The USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) and Schaeffer Center for Health
Policy and Economics is seeking outstanding USC students for working on a research study beginning this
summer.
About the study: This project examines the impact of the neighborhood built environment and housing on the
health and perceptions of low-income residents. The research is being conducted in two public housing
communities—Rancho San Pedro in San Pedro and Pueblo del Rio in South Los Angeles. Over a four-year
period, adults in these communities will be interviewed to understand their perceptions of their neighborhood
and housing, as well as their health behaviors and well-being. Additionally, body composition measurements
will be collected.
Research Assistant: USC Housing, Community and Health Study
Students will have the opportunity to work as part of a dynamic research team focused on data collection. The
majority of your time will be spent “in the field,” conducting health-related interviews and collecting body
composition data—including height, weight, and waist circumference—from adult participants at two public
housing sites. You will receive specialized training in human-subject research. Additional responsibilities may
include data entry, data cleaning, and participant recruitment. Some tasks may also be completed remotely.
We are looking for undergraduate and graduate students who:
v Are interested in getting hands-on experience with interviewing adults about health and related issues.
v Are willing to do field work in low-income public housing communities and conduct occasional home
visits (in pairs) in the two public housing communities.
v Have excellent organizational, communication, and customer service skills that are relevant for
working with people living in higher-risk communities.
v Is detail-oriented and able to work both independently and as a team. Students should be flexible as
the nature of field research often changes.
v The ideal student will have a 3.5 GPA or higher.
v We are also specifically looking for students with Spanish fluency. This is because many of our
participants speak Spanish only. Spanish fluency is highly desired but not required.
v Students who will have a car during the summer and are willing to carpool with colleagues (university
rate reimbursement for mileage will be provided monthly) are also strongly encouraged to apply. If
you do not have a car, please still apply since we will travel in pairs/groups from campus to the site.
Students should plan to work up to 37 hours per week during the summer, approximately from May 20 to
August 22. Some work may be required on Saturdays, depending on participant availability, so apply only if
you are willing to work occasional weekends. In your statement of interest, be sure to indicate whether you
also speak Spanish, have a car, are work-study eligible, and if you can start around May 20.
The compensation for this position is between $18-$23/hr depending on qualifications. Dornsife students can
also apply for SURF scholarship. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. No calls or visits please.
To apply for this position, please send a statement of interest and a resume to:
USC Housing, Community, and Health Study- housingstudy@usc.edu