Student Internship - User Experience and Community Researcher

ITS is developing RIO (Roadrunner Intelligent Operator), an AI-powered campus phone and SMS system that will make its public debut at the 2nd Annual NextTech Kern Conference on October 28, 2026. The RIO Innovation Fellows program places one Student Assistant from each of CSUB's four colleges in a substantive role tied directly to the project.

The User Experience and Community Research Student Assistant works under the direct oversight of the ITS Lead and assists with ensuring RIO is designed around the needs of the people who use it. All research activity and findings are reviewed and approved by the ITS Lead before use. This student will support ongoing listening sessions, assist with an accessibility and language access audit of current call flows, help translate community research findings into requirements the technical team can act on, and assist with designing an original audience research study on how attendees respond to AI-generated music at the conference. This student will present at the NextTech Kern panel on how AI was applied in their discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with the design and facilitation of ongoing student and community listening sessions in Phase 2

• Use AI-assisted qualitative analysis tools to assist with identifying themes and patterns in listening session notes and transcripts

• Assist with conducting an accessibility and language access audit of RIO's current call flows

• Assist with analyzing existing operator call data to surface patterns in caller behavior and equity or access gaps

• Assist with producing a research-to-requirements handoff document translating community findings into actionable language for the technical team

• Assist with preparing the human story and caller experience narrative for the AVP/CIO's stage announcement on October 28

• Assist with designing and conducting a post-event audience research study on attendee reactions to AI-generated music used at NextTech Kern

• Assist with producing a future phase input brief summarizing community research findings and recommending areas of focus

• Participate in the NextTech Kern panel on October 28, 2026

• Participate in 30-day and 60-day progress check-ins with ITS leadership

• Maintain an AI tools log submitted as a final deliverable

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework or experience in social sciences, education, psychology, communications, or a related field

• Interest in research methods including qualitative listening and quantitative data analysis

• Willingness to use and critically evaluate AI tools in a research context

• Interest in equity, accessibility, and language access considerations in technology design

• Strong written communication and documentation skills

AWS Mentor Support

This position includes mentorship support from Amazon Web Services professionals through an open office hours arrangement.

Faculty Reference Requirement

Applicants must submit one faculty reference from a faculty member in the College of Social Sciences and Education. The faculty member should email their completed reference form directly to avpciooffice@csub.edu with the subject line: RIO Fellows Reference -- [Your Full Name]. Reference forms are available from the ITS office or via CECE. Applications without a submitted faculty reference will not be considered.

Program Benefits

• Real project ownership on a live AI and cloud technology initiative

• AWS industry mentor support through open office hours

• 30-day and 60-day progress check-ins with ITS leadership

• Public presentation at the 2nd Annual NextTech Kern Conference on October 28, 2026

• AI tools log and portfolio-ready deliverables

• Potential continuation opportunity into future project phases

 How to Apply

Apply through Handshake. In addition to your Handshake application, ask a faculty member from the College of Arts and Humanities to email a completed faculty reference form to avpciooffice@csub.edu with the subject line: RIO Fellows Reference -- [Your Full Name]. Applications without a submitted faculty reference will not be considered. Reference forms are available from the ITS office or via CECE.

Note: This position requires U.S. Work Authorization or F-1 Visa status