L3 @ BC

The Language Learning Laboratory at Boston College (L3@BC), directed by Dr. Joshua Hartshorne, seeks a full-time lab manager to assist with developing and implementing ambitious, large-scale experiments utilizing cutting-edge technology. Research at L3@BC focuses on inference in language. How do learners infer the grammatical patterns of their language? How do listeners infer, in real time, what the speaker intends to convey? Why is inferring speaker-meaning easy for adults but hard for children, whereas inferring grammatical patterns is easy(er) for children but hard for adults?

Much of our recent effort has been to develop technologies for the application of "big data" techniques to tackle previously-intractable research questions. The lab manager's primary responsibilities will be in assisting with this work. In particular, responsibilities will include management of and directing improvements to our online laboratory (gameswithwords.org) and assisting with study design and data analysis, as well as some administrative tasks (i.e. management of undergraduate research assistants, scheduling, etc.). The exact distribution of duties may depend on individual interests and skills.

The lab manager will have the opportunity to attend talks at BC and throughout Boston, attend conferences, and sit in on classes. He or she will work directly with the PI and other senior members of the lab, and will also have the opportunity to mentor undergraduate researchers.

Requirements: Bachelor's degree in related field or discipline, some programming and/or web development experience, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, research experience, and ability to work independently. Experience with Amazon Mechanical Turk, Amazon Web Services, jsPsych, or other similar technologies is a plus, but is not required. Individuals with interdisciplinary interests spanning psychology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence may find this position particularly appealing.

Review of applications begins immediately. Preferred start date is May/June 2017, with a 2-year desired commitment. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please fill out this application and send your CV/resume and the contact information for two references to jobs@l3atbc.org. Please direct any questions to jobs@l3atbc.org.