SOAN Summer Student Scientific Review Assistant: Sports & Women’s Holistic Wellbeing

Job Title: SOAN Summer Scientific Review Assistant-Sports and Women’s Holistic Wellbeing

Classification: Student Employee (non-exempt) 

Name and Address of Employer: St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Ave, Northfield, MN 55057 If the position requires the student to work off campus, provide the name and address here: 

Department Name: SOAN 

Unit Number (5 digits):  

Length of Position: See Employment Authorization : 20-25 hrs, June 1-July 15, 2026 Contact 

Person/Supervisor: Andrea Conger 

Wage Range: $12.50/hour

Description of the Position: (Purpose of the Position) Seeking a detail-oriented and motivated  student Research Assistant (RA) to support a faculty-led study investigating the experiences of  female/non-male athletes and females/non-males engaged in athletics. This project aims to  contribute to a larger project aimed at improving participation in physical activity. This section  of the project is focused on background research regarding benefits and challenges of  participation in organized sport such as youth sports or physical education. 

This summer the RA will help develop theoretical background research through creation of an  annotated literature review focused specifically on medical and mental health outcomes of  individuals identifying as female participating in organized physical activity. 

Transferable Skills: 

This position offers students a chance to apply the theoretical lens of the social sciences to sports and  public health. Transferable skills include data curation such as secondary research mastery and thematic  coding, intersectional analysis including variable isolation and structural critique, and attention to both  social determinants of health and biopolitics and the body within the world of physical activity and  gender. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Background Research & Literature Review: Conduct comprehensive searches of academic  databases to identify existing studies. Perform systematic literature mapping across targeted  databases (e.g. SocINDEX, AnthroSource, PubMed, PsycINFO) to identify relevant peer reviewed studies, and popular articles identifying how these translate scientific findings to the  general public.  

Produce a formal annotated bibliography that summarizes the methodology, findings, and  relevance of each source, specifically highlighting the intersection of gender identity and health  outcomes and begin to organize data into thematic buckets. 

Qualifications: (Education/Experience/Skills) 

Required: 

∙ Strong written and verbal communication skills. 

∙ Proficiency in academic research databases (JSTOR, EBSCO, etc.). 

∙ Proven ability to locate and critically evaluate scholarly articles. Must understand the  difference between empirical studies, meta-analyses, and theoretical critiques. (e.g.  successful completion of SOAN 291, 371, 373) 

∙ Highly organized with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. 

Preferred: 

∙ Interest in the Sociology or Anthropology of Sport, Medical Anthropology, or Physical  Activity and Public Health 

This job description is for general information purposes. It is not intended to list all duties and  responsibilities of the position. This job description is subject to change at any time by St. Olaf  College, with or without prior notice.