In spring 2003, the SAHARA Lab launched a 5-year longitudinal study of individual, social, and environmental factors that influence alcohol use and other behavioral risks (e.g., drug use, risky sex) among a large cohort of college students. Continued grant funding will allow us to follow this group of almost 2,000 participants as they leave college and embark on new life experiences. Additional projects in the SAHARA Lab focus on the effects of alcohol on behavioral risks (such as intimate partner aggression) and the prevention of alcohol-related problems. These studies include experimental alcohol administration protocols in our simulated bar and group interventions to reduce risky alcohol use. As a research assistant, your responsibilities could involve participant recruitment and tracking, data entry and analysis, administering experimental alcohol administration protocols, and working as part of an intervention team to reduce risky drinking and associated consequences. Interested individuals should contact a graduate student in the SAHARA Lab for more information on the research opportunities currently available.

We require a commitment of 10 hours per week for 2 consecutive semesters from all research assistants. We regard the PSY 357 experience as a learning process and feel that research assistants cannot properly appreciate and get involved with laboratory work in one semester. We also encourage you to find your own research interests through the academic component of the course.

During your first semester, you will be given articles related to current projects on a weekly basis. Each week, you will be asked to write a brief reaction paper and participate in a group discussion about the article with other research assistants, graduate students, and Dr. Fromme. During your second semester, you will have the opportunity to independently research a lab-related topic of interest to you and present on your topic at the end of the semester.