Program Support

Overview

The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Utah State University is seeking a part-time, hourly Program Support employee to support outreach efforts for the Instrument-based Learning for Utah’s Youth Agriculture program through a recently funded three-year NIFA FANE Project. This position plays a key role in connecting secondary education students and teachers with innovative agricultural science, STEM, and chemical/biosensing learning opportunities.

This position will coordinate student engagement activities, recruitment efforts, and statewide outreach partnerships to support high school students participating in summer certificate programs and related STEM learning experiences. The selected candidate will serve as a primary liaison with teachers, Career and Technical Education (CTE) directors, school districts, and state education partners (e.g., USU 4-H Extension) to expand awareness and participation in agricultural science and engineering pathways.

This position offers the opportunity to help shape the next generation of agricultural scientists, engineers, and STEM leaders by building meaningful pathways between high school classrooms and university learning experiences. The successful candidate will contribute to impactful statewide outreach while supporting innovative research and education initiatives at Utah State University.

This is a part-time, hourly position. This position will be reviewed and renewed on annual basis. In 2026-2027, up to $10,000 is available to cover the efforts for administrative assistance to PI for helping another project contingent on approval of future years.

For any inquiry, please send email to program director, principal investigator of FANE project, Prof. Anhong Zhou (Anhong.Zhou@usu.edu)

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily activities for high school students participating in the summer on-campus certificate program
• Support student engagement, supervision, logistics, and communication during summer programming
• Develop and implement recruitment strategies to increase participation from Utah high school students in agricultural science and STEM programs
• Build relationships and communicate regularly with teachers and CTE directors in Utah school districts offering agriscience and agriculture programs
• Collaborate with partners, including the Agriculture Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah STEM Action Center
• Coordinate student and Co-PI participation in STEM conferences, workshops, and outreach events across Utah
• Assist in the development of promotional and educational materials, including brochures, newsletters, and outreach communications
• Support event planning, scheduling, record keeping, reporting, and program logistics
• Maintain program communication and assist with website and outreach content updates
• Provide administrative and operational support to faculty, researchers, and project leadership
• Maintain daily base administrative assistance to PI

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Two years of related experience OR an associate degree/vocational training
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Experience coordinating programs, events, or student activities
• Ability to work effectively with youth, educators, faculty, and community partners
• Skilled in computer use, database management, and records maintenance
• Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines independently

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, biological engineering, STEM education, youth development, or a related field
• Experience working with secondary education programs, CTE pathways, or youth outreach initiatives
• Familiarity with Utah agricultural education systems and STEM networks
• Experience in recruitment, educational programming, and community engagement
• Knowledge of university outreach and Extension-style programming

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please include:

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Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”

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Cover letter to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”

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Names and contact information of at least three professional references, to be entered at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile