Invitation

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), formerly the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI), is seeking to hire several graduate students, including paid tuition, and undergraduate student positions to fill needs throughout the Information Services Division of ICN. ICN operates within the School of Applied Sciences at The University of Mississippi, and is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition

programs. The Institute was established by Congress through the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 1989. It is funded by a grant administered through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).The specific duties of the Institute can be found in Section 21 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The Institute's mission is to provide information and services that promote the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs.

The Information Services Division is responsible for all operational technology aspects of the Institute, the safeguarding and distribution of all information from the Institute, and oversees the national Child Nutrition Archives that is housed at ICN. The breadth and growth of Information Service responsibilities has created several opportunities for high-level graduate students to assist the Institute. Some of these positions may also be assigned to work with teams within ICN’s Education and Training Division and Administration Division. The functional areas we are looking supplement include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following areas:

• Web Development (Responsive/Mobile First web design, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS, WordPress, etc.)
• Graphic Design (Adobe Software suite, Canva, geared towards web and social graphic development)
• Instructional Technology Development (eLearning course development, online professional development for adult learners)
• Multimedia Design and Support (Adobe Software Suite, with emphasis on video and motion graphics, such as Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, etc.)
• Social Media and Integrated Marketing Communications (traditional and digital brand marketing, social channels that include Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn/Pinterest and video channels YouTube/Vimeo, and associated software, such as Canva, and social media management tools, such as Sprout Social)
• Traditional IT Helpdesk/Customer Support and Direct Staff Support (hardware and software installation, maintenance and support)

ICN’s preference is to bring on graduate students who are just entering their respective graduate programs in fall 2022, but is open to other arrangements, including undergraduate applications for these positions. These positions will be interacting on a daily basis with highly accomplished staff, working on projects with a national scope, and it is possible, if not probable, that they will be interacting directly with

ICN customers. As such, it is important that these students have an understanding of operating within a professional environment and strong communication and interpersonal skills.

This advertisement is targeted to academic programs and departments aligned with the educational background of the positions described above, but it is not limited to students in these programs and departments. In consultation with the university Graduate School, ICN was encouraged to reach out to the respective department graduate program coordinators (GPCs), directly, to “advertise” the availability of these opportunities, and that the process may vary from department to department. Other non-academic departments that have students and faculty that may be interested in these opportunities are welcomed to inquire or forward to potentially interested parties.

If you have questions or concerns about this advertisement or opportunities, please direct all inquiries to Johnathan Bishop, bishojb@olemiss.edu, x5289. All completed applications and associated documentation for consideration of these positions should be submitted at https://forms.theicn.org/student-employment-application/. We appreciate all interest.

 

Thank you,

 

Johnathan B. Bishop
Associate Director of Information Services
Institute of Child Nutrition
University of Mississippi
www.theicn.org
(800) 321-3054