the field or lab as needed.

• Regular meetings with Wildflower Center research mentors.

• Occasional participation in outreach or community engagement events. Students will assist with tours, lessons, or educational tabling as needed.

• Presentation of ongoing or completed projects during lab meeting and/or Science Symposium at end of the semester.

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Current enrollment at UT Austin as an undergraduate. Must either be enrolled in 3 credit hours during the spring of 2026, or must have completed at least 6 credit hours during the fall 2025 semester.

• Demonstrated interest in ecology, botany, environmental science, sustainability, or related field.

• Willingness to work individually and as part of a team.

• Willingness to work outside in a variety of weather conditions, including extreme heat and humidity.

• Current Texas class C driver's license.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience (field or lab).

Driving Required

This job requires a class “C” operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three year driving record from the current state of residence. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident. Employees who are required to have a CDL are subject to drug and alcohol testing (pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, random, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing).

Salary Range

$18.00 per hour

Working Conditions

• Fieldwork in a variety of habitats and weather conditions, including bright sun, heat, and humidity.

• Comply with all safety policies, practices, and procedures. Report all unsafe activities to supervisors.

Work Shift

• Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, 12 hours per week within these days/hours, schedule to be worked out with supervisor.

Required Materials

NOTE: Without all 3 documents listed below, we cannot consider your application. Please read through submittal instructions below to ensure your application is correct and complete.

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information, should include phone number and email address; at least one reference should be from a supervisor.

• Letter of interest/Cover Letter

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.