In German-speaking countries, they are known as SHK, student assistants, who take on tasks for a few hours a week for a small compensation. At my host university, UC Santa Barbara, this concept is thought differently; here, very good students can earn ECTS points for their studies by taking over important tasks in research projects. Their role is then called a “Research Assistant (RA)”.
I had the great pleasure of working (not to mention laughing) with a total of 18 RAs over the 18 months of my stay. A HUGE THANK YOU (in no particular order) to Sam, Chris, Xin, Hannah, Aaron, Kylie, Ellie, Tvisha, Isaac, Leo, Joyce, Grace, Elly, Annie, Morgan, Owen, Jack and Haley for your tremendous dedication, perseverance and sense of humor!
Thanks so much, folks, you were a pleasure to work with!