You are recommending a former student for a job to a fellow professor.

**Question:**
A former student of yours, Amanda Lee, has applied for a research assistant position with your colleague, Dr. Roberts. Dr. Roberts has asked for your honest assessment of Amanda. Write a recommendation email to Dr. Roberts. In your email:
– State how you know Amanda and in what capacity
– Describe her research skills and work ethic
– Explain why she would be an excellent research assistant

**Model Answer:**

**To:** dr.roberts@university.edu
**Subject:** Recommendation for Amanda Lee – Research Assistant Position

Dear Dr. Roberts,

Thank you for reaching out about Amanda Lee. I am pleased to offer my strongest recommendation for her as a research assistant. I had Amanda as a student in two courses – Research Methods and Advanced Statistics – and I also supervised her independent research project last semester.

Amanda is one of the most capable undergraduate researchers I have encountered in my ten years of teaching. In Research Methods, she designed a study on sleep and academic performance that was methodologically sound enough to be a graduate-level project. She identified potential confounds that most students overlook, calculated her own sample size requirements, and selected appropriate statistical tests without guidance. She earned the highest grade in a class of 65 students.

Her research skills are exceptional. Amanda is proficient in SPSS and R, and she learned Qualtrics on her own over a weekend to build a survey for her project. She is meticulous about documentation – her lab notebook was so well-organized that I used it as an example for future students. When her initial analysis did not support her hypothesis, she did not try to hide or manipulate the results. Instead, she spent a week reading additional literature and wrote a thoughtful discussion of what the null findings might mean.

Beyond her technical skills, Amanda is a joy to work with. She is curious, asks thoughtful questions, and takes feedback seriously. She is also reliable – she never missed a meeting or submitted work late. She is respectful of others’ time and always comes prepared.

I am confident that Amanda would be an asset to your research lab. She has the skills, work ethic, and intellectual maturity to contribute meaningfully from day one. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss her further.

Sincerely,
Dr. Patricia Chen
Associate Professor of Psychology