Join the Team
Dr. Sun is actively looking for students who have strong interests and background in working at the intersections of family dynamics (family systems processes), adolescent and young adult development (achievements & well-being), and methodologies and data sciences.
Description
The Technology, Teens, and Families Lab (PI: Dr. Xiaoran Sun) is inviting applications for a part-time (10 hours/week; hourly rate of $16.25), 6-month Undergraduate Research Assistant position in the Department of Family Social Science. The anticipated start date for this opportunity is June 1, 2026 with flexibility. The student researcher will be involved in the Teen and AI Study, assisting the collection and analysis of semi-structured interview data on how teens use AI social chatbots as well as some follow-up survey data. This position is supported by the Researcher-Initiated Student Employment (RISE) program.
We are investigating how and why adolescents aged 13-17 years are using AI companions (e.g., character.ai, CHAI, Talkie) or treating general AI apps as their companions (e.g., treating ChatGPT as a good friend/virtual partner) using semi-structured interviews and survey data. The student researcher will gain knowledge on mixed-method research and on adolescents’ technology use, collaborate with faculty and research staff, have hands-on experience in data coding, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of findings, and will also be encouraged to develop their own first-author conference presentation submissions (e.g., UMN Undergraduate Research Symposium) based on this dataset.
The student researcher will be onboarded to the project and trained by the Principal Investigator Dr. Xiaoran Sun and Postdoctoral Scholar Dr. Yunqi Wang before gaining access to the data, including the onboarding documents, existing study materials, interview protocols, and the collected data transcripts and recordings.
What you can get and contribute to:
- Training and Experience for Data Collection, Management, and Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis
- Using Analysis Software such as NVivo and R
- Hands-On Experience with Research Process and Findings Dissemination
- Assisting the Postdoctoral Scholar with Maintaining the Study Protocol
- Collaborating with Faculty, Research Staff, and Graduate Assistants
Requirement:
- UMN current undergraduate student in Family Social Science, Developmental Psychology, Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, or other closely related disciplines; graduation date is no earlier than December 2026
- Experience with qualitative data analysis
- Ability to maintain confidentiality while working with participants’ research data
Preferred:
- Experience working collaboratively in a team setting
- Experience with survey data analysis
- Experience with survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics, REDCap)
- Ability to be well-organized and accountable
- Ability to communicate openly and efficiently with emails and Slack
- Ability to collaborate effectively with people from a variety of communities, backgrounds, and identities
This position can potentially continue upon availability of funds and performance. Review of application is ongoing, and the position will remain open until filled. Please email application materials to Dr. Yunqi Wang, wan03375@umn.edu for consideration:
- CV/Resume
- Statement of Interest (1 page max)
- Contact Information of One Reference
Dr. Sun has fully funded Ph.D. positions in the Department of Family Social Science, College of Education and Human Development, at University of Minnesota, starting Fall 2026.
Strong and self-motivated candidates with ANY of the following qualifications would be particularly encouraged to apply: (1) prior experience in studying family systems, adolescent/young adult development, technology & media contexts, cultural contexts, and/or education; (2) knowledge in longitudinal data analysis, time-series analysis, applied data science and machine learning; (3) skills in programming.
If you are interested in working with Dr. Sun, you are encouraged to apply to the FSoS PhD program and mention her in your statement. Feel free to contact her via email with the title “Prospective PhD Student” and include the following information: (1) your CV; (2) a copy of your transcripts; (3) a brief description of your background and research interests; and (4) representative publications or writing samples if available. Dr. Sun will reach out if there is a potential fit.
Dr. Sun is excited to work with undergraduate and master’s students at UMN who are interested in her research. Projects are always available for students with backgrounds or interests in any of the following areas: family dynamics, adolescent and young adult development, technology and families, cultural contexts for family processes, or applied data science and machine learning. Funding is possible but not guaranteed.
If you are interested in working with Dr. Sun, feel free to contact her via email with the title “Prospective Undergraduate/Master Student at UMN” and include the following information: (1) your CV; (2) a copy of your transcripts; (3) a brief description of your background and research interests. Dr. Sun will reach out if there is a potential fit.
Dr. Sun might be able to host visiting students (undergraduate or graduate) and scholars depending on research interests and funding situations.
Interested individuals may contact Dr. Sun via email with the title “Prospective Visiting Students/Scholars” and include the following information: (1) your CV; (2) a copy of your transcripts (if student); (3) a brief description of your background and research interests; and (4) representative publications or writing samples if available.