One way to learn the discipline of sociology is to work with faculty on research projects, or serve as teaching assistant. These research opportunities will help you hone your research skills and tackle complex topics. Teaching assistant opportunities can give you opportunities to hone your knowledge and skills related to sociology and college instruction. Below is a list of current opportunities available through sociology faculty. If you do not see something of interest, then also consider visiting the Office of Student Research and look at their list of Research Opportunities for students. This office can also provide small research grants to students trying to complete their own research or needing to travel to present their research at professional organization conferences.
Who can be a Research Assistant or a Teaching Assistant?
Anyone who is a student at App State can be a research assistant or a teaching assistant, but the requirements may vary between professors. If you are interested in becoming a research assistant or a teaching assistant you should have your professor forward your interest to all faculty. If you already know a professor that needs an assistant then reach out to them for more information.
Research Assistant Opportunities (2025)
Dr. Russell of Appalachian State and Dr. Ruth Masterson are currently conducting a research study in collaboration with Columbia University that focuses on the quality of life among patients with heart disease, particularly those with heart failure. The study examines how patient-reported outcomes—such as those gathered through the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)—are collected and used in healthcare settings. Although healthcare offices often collect this data, it is not always effectively integrated into patient care or clinical decision-making.
This research involves video ethnography with both patients and clinicians to explore how they interpret and utilize these health reports. The project draws on the concept of cultural health capital to understand how communication and information-sharing shape the healthcare experience.
Student research assistants are involved in reading through interview transcripts, coding data using a codebook, and helping to analyze patterns across interviews. This provides students with hands-on experience in qualitative research methods, particularly in coding and ethnographic analysis.
Student Involvement: Students will play an active role in the research by reading articles, submitting notes, and eventually writing a paper based on the research. The role requires a mix of writing, literature research, and quantitative and qualitative analysis skills.
Logistics: We expect students to work 12-18 hours a week, with two current research assistants reporting hours in this range. The position is hybrid but mostly in-person. It is a paid opportunity.
Application Process: Interested students should either talk to Dr. Russell or send an email (russelldj@appstate.edu) to express their interest. We are looking for active sociology students with a strong work ethic. There is no formal application deadline, but students should reach out before the semester, ideally in early August.
Extra Questions: Students will gain valuable experience in qualitative coding, work with a diverse team, and develop adaptability and comprehension skills for long-term projects. We are open to students from any year and are looking to bring on two students for the project.
Teaching Assistant Opportunities (2025)
2 Teaching Assistant Positions - SOC 1000: The Sociological Perspective. Dr. Cameron Lippard would like to invite two junior- or senior-level sociology major students to serve as teaching assistants for an introductory course that will have an enrollment of 250 students. Students interested should have completed SOC 1000 and at least 12 hours in sociology courses and be in good standing with the university (2.0 or above GPA). Duties and responsibilities will include leading group discussions, study sessions, and proctoring exams (along with the instructor). The student must also be available to attend class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to 10:50 during the Fall 2025 semester. The student will receive course credit and experience in instruction as a teaching assistant. If interested, please contact Dr. Lippard (lippardcd@appstate.edu) by March 28, 2025.